best type of lift?

best type of lift?
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Location
Eugene, Oregon
Vehicle(s)
1985 AMC jeep cj7 dana 300 transfer case 258 ci straight six
I have an 85 CJ7 and i want to put a lift on it, i heard you could use chevy 63 leafs but i don't understand how that would work? what type of lift should i get? help?:(
 
I think the most general answer to your question is "yes." :D

All joking aside, I would steer WAAAY away from the Chevy 63" springs. That is, unless you are doing a major stretch on your wheel base. Just think -- If you mounted those to your existing hangars (which they wouldn't go in the front -- Chevy springs are 2 1/2" wide springs, where your front springs are 2"), the springs would be pretty close to meeting in the middle of your frame. I have seen 52" Chevy springs in a CJ, but that was still doing a wheelbase stretch.

Before anyone can constructively answer your question, we would have to pose a few for you:

What type of use will it see?

What size tire do you plan on running?

What drivetrain modifications are you looking to do and/or willing to do?

Do you want it to ride like a Caddy or the rough 'n tough CJ that it is?
 
i wna tit to be like a crawler but still be able to just play around the mountains, i want to run 38 inch tires and i would like lots of flex from it i dont know about drive train modifications at this moment
 
I'm assuming you're on stock axles. Being an 85, I'm assuming they're wide track, but stock gearing (2.72?). To run 38's, you'd at the very least need a re-gear. Then would come the 1-piece shafts, upgraded axle shafts in the front, etc. etc....Are you trying to stay street legal? I don't have any idea on DOT regulations in Oregon, but an axle swap wouldn't be out of the question. At any rate, people have run 38" tires on stock CJ axles, but you'd be running them on borrowed time offroad, unless you're VERY careful on some very mild trails.

Anyway, to fit that much tire, you'd have to run a spring over conversion. It is possible to get the correct aftermarket components to correct your steering angles in the front, but I'd recommend a Chevy 44 front (or a 60, if you've got some spare coin laying around) for this...much easier, as they typically come with flat-top knuckles so you can run crossover steering.

Along with the SOA, you'd still have to do some fender trimming to get full flex. The good thing with SOA is you have increased wheel travel over the stock configuration...BUT -- if you run stock springs, they will tend to wear out much quicker since they can go so much more into negative arch.

Going SOA will also need some sort of traction control in the rear, i.e. a ladder bar or something of the like. There are many write-ups on the interweb with good (and bad) examples of making one while still retaining full axle articulation.

As far as rear driveshaft angles, you'd need to likely go with a CV joint to keep the driveshaft from being quite so steep...this will let you point the rear differential up toward the Transfer Case , helping flatten out your upper joint angles.

FWIW, I've got 38.5 Boggers under my CJ with a SOA setup. I've got stock CJ leaves in the rear with Chevy 1/2 ton springs in the front. I can tell you that the rear tires do rub the front of the rear fenders at full flex...I'm contemplating moving the rear back a few inches to get rid of the rub. If you do something like this, you'll have to use a fuel cell, because the differential will try to occupy the same space as your fuel tank. Moving the front axle forward a few inches will also help. On that note, you'd need new driveshafts.

Long story short, putting that much tire under a CJ requires a lot of thought, research, time, and patience. Not impossible by any means, but definitely can be a daunting task.
:chug:
 
Long story short, putting that much tire under a CJ requires a lot of thought, research, time, and patience. Not impossible by any means, but definitely can be a daunting task.
:chug:
:agree: and will add a big bank account.
 
:agree: and will add a big bank account.
Good call! I won't even mention how much I've dumped into mine... :eek: Sad thing is, it doesn't even look like half that amount... never does, though, does it?
 
Good call! I won't even mention how much I've dumped into mine... :eek: Sad thing is, it doesn't even look like half that amount... never does, though, does it?

:D No it never does.
The truth is, big tires cost big money. The problem is, we all love big tires.:D
 
:eek: But I don't like big tires :( maybe there IS something wrong with me.....

With the wheel base of a Jeep much of anything over 33" is dangerous. One exception, BusaDave seems to have the right balance between tire size and suspension.
 
I am not a fan of big tires either as their price has really gone up. I am going to try a smaller tire when the time comes and hope that my 25 years of wheeling will help out here.
 
I run 33's on my Dana 30 front and 20 rear. Of course I have chromoly shafts. CV driveshafts and lockers. I am running 4" springs and about 2" in the way spring mounts are welded. I will upgrade to 35 or 36 but have to wait until the 33s wear down. Going on 9 years on those!!! Experience and 33s with the right axle guts can get you just about anywhere!
 
The extra length of a CJ7 may make 35' tires safer. My '75 CJ5 had'em and they scared me to death. Was like riding around on a basket ball, tip forward, tip back, side to side and brakes that were "improved" enough to send you through the windshield at any given moment. All in all they scared me to death.
 

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