Need help choosing a lift.

[surfhick04]

I have an 82 CJ7 with a 1" shackle lift and 1" body lift. I pulled the Transmission to replace it and went ahead and relocated the breather on the Transmission . In the process I found out my driveshafts are fully compressed, so Im assuming the guy I bought it from got longer driveshafts to do a lift and just didnt do it. So my question is will a 2.5" lift or a 4" lift be better for getting the driveshafts to be at the right compression at rest. Also I am wondering if there are any suggestions for brand and an idea of what all would come along with the 4" lift. I know that would have more of effect on steering and Im sure more parts would probably need to be changed out. Oh and also the seals on my Transfer Case need to be replaced since the driveshafts were putting to much pressure on them. Any tips on how to replace them without damaging the new ones? I appreciate any input on this. Thanks!

 

[BusaDave9]

If you get a suspension lift it may not help at all. The lift may give you more travel and it might sill bottom out the driveshafts. I would get what ever lift you want and then get drive shafts that are the correct length.
You can get a new drive shaft at Tom Woods for $224.
Or a local shop can change the lengths of yours for less.

 

[surfhick04]

Really? I would have thought by changing the ride height, by pythagorean theorem the hypotenuse(Driveshaft) would be lengthened. Therefor giving me enough room for compression and extension. I am really trying to get away without spending a ton of money. I already have about 4 grand into this jeep, and just want to be able to finally drive it. I am still in college paying my way through school so thats a huge drain on my wallet already. Plus I live in central florida and my trail riding really is mostly through sand and mud so I'm not looking to have rock crawler flex and compression. I am new to mechanics so I really welcome any knowledge so I was just wondering why the lift would not fix the driveshafts?

 

[BusaDave9]

Really? I would have thought by changing the ride height, by pythagorean theorem the hypotenuse(Driveshaft) would be lengthened. Therefor giving me enough room for compression and extension.

The limiting factor is the bump-stops. If you put in a lift and don't change the bump-stops then when you hit a big bump you will still slam the drive shaft into the TCase.

EDIT: Most lift kits don't include bump-stops. That's okay in most cases because it increases the wheel travel.

 

[Sasquach]

You are right that a suspension lift will move the diffs away from the T case and lengthen the drive shaft measurement but how much I can't say.
I would go with Busa's suggestion and get the lift you want then correct the shafts if needed.
That said personally I would stay less than 4" because all the other issues that will follow.
My 2 cents.

 

[surfhick04]

Well thank you guys so much for that information. I will definitely have to take that into consideration. I figured the 4" would end up costing me way more in other modifications... I guess I'll have to go with the 2.5" lift and I'll replace the bump stops. Later on when I can afford it I'll either get custom shafts made or go ahead with the bigger lift. I guess it also depends on where I move after college. If I stay in Florida I wont really need to go much bigger, but I really want to move up into the mountains where a bigger lift would come in handy. Once again thanks so much I really appreciate all the information on this site. I wouldn't be as far on my jeep if it wasnt for all the tips and technical info everyone puts in here. Ill update you guys once I can afford to get it all done. By the is there a lift kit you would suggest? I was thinking of going with a Rancho lift.

 

[BusaDave9]

If you lift your jeep 4 inches that doesn't mean you'll need a 4 inch longer drive shaft. This is because the drive shaft is at a very shallow angle.
If your drive shaft is bottomed out then your bump-stop should be bottomed out.
I wouldn't even drive a jeep if the drive shaft is bottomed out when sitting still.

 

[BusaDave9]

If you want to save money then my sugestion is to forget the lift and fix the drive shafts. It will cost much less than a lift. then when you want to get a lift you very well won't need new drive shafts. The drive shafts never need to be replaced with a lift 4 inches or under.

 

[surfhick04]

Alright well then it looks like I may be getting some new drive shafts Worst case scenario I'll still have long drive shafts if I want to go bigger later. And I dont plan on driving it at all until the driveshafts are corrected. I drove the jeep for about a week when I first got it and since then I have been working on it. I am just dying to get it up and running. It looks to good to be sitting in a garage...

 

[BusaDave9]

The cheepest solution is to call the local drive shaft shops for a quote. It will cost less if you can make your own measurements, remove the drive shafts your self and bring them in. Changing the length of a drive shaft is not hard and the bill shouldn't be too bad.