New lift kit..

[jwill22]

so i need some ideas on a good lift kit.. i have an 84 CJ7 .. rebuilt engine.. whooo . straight 6 hmm.. amc... ill probably use it as 70 to 80 percent as my get around vehicle.. and 20 to 30 percent off roading.. like on desert.. would like it to be a rock crawler. .but im still very far away from that.. .. oh yeah.. stock axles as well.. and want to put a 35 in tire... hmm i dunno what else i can say..

 

[wrangler rider]

i did an SOA i got 5inches on my yj usual you get 4-5 inches but it requires welding, angling, pitman arm, shocks, moving brake lines, and some other things im sure, but that what i had todo for mine and it tallied up to about $70 but i have a free drop pitman and welding/angleing and that doesnt include shocks

 

[LongHorn]

so i need some ideas on a good lift kit.. i have an 84 CJ7 .. rebuilt engine.. whooo . straight 6 hmm.. amc... ill probably use it as 70 to 80 percent as my get around vehicle.. and 20 to 30 percent off roading.. like on desert.. would like it to be a rock crawler. .but im still very far away from that.. .. oh yeah.. stock axles as well.. and want to put a 35 in tire... hmm i dunno what else i can say..

I would not get to crazy with the rock crawling until you ready to break some parts & incur some body damage. You can run a 35" tire on the street & trails, but taller tires increase the weight & leverage applied to your bearings & axles. All bad things the factory designers didn't foresee.
Which often leads to parts breakage.
To run 35" tires I would think a 4" lift & a 1" body lift.

 

[mhubacek]

I just read up on that SOA Kit by Rocky Road. It looks like a great kit if you're interested in SOA. Bolt-on, Easy instructions for those not as experienceed as alot of the guys on this site. You can also get the kit w/all the necessary hardware for OTT high-steering. 6 1/2 inches of lift, done the right way! (For a SOA set-up anyways, wouldn't want to stir up another SOA vrs. SUA debate!) If I go SOA, I'm definately going to buy this kit!
Here's the link: Spring over axle lift for Jeep CJ 5, CJ 6, CJ 7, CJ 8, Scrambler
This link was from another jeeper on this site, ran across it reading through threads on here. Can't remember who suggested it though.

 

[jwill22]

so whats like a good lift brand.. like skyjacker, pro comp.. im just not sure what to do.. my lift looks kinda bad.. and have like a sagging leaf spring on one side..hmm

 

[mhubacek]

The guy that sent that info on Rocky Road SOA was RIMO79, just wanted to give credit where it is due. Thanks rimo79 for the input, I'm most likely going the Rocky Road route!
JWILL22, I found some really helpful info on the SOA vrs. SUA thread in the suspension forum. Lot's of various opinions on wether to go SUA or SOA, preferences on different brands of lifts, and ect...I'm in the planning stages as well, it helped me.

 

[IOPort51]

There are very few off road experiences that can compare with the butt clenching excitement of cruising at 70 in a narrow track CJ with a full tank and gear for a 3 day hunt, 35 inch tires and a 5 inch suspension lift. If you have just a touch of play in the steering actuator it is X2. I bet that by the time you drove from El Paso to Amarillo for a bird hunt they couldn't drive a 6 penny nail up your <-BAD WORD-> with a sledge hammer.
Now that’s what I call fun!!

 

[LongHorn]

I just read up on that SOA Kit by Rocky Road. It looks like a great kit if you're interested in SOA. Bolt-on, Easy instructions for those not as experienceed as alot of the guys on this site. You can also get the kit w/all the necessary hardware for OTT high-steering. 6 1/2 inches of lift, done the right way! (For a SOA set-up anyways, wouldn't want to stir up another SOA vrs. SUA debate!) If I go SOA, I'm definately going to buy this kit!
Here's the link: Spring over axle lift for Jeep CJ 5, CJ 6, CJ 7, CJ 8, Scrambler
This link was from another jeeper on this site, ran across it reading through threads on here. Can't remember who suggested it though.

IMHO the 2 most important things on a SOA conversion is is steering can make all the difference. Wheel Hop. High steering conversion is the best answer to steering & some type of traction control.

 

[LongHorn]

so whats like a good lift brand.. like skyjacker, pro comp.. im just not sure what to do.. my lift looks kinda bad.. and have like a sagging leaf spring on one side..hmm

Rubicon Express make a good product.

 

[jwill22]

dang they are pretty expensive.. lol.. i just spent 4k for my engine.. :/ ugh i felt robbed.. ha..

 

[jwill22]

ha.. 1300 isnt to bad.. when i first looked it said like 3k i was all .. why do people do yj lifts and not cj ones ?

 

[mhubacek]

I could be wrong, someone here will definately correct me if I'm wrong. I believe it's due to spring width. Most of the older CJ's (if not all) came with narrower leaf springs. My CJ has stock 1 3/4 leaf springs. The YJ springs I intend to replace them with are 2 1/2 inches in width. Also longer, for more lift, or in my case more flexiblility/(Flattening out) for SOA. It seems that lifts are easier to find, and more durable then the narrower CJ leaf springs. I also read some posts on Rubicon Express, for SUA. Seems that many offroaders really like them! So, X2 with Longhorn's advice on Rubicon Express if you choose to go SUA! I also agree with Longhorn's advice on Steering for SOA, that's why I'm looking at Rocky Road. Just some info I've been trying to get answers about myself! Link on SOA, talks about why YJ leaf springs are better for that.
http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=260276
Good luck

 

[LongHorn]

I could be wrong, someone here will definately correct me if I'm wrong. I believe it's due to spring width. Most of the older CJ's (if not all) came with narrower leaf springs. My CJ has stock 1 3/4 leaf springs. The YJ springs I intend to replace them with are 2 1/2 inches in width. Also longer, for more lift, or in my case more flexiblility/(Flattening out) for SOA. It seems that lifts are easier to find, and more durable then the narrower CJ leaf springs. I also read some posts on Rubicon Express, for SUA. Seems that many offroaders really like them! So, X2 with Longhorn's advice on Rubicon Express if you choose to go SUA! I also agree with Longhorn's advice on Steering for SOA, that's why I'm looking at Rocky Road. Just some info I've been trying to get answers about myself! Link on SOA, talks about why YJ leaf springs are better for that.
CJ Spring Over Axle - - Jeep at Off-Road.com
Good luck

You are correct, when I did the SOA conversion on my rig. I also swapped over to wrangler springs. It's generally for more flex & better ride.