Newbie Needs Help! (lifting a '76 CJ7)

[81CJ7WY]

Your drive shaft angles will change with any lift. If you do a 4 inch you'll end up with new drive shafts. Then you'll have drive shaft vibrations caused by the steeper angle. To get rid of that, Common practice is to drop the rear of the engine down by putting spacers on the skid plate that hold the tranny, a cv joint on the rear shaft, and shim the rear axle angle to match the drive shaft angle. A two inch lift, you might be able to get away with just dropping the skid plate. But I don't really know as did a 4inch lift. (And I wonder what happened to that $8k)

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Didn't need to drop the plate with mine. Just rotated the pinions up some.
LG

 

[Posi]

No need to touch the skid plate or DS on a 2.5 lift.
A couple of metal shims on the rear axle is all you need

 

[shum8]

You guys have all changed my plans, so thank you for speaking up and voicing your opinion! I wrote down 5-6 different things I will have the shop inspect and/or replace this weekend. And between the possible additional hassles of having a 4 inch lift, and safety concern ..... and when "Posi" uses my kids in the equation .... that makes it a no-brainer!

I just Googled pictures of CJ7s with a 2.5 inch suspension lift and 33 inch tires, and that is an fantastic look and exactly what I should do. Thank you to everybody again for the help and welcoming me to the CJ family!

You will find there are a few folks here who have forgotten more CJ stuff than most of us will ever learn... and they will pass that knowledge on freely and in a positive manner. Other sites will add a dose of righteousness along with the help - but not here.... You will find it very welcoming here - I did.

With that said, most everyone here just LOVES to spend other people's money (And we wanna see pics of what we bought!!!)

 

[Lumpy Grits]

With any lift like that. Don't forget to lower your bump-stops also.
LG

 

[Peanut Butter]

If I could chime in here with an opinion? I understand the look your going for. There is something to be said about how a Jeep looks with a lift and big tires. On that note, if you go to my build thread (first one), you'll see what a Jeep with a stock suspension looks like with 32x11.5x15 tires on stock 7 inch rims (the way I bought it). For a DD, there were no clearance issues. Please keep in mind my Jeep is nowhere near as beautiful as yours. But, it's an idea. If you just have to, you'll be happier with a 2 1/2 inch lift with the big tires.

 

[shum8]

If mine didn't already have a lift, I'd leave it stock height.... but it does. Oh well - that's for another day


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[1979bettywhite]

LG, you said you did not drop the Transfer Case on yours, just added shims.

I am putting my BDS 2.5" on this weekend. Stock length shackles. Should I order up some shims for the rear axle and forgo the Transfer Case drop? If so, will 2 degrees suffice, or do I need to wait and see how my angles come out? Also, do I need to order longer center pin bolts with any shim addition?

Just want to make sure to do things right the first time. Thanks!

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Take a bubble angle gauge and take a reading from the 'flat' of your pinion yoke with the p'yoke u-joint cradles horizontal before the install.
After the lift-repeat. My SWAG is you'll want 3-4*. Use steel shims and not the cast zice ones that's so common.
LG

 

[1979bettywhite]

Thanks LG, I think I will order up a set of WP steel 4* shims and some longer centering pins.

Worst case scenario is I return them.

Anything for the front you think? Running the winch up front. Could throw an extra set of 4* shims in my order, or maybe 2*.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

If you put 4* in the back. I'd do the same in front.
LG