Hey DB,
If you really want to do a soa then do it. It's your jeep. I've done one and it worked out fine. I see you, like I have the tools you'll need, so unless you buy a soa kit and I've seen them and they are ok also, go for it. If you are going to do it there is a couple of things that MUST be done when using stock parts. BY the way if you do the soa so you can get bigger tires your wrong. The max is about 33x12.50 which I'm running on my sua and they did hit the springs in a turn until I narrowed the frame 2.5 inches. Big tires = longer axels or maximum modification. So if you want BIGGER tires then - 1st is get a set of Scout II axles. If it's not tires but flex then use your CJ axles but either way ,2nd is take the rear axel, remove the spring perch and when you reweld the spring perch on top of the axle (and either get or make large antiwrap spring perches) rotate the axel tubes about 8 to 10 degrees up, no more or you loose lubrication and reweld the perches. Find a CV style driveshaft from an old something and make it fit the shaft (you got a welder) and swap the u-joint on the top to fit the yoke from the
Transfer Case . Do the same for the front axel to the pumpkin BUT THEN arc air (or cut) the steering knuckles loose from the axel tubes and rotate them down the same as you rotated the pumpkin up ***** IF YOU DON'T do this your jeep will steer like a grader and fall over camber when you steer. It will wander down the road like a hobo in July. It just plain won't be fun to drive. Then make up a drop pitman arm or modified steering link to reduce the angle of steering link to steering knuckle (gusset the
out of this also as it will really add to wander if it flexes while driving.) If you use stock axels you get bunch more flex for out in the brush using 29" to say 31" tires. Use wider axles like scout II's you get bigger tires or use Dana 60's front and rear out of a 3/4 or 1 ton to get the maximum tires, we got a youngster up here in the UP off road club that runs 44" ThornBirds on a
CJ5 using Dana 60's, and still has lots suspension flex off road.
Like I've said before (and have been proven so) I'm not a pro, don't even try to say I know everything but if you want this rig to scoot down the road nicely, handle like a stock jeep and get some pretty nice tires under it then go for a 2.5 to 3" lift kit from SkyJacker or whoever, they are almost all good. If you want max flex and monster tires then resign yourself to the fact that it's a LOT of work and it wont handle as well on the road. But gosh they are fun in the brush.
