Suspension upgrade ideas needed

[etexjeep]

I'm a new jeep owner here and just bought an 83 CJ7 looking to beef up the suspension. It has the inline 6 and a basic shackle lift on 31 inch tires. I've got front and rear lockers and looking for a good 2.5 inch lift to support 33's. Any ideas would be appreciated here in Texas!

 

[mtnwhlr]

:ww: from Colorado

 

[PaRenegade]

It really boils down to money and how much your willing to spend. I'd say the top 3 lifts for ride and flex quality would be Old Man Emu, BDS, and Rubicon Express. The OME setup though is a conversion to wider front springs so it involves a bit more and obviously has a bit higher price tag.

In order to run 33's you'll need to increase those shackles to a stronger and longer one, and no matter which ones you get, replace those factory shackle mounts if your going to do any off-roading.

Another concern going to 33's is your gear ratio. Do you know what that currently is? Also, what kind of driving do you plan on doing?

 

[etexjeep]

I'm fixing to find out the gear ratio when I put the ox locker in the rear and as far as driving I'm just starting on this jeep thing so nothing extreme yet. It will be driven a lot in town but we've got a large farm to trail ride and a four wheel park to start learning on small stuff. I ordered the OME 2.5 lift and my jeep already has aftermarket longer shackles but I'll check and make sure they will work first. Definitely want to use the best parts and make it a nice ride. now for tire ideas??

 

[etexjeep]

Btw thanks for the input and any other ideas would be appreciated!

 

[PaRenegade]

Your welcome. Since you choose this route I'll just mention a few things you may or may not already know. The OME springs take larger 1 1/4" bushings. OME offers 2 types (neither come with the springs), a greaseable and non-greaseable one. (SB57 & SB87). They also use steel sleeves, hence the larger diameter, inside so the bushings rotate on them instead of a bolt.

The OME springs, which are Wrangler YJ conversion springs are wider, 2 1/2", so the shackles you have on the front won't work. I recommend either Warrior or Performance Accessories, as they have 3/8" sides and welded center block. The only shackles that will work with your current shackle hangers are the offset type that flare out from 2" to 2 1/2", but I don't care for their construction.
So you'll also need wider hangers for the 2 1/2" springs and shackles on the front. I recommend the ones from M.O.R.E. (mountain off road equip.)

Some say you need to move your shackle hanger forward because the springs are 1" longer than the Jeep springs, but with longer shackles this isn't needed.

And lastly, don't over tighten the shackle bolts. They only need to pinch the steel sleeve. The OME bushings have a lip on the sides to seal and rotate on the shackle sides, contributing to the smoother ride. If your going to use the greaseable bolts, which I would, be sure the sleeves have a small hole to allow the silicone grease to get to the outside of the sleeve where they rotation takes place.

 

[Old Dog]

I'm fixing to find out the gear ratio when I put the ox locker in the rear

There is a good chance your 83 has 2:73 gears, not a good thing with 33's.
You need to change or at least know what the gears are to be able to buy the correct locker.

 

[73CJ]

You will like OME.

Stock YJ spring mount work just fine. Then you can put it right where you want it. Not a big deal.

 

[HackFabrication]

Not a big fan of shackle lifts. You 'should' be able to run 33's on the street, with a 2.5" lift. I'd go with a 1" body lift if you do any serious articulation. Or you could cut some sheet metal...

 

[Jimbos76cj]

Ditch the shackles and go with a 4" spring lift.

 

[etexjeep]

So the lift will be done tomorrow and probably going with a 1inch body lift. I'm thinking about going with 32s to have enough room for some flex. If anyone has any feedback on this or pics I would appreciate it!

 

[rufus1138]

looking forward to hearing a review after the lift.

 

[etexjeep]

Well I got the lift on and the ride and flex is awesome. Gonna have the 1 inch body lift put on next. Given the fact I'm not doing any extreme climbing I'm wondering how 33s would do on my wide track axles and just doing a 10.5 inch wide tire cause I don't want them to stick out real wide. If y'all have any input or pics I would appreciate it! Thanks

 

[Torxhead]

Read post#7, with an automatic tranny you might be able to pull it off though. I would recommend an external Transmission cooler. The 33s will change the final drive ratio. Using an 8" wide wheel so they don't stick out too much.

 

[Old Dog]

Well I got the lift on and the ride and flex is awesome. Gonna have the 1 inch body lift put on next. Given the fact I'm not doing any extreme climbing I'm wondering how 33s would do on my wide track axles and just doing a 10.5 inch wide tire cause I don't want them to stick out real wide. If y'all have any input or pics I would appreciate it! Thanks

We need some pic's of the new lift.
As Torx said, using a 8" wheel will help.

 

[davey25]

10.5 with 8 inch wheel with normal backspacing sits pretty flush with flares and widetracks

 

[etexjeep]

Anyone know how to upload pics from an iPhone cause I can't figure this dang thing out??

 

[cj7inthetwigs]

Im on android, but if you use an App called Tapatalk click the "reply" icon top right corner. Then from there look for the square dots again top right corner . Mine gives me options to insert smiley, attach pictures, etc. Hope this is helpful. Probably a pita , but you can also pull up the website too. Good luck

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

[etexjeep]

Here's the new lift with the current 31's... Hopefully the 1 inch bl with be installed next week. She's coming together nicely!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IOPort51]

Hose down your body mounts with PB Blaster now to give time to soak. These can turn what first looks like a walk in the park into a major adventure.