what lift do you run

what lift do you run
dalefan88

dalefan88

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79 cj5 258, t150, dana 20 transfer case, dana 30 front, 20 rear,warn hubs,2.5" procomp lift,teamrush,msd box,mc2100 carb,hedman header,clifford intake,optima battery, ford shock towers.
brand, size, likes, dislike. im trying to get a idea of what i want to get. i like hearing peoples feedback before i go buy something. thanks
 
My CJ7 has a skyjacker softride 4" lift. I don't have a ton of miles on this myself, but the few I do have were rough miles. This is supposed to be one of the softer riding kits. My left rear spring is also sagging so I need to replace asap. I am going to do a soa lift with stock yj leafs. The leafs are flat at rest which helps soften the ride and flex also. I am going to add anti-sway bars on both ends with quick disconnects in hopes it will help keep the ride from getting squirly. It should net aboout 5.5" of lift and I will need a cv rear driveshaft and longer splines on the front shaft to keep from seperating. Steering is also an issue. I will use a drop pitman arm with a tie rod flip. I think I'm going to use heim joints instead of TRE's. I don't now the ins and outs on CJ5 's with stock wheelbase as this might be too tall for a useful rear driveshaft angle. My old 5 had about 10" of stretch on the rear axle, so driveshaft was not a concern. This is a pic of it flexing. The engine crane was out of travel, not the suspension.
Messygarage - The hoist was maxxed, not the jeep! Jeep-CJ Gallery
The rear tire was about 3' off the ground. Those are 39.5" swampers on there. If done properly, a soa can ride very well and function great on and off road.
 
I have a Rancho lift in my CJ5 and it is about like being on a solid suspension. Now, the springs are about 20 years old and I'm sure they have made advancements since then. I'm going to try one of the soft ride spring kits on this rebuild.
 
I run a Skyjacker soft ride 2.5 on mine. They used to (IDK if the do now) advertise that they were pre stressed, and not even the weight of a heavy winch would sag them. Seems they were telling the truth, mine sits as level as it did when I built it. Now as far as the whole "soft ride" thing goes, there is a slight diference, between this lift, and others I have used. But my thoughts are this, An arched spring that is designed to keep lift on any vehicle, is going to be stiffer than stock, and the taller the lift, the stiffer the ride. Especially when that vehicle is a little CJ tub. The only REAL diference I have seen between lifts over the years, is when I made the mistake of installing military style springs on a CJ5 once. That caging strap around the spring stack not only limits flex, but makes for an *** busting ride. TERRIBLE. I also added a front only sway bar on this 7 in an effort to make it and me happier on the pavement, and I tell you no lie when I say that it is like a slot car! I will never build or own another road use jeep without one. It will corner just about flat till the tires get loose.
 
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anything over 4" would be to much for me. it would spend 85% of the time on the road and 15% in mudd and trails. as for soft ride, its a jeep and i know it will never ride like a caddy. but alittle softer would be nice. im thinking a 2.5" or i saw a 3" made by black diamond. i have 31" tires and if i went any bigger it would probally be 32" i dont know what gears i have but they are probally high gears. i have the T-150 with Dana 20 . i rather spend the money on gears for something else. i think at 55 i run about 2700 rpms.
 
Old Man Emu makes some very nice riding systems also. They tend to be a little more expensive than most kits, but they are made custom for your needs. They changge the springs depending upon motor size, winch or not, and any other weight adding accesories. You can also do a military wrap or not if you want it softer. They can put anti-friction pads for more flex and a softer ride. You can call them and they make the kit for you. They are not cheap though. We use them at work to lift our FJ cruisers,4runners, and pickups. The company really works with you.
 
im looking at spending around $400 plus shipping. man i have way to much time on my hands since my surgery. lol . i keep thinking of different things i want to do to the jeep.
 
best i can tell (i didnt build my jeep) i have a 2.5 inch rancho lift, 2 inch shackles and a 1 inch body lift on my 69cj it has 33x12.5 15 bfg mt's
 
does anybody know any info on the black diamond 3" lift.
 
I haven't heard anything bad about them from anyone. I think they're a moderately priced spring. CJ anI part company on the mil wrap spring idea. I don't care for them on a Jeep for 2 reasons. They limit articulation off road, and they ride harder than non wrapped springs.
 
If I hadn't broken a couple of spring or didn't treat my CJ like a desert racer some times, I'd agree with ya... :) I guess if you think about it, breaking a spring was always my fault for putting the spring trough more then it was designed for...
 
the po put some skyjacker shocks on it when he put the 2" shackles on it. hopfully they work. if not i can go to work and find some rancho ones when i get the measurments. i love working at a parts store. lol i know we carry 4" ones in stock. do you think i would bottom them out with a 3" lift? if so i can get to book out and find the ones i need from measurments.
 
why do some people not like mill wrap springs? whats the advantage and disadvantage of them.
 
The advantage is that if you break a leaf in the spring pack you have a backup around the eye, the Jeep is still drivable and you can still travel.

The disadvantage is that most mill strings are'nt designed for anything but very heavy duty use and the normally don't have the ride or allow the droop (articulation) of a single wrap.
 
i see. maybe i should be looking more at the skyjacker 2.5. i dont need the best for off road. it would be on the road more than off road. i dont need a bunch of flex for mudd and light trails. a little softer ride would be nice. i just like the look of a little lift. kind of like it was with to 2" lift shackles as long as it steering is better than the shackles.
 
DaleFan88, maybe I missed it but what size tire do you need or want to clear?
 
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