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Car Forum / Jeep / February 2007

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ZJ springs

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The Merg - 20 Feb 2007 20:39 GMT
For the XJ, I'm planning on following the budget boost writeup at:
http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm
It says to use ZJ V8 springs.  I've been looking at them, and it seems
that they used the same springs for both the 4.0L and the V8 -
Partsamerica.com says that these same springs work for XJs too.

Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 01:20 GMT
I have heard of using the ZJ v8 springs for around 1" of lift, though I have
never personally verified this is possible. You can get 'em dirt cheap used.
It might be easier to just throw a 3" coil spacer in there, unless you are
planning on using the 3" spacer and the 1" ZJ coils. Let us know what you
decide and if you get any lift (and how much!) from the ZJ coils.

Carl

> For the XJ, I'm planning on following the budget boost writeup at:
> http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 01:47 GMT
If it's true, I'd love to do it, but looking around at various venders,
they all seem to offer the same spring for both ZJ applications and XJs
as well.
Instead, I'm thinking about 2" lift ZJ springs from OME.  It would
definitely be more expensive, but at least I know I'd get the lift,
hopefully more than 2" even.  I wouldn't have to use coil spacers,
either, which I'd rather not do if I can help it.  Regardless of what I
do, I don't really want more than maybe 4" of lift.  If I need to fit
tires past that, I'll just go to town with the sawzall.
I don't know, I'll figure it out.

I might as well ask what you other guys with XJs have done for lift -
lift kits, homebrew hodgepodge, or massive fender trimming, or some
combination of the three?

> I have heard of using the ZJ v8 springs for around 1" of lift, though I have
> never personally verified this is possible. You can get 'em dirt cheap used.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>>
>> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 02:14 GMT
I ran my 89 XJ with a 2" coil spacer up front and a 2" AAL in the rear. I
don't reccomend the AAL. I would get the 2" spacers for the front, a 1.5"
lift shackle and a .75" lift block and be done with it. You don't even have
to replace the shocks right away if you get bar pin eliminators.

Coil spacers at 2" work fine, and the flex is still pretty good. IDK if I
would buy the OME kit. I've 'heard' its is good, but you still use stock
arms and ect. The aftermarket arms clear tires better, and despite what RRO
says, they are stronger.

If I was going to do a spring lift on my XJ, I would get the 3.5" Rubicon
Express lift. Super-ride version with full rear springs. $650 plus around
$50 for shipping from www.offroadtoystore.com free DT3 shocks with the lift.
That's where and what I plan to buy for my XJ.

HTH

Carl

> If it's true, I'd love to do it, but looking around at various venders,
> they all seem to offer the same spring for both ZJ applications and XJs as
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>>>
>>> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 02:26 GMT
I forgot to mention that the 3.5" usually gives about 4". You will not need
a SYE at 4". A degree shim or a 1" t-case drop will take away the vibes. I
have installed that lift on an 91 XJ I used to have and it was great. Ride,
flex, and stance were excellent. It's the red XJ at my photobucket. 31"
tires fit perfectly, 32's will fit with a sawzall or bushwackers.

Once the rear springs were broken in, the ride was as good as or better than
stock.

Carl

>I ran my 89 XJ with a 2" coil spacer up front and a 2" AAL in the rear. I
>don't reccomend the AAL. I would get the 2" spacers for the front, a 1.5"
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 02:41 GMT
when you had the 2" coil spacer, did you have the stock control arms?  I
plan on upgrading to longer arms, but probably not right away.  I need
to get myself a welder (and then learn how to weld), then I'll build a
new crossmember and do links off of that, or something along those
lines.  (or maybe I just read too much Pirate4x4)

I'm not looking at the whole OME kit, just the front coil springs (here:
http://www.quadratec.com/products/16090_934.htm ) - the rear would be an
amalgamation of a leaf or two from an XJ pack and maybe a shackle lift.
 I'd rather not use blocks or spacers if at all possible.

> I ran my 89 XJ with a 2" coil spacer up front and a 2" AAL in the rear. I
> don't reccomend the AAL. I would get the 2" spacers for the front, a 1.5"
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 02:44 GMT
I used stock control arms with the spacers. The ride and flex were great.
Making your own crossmember and control arms is a HUGE task, everything must
be perfect. It's the sortof project where 'if you have to ask, you shouldn't
do it'. By the time you get any lift from adding XJ leafs to your pack, the
ride will be pretty stiff. Maybe add one leaf and a 1.5" shackle.

Blocks less than .75" don't substantially contribute to axle wrap.

Carl

> when you had the 2" coil spacer, did you have the stock control arms?  I
> plan on upgrading to longer arms, but probably not right away.  I need to
[quoted text clipped - 57 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>> Does anyone know what the deal is?  Am I looking at the wrong years?
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 03:20 GMT
From what I've read, adding just the XJ main leaf will gain about 1.5",
obviously depending on the wear.

I think you underestimate my stubborness and self-delusion. The only
thing holding me back is a lack of tools and the fact that I don't know
how to weld, but both are relatively easy to fix.
There's plenty of info around on the internet about the physics of
building a linked suspension (link length, anti-squat, steering setups,
etc.), my pops is a mechanical engineer, and I'm way too smart for my
own good - all of these add up to me getting in way over my head.
That's why I'm doing this stuff, though.  I hate the idea of putting
something on my Jeeps that I could've built myself and, mostly, I love a
challenge.
However, that stuff won't be for a little while - at least until my bank
account gains some weight.

I'll look into the blocks and stuff - it'll probably come down to what I
figure out about the ZJ V8 springs.

> I used stock control arms with the spacers. The ride and flex were great.
> Making your own crossmember and control arms is a HUGE task, everything must
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Carl
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 04:31 GMT
If you decide to build your own crossmember and arms, take a lot of pictures
and notes and do a write up so we can do it to. If you aren't an experianced
welder, start soon. Make lots and lots of quarters. Control arms aren't the
best things to learn on. Suspension welds must be PERFECT.

Let me know what you decide what to do.

Carl

> From what I've read, adding just the XJ main leaf will gain about 1.5",
> obviously depending on the wear.
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>>
>> Carl
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 05:09 GMT
There's no way I'll teach myself to weld on the suspension links,
there's plenty more I plan on doing before then - bumpers, rocker
guards, maybe a cage.  Who knows?  My plans are way too grand, I know
that much.  It'll be a while before I start trying to link anything.
FWIW, my brother-in-law's father is a master welder, so I'll have help
learning.  I also need to look into a class around here.

By the way, did you buy that YJ from Norfolk?

> If you decide to build your own crossmember and arms, take a lot of pictures
> and notes and do a write up so we can do it to. If you aren't an experianced
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>>>
>>> Carl
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 05:15 GMT
Not as of yet. He's in a hurry to sell and I'm still cross country. I listed
it on the Richmond Jeepers board for him. If he's still got it whenever I
get back over there, I'll probably buy it from him, but at that price, it'll
be gone. No matter, I'm happy to build my XJ a little. I'm thinking a 3.5"
RE lift, lunchbox locker in the rear, and some 31" M/T's.

Eventually I'll boost it with a 3" coil spring spacer, 1.5" block and 1.5"
shackle and a long arm kit. When the springs wear out, I'll replace them
with 6 or 7" ones.

The trick is to build what you can upgrade and re-use as much as you can. I
know a lot of people who buy a small lift, then a big lift, and ect. It's
called 'incrementalism' and it is a huge waste of money.

Carl

> There's no way I'll teach myself to weld on the suspension links, there's
> plenty more I plan on doing before then - bumpers, rocker guards, maybe a
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Carl
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 05:33 GMT
I'd offer to take delivery of it for you, but my house is already a used
car lot, I just don't know where I'd put it.

I don't see any reason to incrementalize my builds because I don't have
the cash for it and redundant building of any kind bothers me.  I'm all
about stuff that I can reuse and like most Jeepers, I have no problem
hitting the junkyards.  And I definitely want to utilize the sawzall
where I can as opposed to trying to put 10" of lift on.

I definitely like the way RE puts their kits together, it seems like you
can buy one kit and then upgrade it as your truck progresses.  In a way,
it's incrementalism, but it seems like a more logical version.  From
what I've heard, they're pretty quality too.

What size tires are you running on the XJ now?

By the way, I think I'm going to Herculine the XJ, since I'm already
gonna hit the two YJs.  Should be sweet.

> Not as of yet. He's in a hurry to sell and I'm still cross country. I listed
> it on the Richmond Jeepers board for him. If he's still got it whenever I
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>> Carl
Carl S - 21 Feb 2007 05:55 GMT
Always avoid incrementalism whenever possible. I suppose I will be going the
incremental route, but I will be able to sell the LCA's that come with the
3.5" lift kit, and I'll run the 3.5" springs till they are no good, or sell
them when I get the taller springs.

One good thing about the way I will be doing is it that I don't have to do
it all at once. I can do the initial lift, then the Long arms with the
budget boost, then the SYE, then the springs. Helps to break up the cost and
time.

Carl

> I'd offer to take delivery of it for you, but my house is already a used
> car lot, I just don't know where I'd put it.
[quoted text clipped - 80 lines]
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Carl
The Merg - 21 Feb 2007 21:22 GMT
Quick update, I found some info on the ZJ/XJ coil debate at
jeepsunlimited:
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?t=775469&highlight=zj+spring
+lift+xj

Thanks to Billy Ray for the heads up.

> Always avoid incrementalism whenever possible. I suppose I will be going the
> incremental route, but I will be able to sell the LCA's that come with the
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>> By the way, I think I'm going to Herculine the XJ, since I'm already gonna
>> hit the two YJs.  Should be sweet.
 
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