Drivetrain lift+flat belly+lower suspension=Lower COG

[doug_1994]

How's some good 'ol tech sound?


I've been away for a little while, but I'm back at it now.

I've been dyin' to get grease back under my nails, my wife, and I had our second son, and things been a crazy around here.

So here goes....




First off I made some three inch motor mount spacers out of some .25 inch plate I had. I wanted to get my motor up as high as I could with NO BODY LIFT. I had to remove the fan shroud, and move some of the wiring harness, from the back of the motor.




My valve cover is about as high as the rad cap, and the hood closes just fine.





Next up was the factory skid....gone....I got hung up on that battered turd more than once. I made a crossmember out of some old angle I had laying around. My driveshafts were now all out of whack.





Here is where the faint of heart back off. Gettin' crazy with the grinder. If anyone knows my jeep, or me, I have no feelings toward sheetmetal.

Bye-bye firewall.





Gaping hole!





Damn shifters! (still got work to do there.)





Hello, slave cylinder.





Damn 435 is tall! And I ain't gettin' rid of my AC!





Next I move onto the springs. My driveshafts are still all out of whack, so I'm gonna try to get them back in check, and get the dirty pig to sit a little lower too while I'm at it.


Stock XJ springs all around. I got a new set from a local guy here a few years ago. The rest are from the junkyard.









I cut the eyes of off the junkyard pack.





I then put it on top of the main leaf, as not to gain any more height (thickness of the leaf itself .25"). Every little bit counts!





I then redrilled my main eye hangers as close to the frame as I could. I just left enuf room so the bushing will fit. I think its about an inch, and a half up. Both front, and rear.





I couldn't go too crazy in the front. My steering is a pretty tight fit (high steer arms, and ram ), and the front driveshaft wasn't in that bad of an angle. So it only got the new hole, and moved leaf. I did have to make a new bumpstop for the drivers side. My ram would of hit the frame with out moving it.





The rear was a little different. I did it the same as the front with the second main leaf, but flipped the main leaf with the eyes, up-side-down.





The bumpstops in the pics are now cut out. But I do get some binding on up-travel. I haven't gotten around to putting new ones in yet.







Now my rear driveshaft angle is back in check!

[doug_1994]

Now I gotta cover those vitals up!



I started off with a 3'x5' plate, that is 7/16" thick.





I marked out the taper of the frame. Why are the factory specs in MM?





That saw saved my ***.





I then burned some angle on. I didn't want anything pertruding down past the plate.

You can also see where I ground down a divit (in the center), so that I could cheat the bottom of my tranny down into.




I let the angles in the middle longer to guide the belly into place. Plus I'm cheap as hell, those are the cutoffs from when I trimmed up my M38A1's Bubba front bumper!





Marked for holes.





Hole-sawed through the frame.





Sleeve.





Sleeve in place, so bolts don't crush the frame.





Belly in place.





Lower eye holes trimmed off of spring hanger, and a little paint sprayed on....99 cent Fresh & Easy of coarse.





I had to keep the belly an inch down because of my tranny, and my Dana 300 is a high as it can go without getting into cutting out my seat bars. I didn't feel like getting into that. Someday if I redo my cage, I'll think about it.

I also cut a slot out for my front driveshaft (no pic). It was pretty difficult to figure out the arc of the driveshaft while at full droop. I guessturmated on the conservative side (I didn't want a huge hole), and the driveshaft rubs a little on the drivers side of the slot. Something the grinder can take care of.

[doug_1994]

Now the results!


Seems pretty decient to me. I figure the springs gotta get settled in.







Whoops! Slid off of my "RTI ramp", shackle gouged my bedside, and tail light!
You don't even want to see the ol' heavy Chevy's tailgate!




She still seems real stable.



I'm fine with the front end.





I gotta get those bumpstops in the rear.





One lug!





Hanging on!

[humbert810]

Nice belly up and stuff. Turned out nice

[doug_1994]

Thanks man!

[Truth]

Nice! I haven't seen that before. I may steal some of your ideas. I was actually thinking waggy and XJ springs for mine to do a SOA and there it is. Easy way to gain a bit of wheelbase. Nice work.

[Joe Dillard]

Holy smokes Doug - I haven't seen you around these parts in a looooooong time! It's good to see you post a real nice thread. Cool mods.

I hear you with the kids thing. Congrats on your second son - I have two boys as well (16 & 23) plus a 14yo daughter.

[doug_1994]

Originally Posted by Truth

Nice! I haven't seen that before. I may steal some of your ideas. I was actually thinking waggy and XJ springs for mine to do a SOA and there it is. Easy way to gain a bit of wheelbase. Nice work.

Thanks, and go ahead. Thats why I share the info!

Waggy springs give you two inches of stretch, and XJ's six. I'll dig up some pics of mine. I ran waggy's up front, and XJ's in the rear.

Originally Posted by Joe Dillard

Holy smokes Doug - I haven't seen you around these parts in a looooooong time! It's good to see you post a real nice thread. Cool mods.

I hear you with the kids thing. Congrats on your second son - I have two boys as well (16 & 23) plus a 14yo daughter.

Hey Joe! Yeah, Like I said its been crazy busy around here. I haven't had much time to get online, let alone in the garage.

Actually my boys are 22 & 6............months!

HAHA!

Good to hear from ya! and Thanks.

Doug

[Truth]

So if I'm reading this right you had waggy's up front and now you have XJ leaves all around?

[doug_1994]

Yeah, I re-read what I posted....kinda confusing.

But, yup waggy's up front, and XJ's in the rear. Now XJ's at all four corners.


She sat hella tall back then, 2005 seems so long ago! but the waggy's were stock height (brand new from JC Witney). I believe waggy springs will give you two inches of lift (over stock YJ).

This is all I got...

[TSEJEEPERS]

Did it change your pinion angle when you redrilled your spring hangers?
I would really like to french my spring hangers but really do not want to redo my pinion angles.

[doug_1994]

Yes, but not by much.

I moved my belly up, so any amount was good for me. I was looking more for the height reasons, but it pointed the pinion up more. Which worked out even better.

I wanted to french mine also, but if I cut those hangers out, I'm gonna want to put links back in!

[Truth]

What's the wheel base now? I'd like to get mione at about 103. I like the philosophy behind what you've done. A lot of people don't realize that the lower rigs will always out climb and out decend everybody else who wants to go SOA with body lifts, 4 inch springs, and extended shackles. Pretty much any other time I've seen a stance like yours guys have spent thousands of dollars linking it up with coilovers.

[doug_1994]

At about 110".

If you run any stretch out front, your gonna have some fun with any mechanically linked steering. I got full hydro, so all I got to worry about is if I got enuf slack in my hoses.


I was that guy a few years ago. Four inch springs, SOA, on 36" SX's, with a massive rear bumper, heavy old roof rack, lights everywhere. All over the road, and about worthless offroad.

I've had this jeep 14 years now, and I'm still tweakin' it!

Thanks again.

[Brads_nky_yj]

Welcome back Doug!! I bet that skid is nice and light huh?? haha