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soa lift height with fresh stock springs

3K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  78treehugger 
#1 ·
I bought a 76 cj7 with a SOA and a shackle lift with original springs and running 35x14.50 boggers. Looks awesome but drives like crap. So I removed the shackle lift and replaced the original bushings in the springs and frame for the shackles. Now the jeep drives pretty good but I am rubbing now. I need the 1.5in lift back. I want to buy new springs, dont know if new stock springs will be enough or if i need lift springs. i measured from axle tube to frame directly above axle and got 9.5in. Any helpful info is appreciated. thanks.
 
#2 ·
Your problem isn't necessarily the amount of lift. Your 76 is running narrow track axles if they are stock, and your 35x14.50 tires are too wide. I ran into the same problem with my 79 and my 39x14.50 tires. You need to either find wider axles, skinnier tires, such as a 35x12.50, more backspacing on your rims, or a set of wheel spacers. Doing too much lift with SOA is just plain unsafe on NT axles. Your center of gravity will be too high and you will be more prone to rolling. Just my .02. Still haven't fixed mine yet, but depending on what I find, it will either be done with a set of 1.5" wheel spacers or a set of FSJ axles.
 
#3 ·
Your problem is almost certainly the tire diameter not the width, nor the axle...

35s will hit the corners of the rear wheel openings when flexed.
There are 2 solutions; excessive amounts of overly stiff lift or to trim the body to give the tires adequate clearance.

Don't expect tires larger than 31 inches to clear the rear wheel openings if the suspension gives anything like reasonable ride and compliance (32s will some times fit because almost all tires are undersized relative to the sidewall markings). (You can verify this yourself with a tape measure).

Consider a TJ flair retrofit. This, when combined with a lift, normally provides the room necessary to fit 35s (but not bigger tires) without going excessively tall or excessively stiff.

For reference I have SOA with worn YJ rear packs and 8" frame to narrow track axle tube spacing. I can rub the (35s) rears very slightly when flexing it out on the rocks or messing around in washouts the fronts just barely clear the inner fenders, so I am considering pushing the front axle forward.

IMO the 35" boggers in 14 and 16" widths need a healthy V8 to perform well, I have a set of 33x14 boggers that work well with 6 cyl power but sold the 35x16s because I couldn't power them sufficiently with a healthy fuel injected 6. They simply wanted more power than the 6 (tried both 258 and 4.0) could give.

Enjoy!
 
#4 ·
I rub only when turning sharp. I have 14in wide wheels with very little backspacing, so the tires are pushed out a good bit. i live in a very flat area, no hills or rocks just mud and sand. think florida type area. I was satisfied with performance offroad, just the whipped spring bushings and shackle lift made on road performance unacceptable. On road driving is good now I just need to recover the lift i lost to get my turn radius back. I dont know if new stockers or mild lift springs are needed without going too much.thanks
 
#5 ·
Whats rubbing in turns? The front tires, on the springs (normal, even with 33s; danheit is right on if this is the case)(easiest fix; don't turn that sharp), the front on the sheet metal (can happen with very wide tires, sometimes can be relieved by moving the axle forward, big project, if hitting on the rear of the inner fenders, or sometimes by wider axles) or the rear tires on the sheet metal due to body sway (TJ flair retrofit time).

As far as how to get additional spring lift your guess will be better than most as each vehicle is different especially after unknown lifts/mods by previous owners. You already have 1 1/2 inches more lift than my tired/flat YJ packs, so a reasonable guess would be that you, at least, have CJ stock or replacement springs (a spring pic might help, or a leaf count, or give the previous owner a call and ask what springs he used).

Enjoy!
 
#6 ·
yes, it still has the original springs. The outside of tire is hitting the bottom of fender just behind the tire. The tire is too wide for the amount of lift I have without trimming the fender, which i dont want to do. The springs are in bad shape and need to be replaced. I was hoping someone with new stock replacements with a soa would chime in. I really dont need much to clear fender, i just dont want to get new stockers and not get enough, and have to turn around and buy lift springs. Thank you for the reply.
 
#7 ·
I have heard the the RE springs can give about 1.5" of lift over stock. No guarantees; its just what I have heard, and I don't know if this is their stock replacements or a 2" lift spring. I would give them a call and see what they think. I would also do a bunch of searching on the net to verify the answer.
Jeep Lift Kits and Suspension Products direct from Rubicon Express

Enjoy!
 
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