Suspension decisions

[akguy09]

Now that the Body work and paint/interior are complete on truck I am going down the suspension path.

Currently sits on a saggy 4inch lift with brand new 33's

Trying to decide if I want to stick with a 4" or go 6" which would be purely for the looks as this is just a toy for me.

Any thoughts from the group, or opinions I like opinions too

I know the 6" needs some front driveshaft work.

[tgreese]

Kinda think low COG is an advantage of the Jeep full-size design. It was built to keep the step-in height as low as possible, while providing plenty of ground clearance. You can get the high-boy look with a Ford, if that's what you want. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

[Yeller]

I like big tire/low lift look, so the less you can get away with the better. Example, mine has 2-1/2-3" of lift, visually I think its 2" too much, functionally is probably about perfect for my use. Street driving could be lower, blasting down fire roads the additional uptravel is needed.

[akguy09]

Well, I guess I pretty much decided on a 6" Lift, now just need to know which one I want, (BJ's or Rusty's) and what changes I need to make.

Front driveshaft need to be lengthened?
Rear seems ok.
Brake lines are a given, they need to be replaced anyway.

[Stuka]

The 6inch will be stiff. I ran one on my J10. Even after a whole lot of miles, it was stiff.

Have you considered the SkyJacker 4"? Its on the plus side of 4", but it rides better than any 6 inch kit I have had experience with.

[akguy09]

@stuka my wife is trying to convince me to just do a new quality 4". She is under 5' tall. I looked at Skyjacker but i did not see any available, they are showing out of stock most places and not even on BJ's website anymore

[Stuka]

Ahh, that's unfortunate. Its possible they no longer make it. It was considered the best all around kit for a long time.

[cpfeifffer]

Still on the Skyjacker webpage for sale.

I personally would get the leafs only and get some Upgraded shocks. The Hydro shocks that come with the kit are just ok.


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[akguy09]

Yes, but the bushings for the front springs are back ordered according to Skyjacker

[tgreese]

I would check with a local truck spring shop and see if they can get you some bushings that will work in place of the "official" Skyjacker bushings. You could also take a similar urethane bushing, and a machinist could modify it to work with these springs. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

[Kowpie]

Since you asked, another opinion proffered. Also a fan of the stock height/lower look. My original rear springs had maintained their ride height while the front springs had faded so that the vehicle when purchased rode in full contact on the front bump stops. The front springs that I purchased were from BDS suspensions. I used springs from the '76-'86 CJ-7 with a 2" lift. These springs were an exact match in size dimensions to the original J4000 with the Dana 44 save for the bushings. I purchased UHMW polyethylene rods from McMaster-Carr:
https://www.mcmaster.com/plastics/slipp ... lene-rods/
and machined my own bushings (I discovered using this material and CJ springs from another write-up here on the forum). From M-C propaganda, "Machine these rods into bushings and bearings for applications where static electricity is a concern. UHMW has a slippery surface that prevents sticking and binding, plus it offers excellent wear and impact resistance."
Full disclosure, I did not drive the truck extensively with these new springs and bushings until it was disassembled for the restoration but for the six months that I did drive, ride height and quality was perfect for my tastes, and more importantly, the wife's. With this setup, testing revealed only minor rubbing under the most extreme suspension compression, which this truck will never see under my use. Additionally, after disassembly, the bushings had zero wear. For reference, here is the truck on 33" tires and the aforementioned suspension.

919.jpg

[akguy09]

I made my decision....finally. I ordered the BDS 4" kit I'm sure it will ride better than the 4 inch block on saggy stock rear springs and the 18 year old front Trailmaster 4" inch springs that are currently on there.

[akguy09]

Got the suspension on. BDS is a great kit, gave me a nice lift over what I had.

Now I have shock issues, the BDS shocks that I got where the NX2. the body of the shock is so fat that it hits the axle and will not bolt into the lower shock mount. Those have to be mounted Body down.

So my question is does anyone have the Bilstein 5125's and know is those go rod down, which I assume they do, but want to confirm before I buy. I think the Pro Comps that BJ's sell may also go rod down as well.

Thanks,
Marc

[rocklaurence]

This is what you need regarding the rear shocks not fitting--Rear Shock relocation kit https://rocklaurencevintageautoparts.co ... after-lift

[tgreese]

I would reach out to Bilstein. They should have a USA distributor that can answer with authority. You could also ask a Bilstein retailer, like Summit Racing.

I have BDS springs on my CJ-6; the CJ guys really like the BDS lift kit. If the shocks are wrong for this application, I would expect them to take them back, no problem. It's supposed to be a kit, and if they don't fit ... With longer shocks, you will need to lower the bump stop so the shock does not bottom out on full compression. The rubber bump stop should stop upward travel, not the shock absorber.

[akguy09]

@rocklaurence that looks like it removes the exhaust hanger bracket from the passenger rear?

[rocklaurence]

@rocklaurence that looks like it removes the exhaust hanger bracket from the passenger rear?

It did in my case. I have a custom exhaust and wasnt using it. However, Im sure that the exhaust bracket could be moved if you still needed it.

[akguy09]

I ended up just ordering some Bilstein 5125's and they fit nice

[sierrablue]

Those shocks look awesome! Maybe I'll get some Bilsteins when my shocks go bad...