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Best option for CHEAP & easy 1" rear stretch

C

CharlieG

NAXJA Forum User
Location
PA
I have a '97 xj buildup (from bone stock) that I'm in the progress of and I have an XJ dana 44 swap, 2" add-a-leaf and 0.75" greasable shackle lift going in. With approx. 0.75" lift from the D44 itself and 0.25" from the 4* shims, I'm looking at around 3.75" lift....and I have a set of 35x13.50 pitbull rockers waiting to go in.....major trimming taking place.

I want to stretch the rear an inch so I can stuff the 35's the best I can...I've been doing my reading and seeing that redrilling the leafs isn't ideal and the old unused center pin hole will now be the new weakpoint for cracking the leafs.

The alternative I'm finding is redrilling the spring perch and u-bolt plate center pin hole an inch forward, sending the axle an inch back....

But check out the spring perches on the xj dana 44's...how am I supposed to redrill that?!

Any suggestions?

http://jeephorizons.com/tech/xj44/axle22.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have plasma & 220v welder...thinking maybe I could weld in a small plate with a hole in it to fill in the front slot of the perch...??

I remember the perches being cast.....but probably nodular or malleable cast, aka "cast steel"....easier to weld than cast iron..

Good penetration would be a must. :D


 
If you have a plasma and a 220v welder, make your own new spring perches and top u-bolt plate.

I wouldn't even bother modifying the factory perches.
 
CharlieG said:
I have a '97 xj buildup (from bone stock) that I'm in the progress of and I have an XJ dana 44 swap, 2" add-a-leaf and 0.75" greasable shackle lift going in. With approx. 0.75" lift from the D44 itself and 0.25" from the 4* shims, I'm looking at around 3.75" lift....and I have a set of 35x13.50 pitbull rockers waiting to go in.....major trimming taking place.

I want to stretch the rear an inch so I can stuff the 35's the best I can...I've been doing my reading and seeing that redrilling the leafs isn't ideal and the old unused center pin hole will now be the new weakpoint for cracking the leafs.

The alternative I'm finding is redrilling the spring perch and u-bolt plate center pin hole an inch forward, sending the axle an inch back....

But check out the spring perches on the xj dana 44's...how am I supposed to redrill that?!

Any suggestions?

http://jeephorizons.com/tech/xj44/axle22.jpg
Click to expand...

I redrilled my Chevy 1/2 ton springs in 92 and I'm still running them. You know you can flip them front to back but may give you more than what you want.
 
NotMatt said:
http://www.mountainoffroad.com/_e/O...25/Off_Set_Plate_2_1_2_Wide_Springs_OP_25.htm

Get those, and re-drill the u-bolt plate. Done. OR get the Ruff stuff spring perches.

Don't modify the stock cast perch, it will crack and break.
Click to expand...

Those are cool, but with a shim AND that thing in there, seems like a good failure point. I'd put on new perches, plus you get to weld them on at the correct angle and not have to worry about using a shim.

I've always used the ballistic fab perches, but about any of them should work just fine.

Are you running a SYE or not?

Don't forget to get new u-bolts!
 
GrimmJeeper said:
cut off the old perch, and weld on a set of these http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/S-PERCH.html

plus they are a NAXJA supporting vendor :D
Click to expand...

These even have 3 different holes predrilled for axle offset, Nice.

Boss Cherokee said:
I redrilled my Chevy 1/2 ton springs in 92 and I'm still running them. You know you can flip them front to back but may give you more than what you want.
Click to expand...

Yaa..that's way more stretch than I'm looking for.

NotMatt said:
http://www.mountainoffroad.com/_e/O...25/Off_Set_Plate_2_1_2_Wide_Springs_OP_25.htm

Get those, and re-drill the u-bolt plate. Done. OR get the Ruff stuff spring perches.

Don't modify the stock cast perch, it will crack and break.
Click to expand...

I had no idea these existed..

SC Rednek said:
Those are cool, but with a shim AND that thing in there, seems like a good failure point. I'd put on new perches, plus you get to weld them on at the correct angle and not have to worry about using a shim.

I've always used the ballistic fab perches, but about any of them should work just fine.

Are you running a SYE or not?

Don't forget to get new u-bolts!
Click to expand...

Hack n tap is on the list. Got the yoke waiting..and new u-bolts

2001XJ said:
http://www.tntcustoms.com/Jeep_YJ_XJ_MJ/ubolt_eliminators.aspx
Click to expand...

Apparently the CHEAP part eluded you..lol



Alright well the ruff stuff mounts are pretty sweet...more work than I wanted...and more $$ because the matching HD u-bolt plates are a perfect match..

And the M.O.R.E. offset plates add another layer in my leaf spring sandwich but are cheap and easy...

Both much better options. I'm gonna think about it and definitely do one or the other!Thanks for the responses guys..
 
.......What do you guys think about welding the MORE offset plates to the existing spring perches??
 
not cheap: link the rear

cheap and strong: new perches, ruffstuff perches and plates, and call it done. cheap, you get 10% for being on naxja, super beefy, probably taller than stock perches, you might get like 3/8" lift or something out of it.

why do you want to stretch the rear so bad anyway?
 
I had new perches and springplates made with the center holes redrilled 3/4 back from stock ... there are three holes in the Karnage Fabworks perches so I can go back to stock or further back. They also set my pinion angle at the same time and the springplates have the rear bumpstops incorporated in as well.
It would be the same deal as with the Ruffstuff parts, but Karnage is local and I had my holes put where I wanted them, and I had them add tabs for my disc brake soft lines.

IMAG0386.jpg


IMAG0384.jpg
 
I saw your build thread and that picture but you didn't mention where you got those plates from haha. Thanks for the heads up.

..I was a little concerned about bending an extended u-bolt plate, so I was planning some 2x2 rectangle stock positioned vertically, welded onto the top of the axle tube just outside the u-bolt plate with bump stop on top. And minor reinforcing of frame where it hits..with 1/8" or something.


As far as wanting to stretch her? I'm stuffing 35's on 3.5" or 3.75" of lift and I remember from my last xj build on 36's that stuff was limited at the rear door. I can always cut more out back, that's not an issue..
 
Yeah this is the starting point, if I need more height we're going to drill a couple holes and stack plates. If I start to see bending, we're going to add a brace off the bottom. But i haven't made it that far in the build yet to find where those issues will be. I'm still working out the big problems first. We were figuring similar, but a 2x2 tube cut to rest on the axle and welded to the bottom of the spring plate.
 
If you've done this before why not get some 2 1/2 square tubing 1/4 wall and make your own perches? You use a hole saw to SLOWLY cut the axle radius into the tubing. Plasma cuttercutter works evengood better. I've made 4 sets like this and it works good. You want cheap, there ya go.
 
they go between spring and perch, spring goes into plate, plate goes into perch ... mix and match which holes each stud pin goes into as required. As the previous poster stated though, you will need to redrill the springplates for the new center bolt placement on top of the spring.
has the same effect as what I did, but a little less work.
 
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