Adding a couple inches

[lostcreek21]

Hey guys. I have an 87 cherokee with 3 inches of lift and I'm wanting to add a couple more inches. I'm planning on adding 1 3/4" front coil spacers and 1.5" rear shackles. I'm then gonna run 31x10.5 BFG MT's. There will also be 4* shims in the rear and new LCA's. I also don't want to spend the money on a SYE so I want to go as high as I can without one. Does anybody have any advice about this setup or any pictures of something that looks close to this? Thanks

[Eagle]

A friend tried to do exactly what you're doing last Fall. He went from 3" to 5". Took it out for a test drive and the drive shaft fell out less than a quarter of a mile down the road.

I don't think you can go that high without making some provision to extend your drive shaft. Even if it isn't an SYE, you will need a longer drive shaft. Sorry.

[ChuckD]

If you have a AT, then find a MT drive shaft. Maybe find one cheap.

[lostcreek21]

Thanks for the info. I've heard of people having their local shop extend their driveshaft. Would anyone recommend that and what should it cost? I was also looking at the longer slip yoke that's 5/8" longer than stock. Would that be long enough?

[ChuckD]

$25 for the extend, and the ext SY mainly reduces u-joint bind.

For example, I have 6.5" in the rear, RE1462 and a Daystar rear shackle, 1" Tcase drop, Ext SY, D35 rear, and OEM drive shaft for a MT(which i have a MT). Never had my drive shaft fall out and have minor vibes between 40-45 mph.

[lostcreek21]

Where did you see the extended yoke for 25$? Everywhere that I've looked its 60$ to 70$.

[ChuckD]

Forget the $25 for an extending a Drive shaft. When I priced it, they would actually make a new drive shaft, using your old ends. They can shorten/balance a longer one for around $25. A MJ shaft would be perfect for that.

As far as the SY, I've beentold , the extended SY is off of a YJ (88-95) Wrangler please excuse if the years aren't perfect. Also I rember that if you find a S10, it may have an extended SY, or longer driveshaft to cut down. Your right, Ext Sy are aroung $60. Ask the local drive shaft shop if they have them or can get them. They may be cheaper, if you can't find one in a junkyard.

[lostcreek21]

Would a drive shaft out of a cherokee with a manual transmission also work? I'm thinking about going down to a couple junkyards tomorrow and looking around to see if they have any.

[bgcntry72]

Are you the one who keeps sending me emails about adding a couple of inches?
If so, who have you been talking to?
:next:

[ChuckD]

Originally posted by lostcreek21
Would a drive shaft out of a cherokee with a manual transmission also work? I'm thinking about going down to a couple junkyards tomorrow and looking around to see if they have any.

GaryE use to run a MT drive shaft and a Ext SY, with his AT tranny. I think he was only running 4.5", when he put on the 8.8 he had to go back to an AT one.

With the MT DS you don't need to shorten it.

[lostcreek21]

No I don't think I've ever e-mailed you bgcntry72. Thanks for all the info guys

[hjeepxj]

I did this exact same thing, i added a trackbar to it...I have nothing, no shims, no tcasedrop, nothin...and I might add when I got my 44...I had my dshaft shortened 1"...its working great, when I go up to 6.5"s, ill get a stock dshaft...

[jimmy forbes]

i went to 5 like that and it worked fine on my 89'. it really depends on the jeep on how it reacts

[lostcreek21]

Hey hjeepxj did you add LCA's when you added more lift?

[hjeepxj]

Originally posted by lostcreek21
Hey hjeepxj did you add LCA's when you added more lift?

I sure did, im pretty sure I wouldnt have HAD to....but i got them for 50$ u/l's (teraflex, and I dont have the uppers on yet) so i couldnt pass them up! id do them at that height, unless i was real poor, and if i was real poor, id just stay at 3"s

[Rocky]

Here's my 93 at 5" with new LCA and 4 degree rear shim, clearence ground the output yoke and so far so good.

[Faux4X4]

My first lift was a 3 inch pro comp with a 1.5 inch prothane coil spacer. I would not recomend this, without a new upper control arm it throws your caster all out of wack. And the outside of your tires will be gone real quick.

[ChuckD]

Originally posted by Faux4X4
My first lift was a 3 inch pro comp with a 1.5 inch prothane coil spacer. I would not recomend this, without a new upper control arm it throws your caster all out of wack. And the outside of your tires will be gone real quick.

Did you have an alignment done after adding the 1.5" spacer. I ran 4.5" Rusty springs(which gave me closer to 5") and Rusty's CA's, I didn't have any excesive tire wear. The only thing I didn't like was the ride and that was from the CA angles not the arms themselves.

[Faux4X4]

You can not adjust the caster, when you put on a linger lower control arm only, it pushes the bottom of the front end out so the spindel is not perpendicular to the ground anymore.

[ChuckD]

Ok, I agree caster adjustment is not ideal, but the amount your caster changes should not have such an effect of your tires wear. Tire wear is strictly from toe and camber(which is not adjustable). And you didn't answer my question. :)

[Faux4X4]

When your wheels turn, caster makes the inside wheel go to positive camber. I am sorry I posted my reply if you think I am making this up, it happened to my tires and 33x12.5's are not cheep to replace. So I was just trying to save someone some money.