Just bought 88 MJ and have some lift???s

Like the subject says my brother just bought an 88' MJ Pioneer, Short Bed, D30/D44 and we are trying to figure out the best method to lift the rear of it approx. 3" to fit 31s. I've got some 3" coils that I'm giving him for the front but the rear needs some help!! After some research and using the "search" the best i can come up with is an AAL, but all I can find is a 2" AAL. Are there any 3-3.5" AALs out there for the MJ. We want to spring it over eventually but for now all he can afford is an AAL set around 3"-3.5" of lift.

ANY HELP OR IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRICIATED!!!!!

Thanks
Lincoln

use the AAL and 3" coils, you may find that the AAL gives you 3". if it's still short in the rear, use a longer shackle to level it out.

Does your MJ currently sit higher in the back or lower? Most I've seen sit higher, so a 2" AAL would level the truck out. My MJ sagged something horrible back when it was 2wd, so I wouldn't have been able to do 2" AALs without new packs from the junkyard. Also, inspect evey leaf while you have the packs apart. I found two cracked leafs in mine (probably why it sagged). And any amount of lift will require an alignment if you like your front tires at all. :laugh3:
Jeep on!
--Pete
ComancheClub.com

If the 2" AAL doesn't do it, get a set of leaves from an oldrer Dakota or S-10 and use one or two of those as AALs. Might take a couple of tries to get it where you want it, but that should do the job for you.

Remember to put a longer link on your load sensing proportioning valve (that's what the rod coming off the rear diff cover is for) or you won't have any braking on the aft end.

Eagle, are you saying the Dakota/S-10 leafs would add lift? or simply recommending them to shore up sagging leaves?
Jeep on!
--Pete
ComancheClub.com

thanks for the help so far....keep the ideas coming. as for AALs i've found Rough Country makes the 2" AAL and Tough Country advertises a 3.5" MJ lift with only AALs in the rear, anybody used these AALs from tough country? do they net more lift than the Rough Country or are they the same leafs???

lincoln

Pete M said:

Eagle, are you saying the Dakota/S-10 leafs would add lift? or simply recommending them to shore up sagging leaves?
Jeep on!
--Pete
ComancheClub.com

Click to expand...

They would do both. Just as adding an extra XJ main leaf adds lift to a stock XJ, additng another leaf of similar initial arch increases the spring rate, and that automatically translates into adding some lift. The Dakota or S-10 leaves won't generate the same 5" or more that they do when used in an XJ, but adding leaves pretty much has to provide SOME amount of lift.

The exception would be that if you take fairly flat leaves (like XJ leaves) and stick them in a pack where they are flatter than the arch of the spring as the vehicle sits at the curb, then the new leaf will increase the rate but won't add initial height, it might even lower the vehicle slightly.

Ok, I just wanted to clarify everything so MJ owners don't start running out to the junkyards in droves only to be disappointed when they gain a whole inch at the expense of flexyness.
When I was building my truck, I discovered one possible downfall to adding more leaves to the pack. I originally added another second-from-the-top MJ leaf to help combat springwrap (SOA sucks in that regard) and future sag from the inevitable add-ons. I found that the rear half of my main leafs actually bowed up from the axle (and away from the second-from-the-top leaf), touched the tip of the double-up leafs, then curved down from there. And I didn't even have the bumper or rollbar yet! That's why I went with the second main leaf instead. To help support the mains. My leaf packs are pretty much flat right now and they match the front in height (5 inches), so I was in no need of "lifting" leafs, just "helper" leafs. S10/Dakota leafs might be of use like that, if MJs can't be found. But I'd be wary of hurting the mains by increasing the springrate underneath it. They are *very* flexy and *very* long.
Jeep on!
--Pete

P.S. I heard a rumor that OME was developing an MJ spring pack. Don't have any more info than that though.

Pete I just finished the lift on my 89 MJ on Thursday last week. This is kind of a backwards answer to your question, though. I went with a SOA and gained almost 6 inches of lift in the rear...so I guess what I'm saying is DO NOT do this (the SOA) if all that's wanted is 3 inches.


The only current problem I've got with lifting it as a SUA is that the shock mounts hang way down low and drag.

FWIW I managed to fit 31's stock (245/75/16's) on the Rubicon rims I have. Only rub occered in full lock with a bit of compression. Couldn't off road it that way, but for daily driving it was fine.

HTH

sportsguy said:

Pete I just finished the lift on my 89 MJ on Thursday last week. This is kind of a backwards answer to your question, though. I went with a SOA and gained almost 6 inches of lift in the rear...so I guess what I'm saying is DO NOT do this (the SOA) if all that's wanted is 3 inches.


The only current problem I've got with lifting it as a SUA is that the shock mounts hang way down low and drag.

FWIW I managed to fit 31's stock (245/75/16's) on the Rubicon rims I have. Only rub occered in full lock with a bit of compression. Couldn't off road it that way, but for daily driving it was fine.

HTH

Click to expand...

you can always move the shockmounts, you would need to do that for an SOA anyways.

If you ran a smaller shackle, and replaced some MJ leafs with some flatter XJ leafs I think you may be able to get a good 4" SOA lift, but less than that would be near impossible.

BrettM said:

you can always move the shockmounts, you would need to do that for an SOA anyways.

If you ran a smaller shackle, and replaced some MJ leafs with some flatter XJ leafs I think you may be able to get a good 4" SOA lift, but less than that would be near impossible.

Click to expand...

Hadn't thought of that idea Brett - good call. Would be fairly easy to rebuild the existing spring pack around the MJ main leafs to get close to what's wanted.

...and I think all MJ's should be recalled by the factory and their rear shock mounts moved higher...LOL

I actually used a set of CJ 4" lift springs on my brothers Cherokee and it lifted it 4". I got a rustys AAL and it lifted it 3.5"HTH

DuG

My leaf packs are almost completely flat and I still got 5+ inches of lift. But if anyone wants to try adding flatter springs, just make absolute certain that you *fully* support the main leaf.
A shorter shackle would hamper the spring's travel so I'm not so sure that's a good idea.
What's so wrong with that lousy extra 2 inches in the ass end? :dunno: It goes away once you add any cargo.
A 3" lift fits 31s and to fit 33s you're going to want that 5-6"s. What good is a 4" lift anyway?
Oh, and Comanche 2wd leaf packs are shorter (meaning less vehicle height) than 4wd ones.
Jeep on!
--Pete

thanks for all the help, i think we are going to go with the AAL from Tough Country and he is also only 14 so he needs to learn to wheel with a small lift and some 31s....

lincoln

BrettM said:

use the AAL and 3" coils, you may find that the AAL gives you 3". if it's still short in the rear, use a longer shackle to level it out.

Click to expand...

this is the way to do it for 3". spring over for anything higher.