Remounting axle end CA mounts

Hello all,

I've been following all the different control arm threads for solutions to my ride issue at 4". No laughing, I know this isn't tall, but why can't I wish for a cushy/flexy ride and a lift? I am not convinced of the bushing life with radius type arms on a 95% DD. The drop brackets arn't a bad idea, but I drag the LCA mounts now.

This brings me to an idea I had a year ago. Currently I have a HP D30 sitting in the garage awaiting gears, TrueTrac, and WJ brakes and steering. Some of you may recall I have been at this stage for six months, but thats another story. Anyway while I have the mig out redoing the axle TB mount why not raise the axle CA mounts? I would guess that raising both upper (kinda like the Skyjacker tried) and lower 2" would help both ride and flex. (I allready have JKS flex arms) The lower arm relocation would put the mount more out of harms way. This location would be near the axle centerline and not creat any undo leverage stress.

The upper driver side mount relocation is more of a problem. The passenger side is easy, raise and brace. The mount above the diff with the cast material has got me scratching. My current idea is to cut enough off the top of the existing mount to allow the new 2" higher location. I want to build the new mount using as much of the old bushing hole as possible. With further bracing and maybe a sandwiched plate using the diff cover bolts this should do. With the extended upper mounts the leverage and stress should be less. I am not wanting to creat a monstosity of a cradle like Skyjacker but just a clean relocation.

OK, anyone ever do this? I imagine those that have added mounts to a D44 may have the best ideas. I know this is alot of work for minimal CA angle change, but it wont cost me much and can only improve over what I have now.

Thanks, Angus

Way back when, I did this very thing to my '92 high pinion Dana 30. I cut the top half off the bushing cradle on the diff, had a shop cut a funky shaped piece of steel that had a new hole in it and a half moon shaped chunk sticking out at the bottom. The piece of steel sat in the old bushing cradle and had a new hole 2" higher than the old hole. I had a different shop weld it to what was left of the old bushing cradle. I think they used a high nickel rod, but whatever they did, it never moved and looked very stock. I sold the axle when I built my front D44, but I think it is still being run in a different Jeep. Jeff

Very nice, to bad you don't know how it actualy performed.
Thanks

Angus said:

Very nice, to bad you don't know how it actualy performed.
Thanks

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What do you mean? I ran that axle for at least three years. Then I built a front 44 to gain manually locking hubs without paying Warn a small fortune. The axle had 4.56 gears and an ARB locker and I ran 33x10.5 at's on it. It worked fine. Jeff

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you meant that you sold the axle before running it. I'm jazzed to hear that it ran good. Was the work worth the improvement? I usually ask myself what do I have more of, time or money. At this point I've spent enough money on the D30 and time is short, but I can see a benifit angle wise.

Thanks, Angus

Any problems with alignment or odd leverage on the control arms?

I don't know. I haven't driven a stock Jeep in so long. It seemed to work just fine. My current D44 has the same basic position of the control arms compared to the axle tube centerline (raised 2" from stock) and it's working fine too. Jeff

go for it! the only thing to keep in mind is that the control arms will see more stress in that position, but it shouldn't be too significant a change.