Going from 4.5" to 6.5", how many problems(sye)

ive got a 99xj w/ an 8.25 and im wanting to go up in lift size. im going to bild my '95 topless xj up w/ a decent lift and my old 33's and its time to order springs. i can get 6.5" coils for $79 and i might be getting some 35's for it. im right now i have a RC kit with a pretty much custom rear lift. its also time to buy new shocks so it would be a good time to get the 6.5" coils and boost my lift and stick 35's on it. the old coils/shocks can go on the 95 and save me some serious $$. my only concern is that i'll open up a can of worms by going higher. i dont have an sye right now and dont have any vibes whatsoever. the only thing i would need to for the extra lift is build a longer trac bar, install a new rear brake line, and put in a 1-2* shim to help out a little w/o straightening the ds angle too much, it's not a cv. its got a t-case drop right now. so do you think i could get away with running 6.5" of lift w/ a stock driveshaft and no sye if i have the chrysler 8.25 HP and no ABS??? another thought... cut down a commanche driveshaft???

ps-i searched but i need info for my specific application

the angle will cause bind in the factoryslip yoke

a YJ slip yoke (or a "high clearance" RE slip yoke) will free up some motion...

i had about 6" of lift with a t-case drop and after about 45mph, the vibes were un-bearable...

you obivously know the right way to do it is with a new shaft and a SYE, and i would offer that advice...
think about what happens when your rear end flex's down - there is more angle on the u-joints at that point - and "can cause imediate catastrophic failure" when the clearance in the yokes on either ends is taken up...

YMMV...

well i just installed a new rustys 4.5" kit with 2" spacers and shackles on my 97. its an auto with the 231 and an 8.25 rear. it sits at about 7" right now. i drove it around behind my shop on some dirt piles and crap with the stock driveshaft and stock slip yoke. i flexed it out pretty good and it didnt bind at all. however once i hit the road with it i had some pretty big vibes at about 50 mph. so i installed the SYE and CV shaft. no more vibes. this is all with no t case drop. i bet with a t case drop i could live with the stock DS. however...i put a 4.5" kit on a different jeep last year with the exact same drivetrain and the drivehsft was binding when it was sitting on flat ground. so its all about luck basically. id say do the lift and have the SYE and CV shaft there just in case it binds and has vibes (it will vibe at least).

another vote to do it right the first time with an sye and cv driveshaft. better safe than sorry. i would say to plan to need one.

sye is sooo expensive though, any type of junkyard fixes for it. also, what about control arms, ive got fixed lowers and STOCK uppers, what am i going to need there. and remember, 18 yr. old with limited funds and two jeeps to build up. i know the best way is a sye, cv shaft, and adjustable upper and lower arms but i dont have $1000 floating around in my pockets, so keep that in mind

hack n tap SYE is 87 bucks from jeepinoutfitters.com
front CV shaft from a junkyard XJ is ~$50
211229x flange from currie is 34.95 http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=1043

thats a good sye setup. its what i run on 7" lift

go to rubicon express and buy some control arm drop brackets ($250) and make some braces for them. and youre set for under $500

How difficult is it to "hack and tap" it?

not too bad. i disconnected the rear DS. make sure its in 2wd. put the tranny in reverse and used a die grinder with a cutting wheel on it. hold the grinder in one place and let the tailshaft spin. this assures the straightest cut possible. then once its cut, take a center punch to the center of the tailshaft, then drill it and tap it accoriding to the directions. took about an hour.

olivedrabcj7 said:

hack n tap SYE is 87 bucks from jeepinoutfitters.com
front CV shaft from a junkyard XJ is ~$50
211229x flange from currie is 34.95 http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=1043

thats a good sye setup. its what i run on 7" lift

go to rubicon express and buy some control arm drop brackets ($250) and make some braces for them. and youre set for under $500

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The guy can't justify the money for a full sye, and your gonna try to get him to buy db's............... :laugh3:

ok, im gonna get 5.5" coils. ive also got a question... can u buy a double cardigan(cv) joint and just put it on my driveshaft. if not, ill probably go with a yj slip yoke and a slightly longer ds, worth a try and i figure it will work. does anyone know what shaft will work

a_hiatt said:

ok, im gonna get 5.5" coils. ive also got a question... can u buy a double cardigan(cv) joint and just put it on my driveshaft. if not, ill probably go with a yj slip yoke and a slightly longer ds, worth a try and i figure it will work. does anyone know what shaft will work

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good luck. my guess is youll get monster vibs! what rear pack are you gonna run?

rock rash said:

another vote to do it right the first time with an sye and cv driveshaft. better safe than sorry. i would say to plan to need one.

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X2

yeah, you keep telling us to remember that your 18 and can't afford the SYE-cv driveshaft. Well im not so sure you NEED 6.5" of lift right now then either. I mean if you want to lift it that high then go ahead and be prepared for the vibes, but if you really wanna be going that high then i suggest you do it the right way and remember to think about all the other things necessary with a lift that high instead of doing it just so you can say you are at 6.5".

i have an extra front driveshaft ill sell ya for 60 plus shipping. it will save you a trip to the junkyard and i know its the right length because i have it as a spare for my rear. (actually i have 3 spares) all you need to buy after that is about 100 bucks worth of SYE stuff and youre set. its really not that expensive and it will not vibe. and you will have the peace of mind knowing its done right.

im not doing it to say i have more lift, im doing it because of an opportunity worth taking

olivedrab, i'll think about it

olivedrabcj7 said:

hack n tap SYE is 87 bucks from jeepinoutfitters.com
front CV shaft from a junkyard XJ is ~$50
211229x flange from currie is 34.95 http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=1043

thats a good sye setup. its what i run on 7" lift

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explain to me how that one works, your SYE. I can understand the H&T SYE, gives you a flange, and the flange adapter, but how in the H#LL do you mate that to a yoke style CV centering yoke? If anything he'll need a flange style centering CV ball/half, to go with that XJ front driveshaft. Its a Spicer part, don't remember the part #, I just don't want this guy to buy parts that don't fit together. I am not saying you didn't, but I am just wondering. I know a front XJ shaft will work with any HD or non HD yoke style SYE, but not a flange.

CartsXJ said:

explain to me how that one works, your SYE. I can understand the H&T SYE, gives you a flange, and the flange adapter, but how in the H#LL do you mate that to a yoke style CV centering yoke? If anything he'll need a flange style centering CV ball/half, to go with that XJ front driveshaft. Its a Spicer part, don't remember the part #, I just don't want this guy to buy parts that don't fit together. I am not saying you didn't, but I am just wondering. I know a front XJ shaft will work with any HD or non HD yoke style SYE, but not a flange.

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you buy the hack n tap SYE from rubicon express. then you buy the 211229x flange which mates the front cv shaft to the SYE. the front shafts already have the centering ball thingy. this flange mounts to the 2 exposed ends of that u joint and bolts directly to the SYE. search. its been done.

olivedrabcj7 said:

you buy the hack n tap SYE from rubicon express. then you buy the 211229x flange which mates the front cv shaft to the SYE. the front shafts already have the centering ball thingy. this flange mounts to the 2 exposed ends of that u joint and bolts directly to the SYE. search. its been done.

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Yes, but what you have pictured there isn't the part you posted a link to, that there in the picture is what I was talking about, a flange-style CV centering ball. The part you have linked is fot mounting a a 1310 joint to a flanged style pinion, like on a 8.8 ford rearend and there Currie HP 9's. The part he needs for this to work is this one, just find the right bolt pattern and thats the one he needs. http://www.rockforddriveline.com/centassfy.htm