Hey folks I'm fairly new to the xj world, coming from the 4runner platform, what are you guys doing up front to get great flex and stay planted? I understand the rear also plays a part but I'm familiar with what I need to do there. Any help/ suggestions are much appreciated.
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Articulation
- Thread starter Dwdjr 68
- Start date
smokeyyank
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Littleton, Crawlarado
Black magic and sorcery! JK Long arms, trimming and proper bumps stops.....
What do you want your rig to do? What size rubbers? What are you going to do in the rear?
What do you want your rig to do? What size rubbers? What are you going to do in the rear?
I want the rig to stay planted, I will need plenty of flex front and rear as most of my wheeling will be on steep grades with ruts, stairsteps, and rock gardens. The xj I just recently got is already trimmed, up leafs in rear, short arms up front, apparently a budget lift with 35s. For the rear I'm looking at double triangulated setup. For the front I'm looking at dual rate coils from metalcloak, Iro long arm rock kit or clayton 3 link. As far as bumpstops it doesn't have any so I will need to address this immediately.
smokeyyank
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Littleton, Crawlarado
Gotcha, are you going to fab the rear 4 link?Are you swapping axles? What year? Pics?
No pics right now as I'm in the process of doing frame stiffeners, track bar, and regular maintenance work. It's a 98, I have the 8.25 rear 30 front. I eventually may go to ton axles and 40" tires but not anytime soon. The plan is to find an 8.8 rear with lsd so I get the traction device and disk brakes all in one. What shocks are ya'll running?
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
The way your talking a 8.8 not in your menu and the factory limited slip isn't worth anything. Either stick with the 8.25 and build on that or do your other option further down the road.
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
BTW, for discs on a 8.25 you need KJ's.
I haven't checked into fabing my own. Again iro has a kit but I f it was cost effective and i had good information on diy rear links i would love to do it.
- Location
- Colorado
8.25 is a better axle then the turdy5... Idk why all the love for 8.8 axles in the jeep world. I prefer the 9" and its third member. Same amount of work to get it under the rig but stronger especially the N stamped
Before 40s and 1tons, whats the tire plan? 33s and the 8.25 should be fine. Less aftermarket i suppose, but decent.
Build around your current goals is my 2 cents... 1tons aint a cake walk or wed all have em LOL
Before 40s and 1tons, whats the tire plan? 33s and the 8.25 should be fine. Less aftermarket i suppose, but decent.
Build around your current goals is my 2 cents... 1tons aint a cake walk or wed all have em LOL
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Tire plan for now is stick with the 35s. My main thing at this point is getting great articulation to stay planted on those offset drops or rises. I've heard with a good long arm setup and bump stop setup the limiting factor becomes the shocks. Is this accurate?
- Location
- Colorado
If properly set up you will have limiting straps- but yes the limit would be the shocks and bump stop... you don’t want to pull a shock apart tho (or break lines or driveshafts)
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- Location
- Reno, NV
ShoeterMcgav I am an Early Bronco guy so I love the 9" as well. The reason that the 8.8 is so popular vs. a 9" is 1. 9" ended production in 1986, so they are a lot harder to find. 2. If you do find a 9" they are more expensive. you can pick up an Explorer 8.8 for $150-$250 all day long in the JY 3. The Explorer8.8 already comes with disk brakes and a 5x4.5 bolt pattern and is almost exactly the same width as the xj/TJ/ZJ axle 4. The Explorer 8.8 comes stock with 31 spline axles. 5. The 8.8 pinion location is higher than the 9". - Yes the 9" is a better axle, especially if you build it, but the reason the 8.8 is so popular is they are so cheap, plentiful, and easy to toss in.
RCP Phx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Phoenix,Az
That's enough reason to get good axles for the 8.25 and be done with it(they are both c-clip axles).
- Location
- Reno, NV
Ron, I agree with you. It depends on what type of wheeling the person is doing if they need a 8.8 or not. I am running 37's, on my rig with an E locker, and the c clip eliminator kit with chrome-molly axles. This gives me 31 spline axles, more locker in LS choices, a bigger ring gear ( over a half-inch bigger) than the 8.25, bigger axle tubes as well as the option for 4340 Chrome-Moly axles. The 8.25 can handle a lot, but the 8.8 will get you farther if you need it.
smokeyyank
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Littleton, Crawlarado
You can run up to 35's on a D30 and 8.35. People have done it plenty of times. The 8.25 is pretty good up to 35's with very limited issues. The 30 is the red head, the u joint is what will break more often than not. Yes, fixable on the trial but can get little old after a while. The issue you start to hit is the cost to build those axles versus moving up to tons or even a HP44/9 isn't that much different. Flip side 35's and tons kill your ground clearance so at that point need to start going past 37's.
Personally, I'd stick with 33's for the D30 and 8.25 and use the cash that was going to build those into tons. 35's really become the tipping point that you need to start throwing cash at things to make it work well, but a well put together Xj on 33's is still an amazingly capable rig.
- Location
- Colorado
That’s my view of front 44s and rear 8.8s... the time and effort and money aren’t worth the gains.
It could be argued that it’s a meaningful “step” in the process and evolution of your rig before 1tons... learning its limitations before going full tons.
For me it’s what ever is available rear end wise- that’s not a 35. If it’s a 35 swap it, I like 9”, but 8.8 or 44... and a built hp 30 still is only a good combo for MAX if 37s. That’s why, if it ain’t your forever axle (1tons), I think the 8.25 is good for now in most cases up to 35s. Yea it’s not the best, but it can handle about as much as the front can so you have balance.. and then you aren’t building and swapping axles more then once. Aftermarket would be the one reason I’d swap an 8.8... but I’m not one that would run 37s on an 8.8, so the difference in strength is negligible IMO.
As was said, 33s is probably the best for the 8.25/hp30 combo...
For 35s imo the stock 8.25 and Hp 30 (non disco) can be done with a smart skinny pedal, add choice of lockers and gears, truss them... upgrade axle shafts maybe... and build tons on the side until your rig is ready (roll cage, steering, big ol tires etc etc)
It could be argued that it’s a meaningful “step” in the process and evolution of your rig before 1tons... learning its limitations before going full tons.
For me it’s what ever is available rear end wise- that’s not a 35. If it’s a 35 swap it, I like 9”, but 8.8 or 44... and a built hp 30 still is only a good combo for MAX if 37s. That’s why, if it ain’t your forever axle (1tons), I think the 8.25 is good for now in most cases up to 35s. Yea it’s not the best, but it can handle about as much as the front can so you have balance.. and then you aren’t building and swapping axles more then once. Aftermarket would be the one reason I’d swap an 8.8... but I’m not one that would run 37s on an 8.8, so the difference in strength is negligible IMO.
As was said, 33s is probably the best for the 8.25/hp30 combo...
For 35s imo the stock 8.25 and Hp 30 (non disco) can be done with a smart skinny pedal, add choice of lockers and gears, truss them... upgrade axle shafts maybe... and build tons on the side until your rig is ready (roll cage, steering, big ol tires etc etc)
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- Location
- Colorado
Shave it truss it and send it!
For the front it’s getting hard to find the 78/79 ford kingpin Dana 60.. still can be found but not cheap like they once were. Depends on how deep your pockets are. TBH when I go that route I’d love to get something built, but it ain’t cheap! More then the whole Jeep. Once you figure gears locker all the customizing to make one work, and it ain’t much more... or I guess that depends on how much you value the time you’d invest-
Something like this is what I keep hoping Santa leaves under the tree... :sigh: still waiting
https://www.morris4x4center.com/cur...pgqRoLsBXe1gYVD2M562pnHs3N9621CRoCPwoQAvD_BwE
For the front it’s getting hard to find the 78/79 ford kingpin Dana 60.. still can be found but not cheap like they once were. Depends on how deep your pockets are. TBH when I go that route I’d love to get something built, but it ain’t cheap! More then the whole Jeep. Once you figure gears locker all the customizing to make one work, and it ain’t much more... or I guess that depends on how much you value the time you’d invest-
Something like this is what I keep hoping Santa leaves under the tree... :sigh: still waiting
https://www.morris4x4center.com/cur...pgqRoLsBXe1gYVD2M562pnHs3N9621CRoCPwoQAvD_BwE
