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Tonoclay

One thing to consider about a ZJ is that it is coils all around. If you swapped over your 44 you would have to throw on coil buckets. No biggy for someone who knows what thery are doing.

Glad to hear things are coming together.....
 
Duely noted Mark. A lengthy converstion I just had with the savior who is letting me store it on his property yielded a solution; convert the rear to chevy leafs!!! Wouldnt be too hard and i'd get the stability and towability of the leafs with the sweet flexiness of those looooong leafs.

I don't know if the Currie Anti-rock torsion bars are more stiff than anti-sway bars but that is also an option, given the torsion is more stiff and could keep the rear flat on the road.
 
tonofclay2 said:
Duely noted Mark. A lengthy converstion I just had with the savior who is letting me store it on his property yielded a solution; convert the rear to chevy leafs!!! Wouldnt be too hard and i'd get the stability and towability of the leafs with the sweet flexiness of those looooong leafs.

I don't know if the Currie Anti-rock torsion bars are more stiff than anti-sway bars but that is also an option, given the torsion is more stiff and could keep the rear flat on the road.
Click to expand...


Clay, you were worried about swapping over your axles and lift was going to be too much work. Now you want to convert a ZJ to rear leaf springs? :huh:


If you are dead set on the ZJ. Go buy a Clayton long arm kit with the weld on bracket kit for the rear and use your D44 for that.
 
Bryan C. said:
If you are dead set on the ZJ. Go buy a Clayton long arm kit with the weld on bracket kit for the rear and use your D44 for that.
Click to expand...

I agree.
Converting anything that has links and coils to leaf springs doesn't make any sense.
 
Bryan C. said:
Clay, you were worried about swapping over your axles and lift was going to be too much work. Now you want to convert a ZJ to rear leaf springs? :huh:


If you are dead set on the ZJ. Go buy a Clayton long arm kit with the weld on bracket kit for the rear and use your D44 for that.
Click to expand...

I don't think the axles and lift would be difficult, it is the motor and wiring that scare me. If I was to get a carcass XJ and swap everything over, that would be a lot of work.

One of the main reasons I originally purchased the XJ was for the stability of the rear leags. Body roll is decreased especially in DD applications, after I installed the lift my suspension was so tight I could take an on-ramp at 45mph, a rear tire would lift b4 the body would roll. I loved the streetability of those sturdy leafs. Also, I am able to tow with a little more stability as I have towed with both an XJ and ZJ.

So Bryan and Jes, you are saying the 4-link in the rear is favorable? Are we talking for the trail or in general, DD kind of thing? I guess I'm confused/un-enlightened on that subject. The vision for my rig is the adventurer all around vehicle. I plan on getting or building a small offroad trailer (for the eventual family thing) and I do travel out of state a lot. The last trip I did through Utah and Arizona was around 1400 miles, all kinds of terrain from the 75 speed limit to a moderate trail with volcanic glass everywhere (my dad is a geologist).

The 4-link rear just scares me a bit I guess. So much body roll. Thats why I was thinking that the addition of leaf brackets and leaf springs would stabalize the rear (sounds easy). Or, agian I'm not sure, a torsion bar in the rear to stiffen things up, maybe adjustable shocks or something???

Definately before I purchase anything I want to test drive both types of vehicle to see if there is an actual favorable differance. There are one of each around here I could test drive. Time time time, how can we ever have it if we never take it?

Help; enlighten me oh wise ones.
 
Clay, read what was said.

When they came in covered wagons across america what was the suspention used back then? Might be time to upgread . . .

Try-link?

Silly Rabit, leafs are for Trees!
 
Tonoclay-
I think I agree on the body roll thing. My xj felt more stable than my dad's 2 inch lifted wj in corners.

But, he bought a addco sway bar for the back, and some bilstiens and it's on rails. Smoothest jeep ive been in. You should be able to do something like that for a zj, even though the link set up is different.

Build a 5.9L limited!
 
Letterman said:
Silly Rabit, leafs are for Trees!
Click to expand...


This is how much I loved those laminated steel things...

standard.jpg


:D
 
Thanks Dave, gee now I feel better or at least more secure in my admonition!! Haha. Dave is a pretty smart guy and knows how to put it gently, oh that doesn't sound rite! Definatley gave me something to think about.

There is a sick ass ZJ crawler on CL: 1995 4.0, 231, 37" MTR's, 9"/44 4:56 , locked, tube bumpers/sliders pretty damn sick actually. Clayton long arms $7250; kinda has my name on it!!!

Also, a 98 5.9l limited "sun roof", 6" short arms, super 30, (wld swap in my 44 for rear), 35" X-terrains, sweet stereo w/DVD player. Needs regeared, still at 3:73's and sliders and rear bumper, 6k.

Stupid holiday weekend, insurance ppl are slacking. I got a letter from the other guys insurance offering to have a repair shop fix the damage, riiiiiight.
 
OK, here is some enlightenment. Don't buy a 95 ZJ, too many problems with the vehicle itself in stock form, electrical, mechanical. The 98 is the year to buy if you want a ZJ. If you don't like links and coils in the rear, then please don't buy a ZJ, it is just not worth it if you have limited fab abilities. Stick with the XJ.

As for what to take from your XJ, yes pulling the engine and tranny is a big job, but there is no need to pull the wiring out too. Realistically the XJ you buy to swap all this stuff into will have a good engine and tranny. If not then I bet it will have all the needed wiring already installed and it would be easy to swap in your good engine while using the sensors and wiring from the new XJ.

First thing to do is pull off all the aftermarket/modified parts you installed. Then check for any good stock parts that you can sell/stockpile for when needed, like alternator, starter, battery, transfer case (if it has an SYE or not). Then start to think about the engine/trans. At this point you may be better off selling the stripped down rig with the engine/trans still installed.

Now what to do? Buy another XJ, built or not, and then figure out what you still need/want to build it up.

If you are dead set on buying a ZJ, then don't fret over the rear suspension until you have the ability to modify it the right way.
 
Now that I have done some research on the rear coil and link set-up, they are pretty badass. I am now enlightened, thanks Bryan.

That is the ZJ I have been looking at, emailing the guy back and forth yada yada. Its a 95 tho???? Started life as a 2wd. If I get it I'm confident I could resolve most issues. Aaaannnndddd, I like stingers. They look cool, and scary.
 
Stingers are so last year, this year it is all about the spotters chair.
Now you can give you spotter a good seat so he can point out all your lines. All you have to do is drive where your spotter points you and you don't even need to look at where you are going.

Chair481.jpg


Helps if your spotter can get out in front and closer to the rocks:
Chair480.jpg


Just don't let your spotter drink too much:
Chair482.jpg



But if you are going to go with a Stinger don't go with a little 3 or 4 footer, GO BIG:
Stinger.jpg


Now I is be add'in some phat tech-no-all-oh-gee to this hear thread!
 
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