flipping front springs DONE!

[slickrock]

If anyone has ever considered doing a front flip mod for extending wheel base, DO IT! IT took me and Dusty (looking to be a club memer from Hanford) less than 3 hours to do the spings and ford shock towers. The hardest and longest task was cutting out the old factory shock mounts.

I do have to extend my driveline and move and shorten my bumpstops, but over all easy and quick. It rides a lot smoother and feels more stable. I gained 3.5"s. The only thing is that now my 35s look small. WHen the tires were closer together they looke larger than when they are spread out a bit more. I already trimmed my front fenders so I was ready for that. Now to see if anyone wants some brand new 35s for 37 I do not plan on stretching the rear. I already have the fenders cut out with flairs and my tailpipe is about 2"s from the tire. To do the rear, I would have to cut out the whole side section and rerun my exhaust, not to mention I would have to have the driveline professionally lengthened.

I know this is useless without pictures, but I got back when it started raining yesterday evening so I will take some tomorrow (working till 7 tonight).

I do need someone with a stock rig to measure how much of the spline is showing on their front driveline so I have an idea for how long my new driveline needs to be.

Thanks, Dan

[greenhorn311]

Where's the pics!!

[megolfer]

For the front driveline all you need to do is flex out the front real good and measure flange to flange. If it was me I would make a square driveline for the fron, it would cost like $40 and you wont break it. You will bust the u joints or flange first.

I flipped my springs about 3 years ago. It is one of the best mods I have done. I would consider flipping the rear. When I flipped mine I had to trim the rear fender, but I ran TJ or YJ fender flares and it worked good and looked good pretty good also. I still have the flares if you are interested.

[slickrock]

Cacy, how much spline are you showing? Do you know how much compression you have? I have the FJ40 type flares now. How much do you want for the jeep flares. I would have to hold them up to see if they would work before I decide.

[megolfer]

I have 18" of spline in the front. I bet I have like 6" showing. I would take $40 for the flares, they were over a hundred dollars new

[slickrock]

I need to hold them up to my sides and see if my existing trim will work with the fenders

[hudyhue]

dusty from hanford? he like 22 23 yrs lod sells fuel and him and his pops doing a frame up on like a 73/74 fj40?



if so thats my boy.....comes over all the time.....

[slickrock]

No not that Dusty. This Dustin lives in Lemoore, has an 80 series he is putting Dana 60s ARBs and IROK 49s on. He is a Doctor in Hanford.

[Dusty]

http://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-cor...j80-build.html

Hope to finish her within the next couple months. Looking forward to summer. One of these days I'll make it to a mtg.

[greenhorn311]

Where's the pic's of your
80 Doc?

[jerz4wd]

I know Dustin, he stitched up my self surgery with my new pocket knife a year ago during the Farm Show set-up. Has a great rig!


Jerry

[Dusty]

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...otw-dusty.html

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...rbo-build.html

some pics
I can't wait to get my truck going so I can go wheeling again

I love sewing stuff up. Would rather be welding. Anyone have a break that can bend 1/2" thick x 4" wide flat bar. I need to bend up my front truss for the 3 link on my d60?

[slickrock]

I promise to get pics up soon. I was home all day with a sick child yesterday and didn't get around to pulling it out of the garage. Dusty made some pretty welds on my shcok towers. They were much better looking then my best pass with my ARC welder.

[slickrock]

Finally got some pictures up of the spring flip.



Watcha think?

My front is a bit high now, but Dan has some stock shackles for me at the meeting.

[Tvaldriz]

Sweet looking rig!

Someone said that the front springs will settle out about an inch
over time.

Nice job!

[slickrock]

Thanks!
I need to cut my old DL tomorrow and buy the extension Monday.

It does ride a heck of a lot better with a bit more distance between the wheels.

[greenhorn311]

OOOOOOOOOOOOO I likey!! Thats on my list

[slickrock]

2 hours and good to go! (not inclding d/l)

[slickrock]

Finished my front driveline. After searching around to try to find how much compression I should have, the consensus said 1" compression. After everything is said and done, I have about 1 and 1/8 slip until it bottoms out. I am surprised at how thin the stock tubbing is. Of course, it was thick enough to grab the brand new chop saw blade and take a chunk out of it making it unuseable. Oh well, need to by Dusty (soon to be member) another disk.

Since this is the first time I have welded a driveline, I ran two passes with the last on top and wider than the first. I really need to get a nice wire feeder. Arc welders get good penetration, but doing a round shaft and having to deal with gravity is not pretty.

[Talon84x4]

a little over an inch doesn't seem like much room for compression

[Hottrod81]

Have you cycled your suspension yet? I would do it before you hit the trail because if it bottoms out, you will tear up your driveline. On mine, I have a little over 7" of spline. I have 4" of compression before it will bottom out.

[slickrock]

That is what I thought. One 1" is what everyone said on the general tech. 1" is all you need. There is only like 4"s of spline on an FJ40 shaft. I need to find a good place to flex around. It would not be a big deal if I have to shorten it. Probably take me half an hour.

[JJS]

Good write-up, slickrock. I'm planning to do the same in an SOA setup. It looks really good.

[slickrock]

Thanks for the feedback.

I have been looking for the posts that say 1" available slip on the driveline, but can't for the life of me find it. . . .

[slickrock]

Ah here it is: Post #2 http://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series...haft-slop.html
Also read 1.25". I am around 1 1/8 to 1.25. I put a lot of new greese in the splines and it is very hard to physically compress it since I am fighting against the greese at that point, but I would probably be right at 1.25" up travel.

[Talon84x4]

I don't know about cruisers, but I would think it might be a good idea to upgrade to a shaft with more spline length available than stock. Even if you're not going extreme it's probably better to have a little margin at either end for that time when you least expect it.

[slickrock]

Cruisers do have a short spline engagement, but people have been using them for years without problems. My other option would be a square shaft, whhich I might still go to. Most of the slip will be from droop since I only have a few inches of up travel to the bump stops. Most of the articulation comes from drop.

I thought 1" compression seemed like a little, but multiple sources say it is good. I have a tad over it. If we had an RTI or a forklift around, I would run up that. All I have here is durt mounds and I am alone.

I need someone to watch the DLs and suspension while I drive. If i had help, I could be more certain.

[Talon84x4]