Cheap lift options

[Island Moose]

Question to 70-series owners. What are the options available to me when considering a mild-medium lift to clear larger tires and gain ground clearance on my stock BJ70?. I have heard of "add-a-leaf" kits, and flipping the axles so the springs are on top. Other than longer brake lines and shocks, what re things that must be considered?
Are there backyard/junkyard options avilable to totally impoverished owners like me?

 

[crushers]

Belton--- relativley cheap and best bang for the buck
Jeep add-a-leaf--- cheap and works great, been running these off and on for years
block and extended shackle--- 3" lift cheap and very flexable, easy to fit 35s.
extended shackles--- cheap and only good for about 1 1/2" lift

terrain tamer--- nice ride, medium expensive decent bang for buck
OME--- $$$$ and made at the same plant as Belton... waste of money
cheers

 

[Radd Cruisers]

The Parabolics seam pretty reasonable, I think my customer got in on the groupe buy for his lift thats going on the 45 diesel.

I am on the ARB list for the Vancouver Island dealer and can sell the Dakar, sold out at the moment.

But it sounds like you are speaking bottom dollar, so you could see Bob and Mark at Hub City Spring, they could rearch your springs and reinstall. I suspect with your low milage they should be in great shape, not liked the cracked rusted out BC springs.

This fix would be half the price of the Belton or Dakar, so you should weigh the long term issues that will arrise with this fix.

Maybe a set of 1 inch shackle lift also might help.

Rob

 

[Diescipel]

I got in on the parabolic group buy--too bad that Feb. 15th was the deadline. Full set of (what I hear to be) nice riding and excellent flexing springs for ~$600USD. Piecing together shackles, shocks, etc. now...

B

 

[Stone]

...and flipping the axles so the springs are on top.

Uhm...that's not a mild-medium lift, Moose. That's a Spring Over Axle conversion, commonly refered to as an SOA. Mondo lift to clear mondo tires. you have to cut and turn your axles to keep the proper pinion angles, hy-steer, etc. A mild-medium lift is usually a common Spring Under Axle (SUA) lift kit as already mentioned by Crushers and others.

 

[tlcruiserman]

Go with the Belton's and be done with it, it is worth the money you will spend. You will not be disappointed IMHO


Michael

 

[wesintl]

I haven't ridden in a Belton but from everything everyone says it sounds like the best bang for the buck. I went with a full OME setup (before the dakar came out) Heavy front, med rear and I couldn't be happier with the ride. Plus you know OME has been making these for 7x cruisers for a long time and the R&D that went into the kit. I'm hoping to step up to some 34x10.5 here before moab. A properly done spring over is going to run cost less than a kit but it usually adds up to about the same as a kit by the time you rebuild knuckles, u-joints, trackbar, brake lines, etc

I decided on OME just because I usually expect to have my rigs for a long time and the difference isn't all that great in the long run.

Only kit suspensions I would consider would be OME (regular or dakar) and Belton. I bet some of the other Aussi ones are pretty good too they just don't have any real presence in N/A

Oh.. forgot you said cheap. Do maybe a shackle lift and save up for a kit. Although I really like wayne's little J**P add a lift that he did on Zepp's 40. How much does that add a leaf option run wayne?

 

[David*BJ70]

But it sounds like you are speaking bottom dollar, so you could see Bob and Mark at Hub City Spring, they could rearch your springs and reinstall.

What you think about this cheap setup :

add one long regular leaf (not thick add-a-leaf like rancho, a "regular" leaf like the other in the pack) in each pack, then rearch the leafs srpings ?

(I here that option for about 250$ CAN if I bring them the leaf.)

 

[crushers]

Oh.. forgot you said cheap. Do maybe a shackle lift and save up for a kit. Although I really like wayne's little J**P add a lift that he did on Zepp's 40. How much does that add a leaf option run wayne?

it is $100 for the front and a $100 for the rear... new u/bolts and done...

 

[chet]

the shackle lift would be simple to put on right now Moose! Then you can save for the beltons. We could fab and install the shackles in a day. No need for brake lines or shocks for 1" lift(2" longer shackles)

 

[Stone]

It won't ride very nice with shackle lifts, but it will clear larger tires, is cheap, and will tide you over until a proper lift kit is in the budget.

 

[crushers]

Stoney,
i disagree, the ride is actually better, the handling sucks with just a shackle lift unless correction shims are installed...

 

[Island Moose]

Stoney,
i disagree, the ride is actually better, the handling sucks with just a shackle lift unless correction shims are installed...

Wayne, Stone and Chet, could you guys elaborate on the shackle lift? I understand they're h-shaped steel weldings, but don't they throw off the caster/camber of the truck?

Any pictures of them in place? What would be the anticipated raise?

 

[Stone]

Hi Wayne: Could you please elaborate why the ride would be better? If you do take the effort to shim and correct everything, my intuition is that you haven't then changed much (ie. springs) aside from longer shackles...so how could the ride be better? I have heard that some rigs that have run large shackle lifts have terrible bump steer and other poor ride qualities. Thanks.

 

[Stone]

Wayne: Thanks for the tips on the add a leaf. Forwarded the info to my friend. Cheers.

 

[chet]

all a shackle lift is is longer shackles than stock. because your only lifting one end of the spring you only get 1/2 the height of the increase in shackle length.

So going 2" longer shackles will net you 1" of lift. I am not sure what your stock center to center measurment on your shackle is but a length of 3/8" x 2" flat bar and a chop saw and drill press will be pretty cheap! Funny I have all those! minus the flat bar. You may need new bolts depending on how hard yours are to get out.

As for the shims only the front axle will need them and basically we take a pinion angle measurement stock then after the shackle lift and go to island spring and get steel shims of that angle(make sure you don't use alum ones!)

Let me know if you want me to show you one day what we are talking about.

 

[David*BJ70]

Belton--- relativley cheap and best bang for the buck
Jeep add-a-leaf--- cheap and works great, been running these off and on for years
block and extended shackle--- 3" lift cheap and very flexable, easy to fit 35s.
extended shackles--- cheap and only good for about 1 1/2" lift

terrain tamer--- nice ride, medium expensive decent bang for buck
OME--- $$$$ and made at the same plant as Belton... waste of money
cheers

Belton... where I can I find that product in CANADA. How much $ Is there a Belton web page ?

And for the jeep add-a-leaf : the long or the short one ? is the short one are stiff ? to much stiff ?

 

[lowenbrau]

No web page for Belton yet

get it at

http://www.extremebends.com
http://www.modernmotors.com
http://www.crushersrule.com
http://www.gscruiserparts.com

 

[wesintl]

I don't mind shackle lifts to help in the rear but I always disliked them in the front. Esp with a longer shackle that doesn't have a brace in the center. The steering tends to get soft since. JMHO

 

[David*BJ70]

what is the maximum lift that a regular shock (monroe, rancho, OEM) can support.

1" ?

2" ?

3" ?

and when I have to care about changing for longer brake line ?