Cascadia LJ Build

[Cascadia]

So I think I am going to start my first build thread. Ya'll have probably seen my jeeps for sale off and on. Well I've decided to keep the LJ and sell the YJ. I think I'm starting with a good base but pretty much everything is coming off. So if you want anything on it let me know. When I got it, it came with A 4 inch teraflex short arm lift with 2 inch pucks to make it a 6 inch lift. It has 35 inch mtr's on black and chrome wheels. Front custom bumper with champion winch. Warn rocker guards and smittybilt step sides. Bushwacker fender flares. Dana 44 in the rear that had a detroit but it blew up a few months ago. Dana 30 front with a lock right. 4.56's and I'm sure I'm missing a few little things.

Upcoming projects (before EJS)
Already ordered and delivered Rubicon Express Long arm upgrade kit, planning on installing it this weekend.
Already ordered and waiting for delivery Gen right hi fender kit for the front fenders, and rear hi fender kit with full corner guards.
Lite dot led lights
Another locker in the rear, any recommendations or used one someone would recommend/
37 12.5 17 kevlar MTR's.
New bumper with tire carrier in the rear. Recommendations?

Chocflip and I just installed my new heavy duty tire rod from Rustys cause my stock one was bent to crap and eating my tires. I removed my step sides last night cause I just want a little more clearance. They don't hang down any lower than the stock skid though. Anyone interested?

Now for recommendations: can I take out my 2 inch pucks and still fit the 37's with the hi fender kit? I have teraflex coils. Is there a better coil spring that I can run? With the long arm kit should I get longer shocks? Which ones?

 

[STAG]

How is that tie rod? ever get the steering stabilizer issue worked out? I'll keep a close eye on this thread! I'm excited.

 

[Cascadia]

Tie rod is working good. No more bump steer or wobble, even after pot holes. I got a new steering stabilizer and that made it even better.

 

[Cascadia]

Well I started installing the new long arms tonight. First step was to remove the stock low hanging tranny pan. Turns out I've been pulling a lot more weight around than normal. There was about 30 pounds of rocks on the top of the old pan. After I got that removed it was time to bolt up the new one to the frame rails and drill the 4 new holes into the frame that it needed. In the morning I will need to drill another 6 holes in the frame for the frame spacers and frame stiffeners. Then it's time to grind off all of the old lower control arm mounts and start installing the new arms. I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow.

Sorry this build isn't too interesting for most of you. It's obviously not a custom suspension but we've all got to start somewhere and this is my first lift I've installed. All of my other Jeeps I've owned have already had their work done to them, and that's nine Jeeps including this one. I figured it was time I put my money into something I can claim.

 

[mierdota]

Now for recommendations: can I take out my 2 inch pucks and still fit the 37's with the hi fender kit? I have teraflex coils. Is there a better coil spring that I can run? With the long arm kit should I get longer shocks? Which ones?[/QUOTE]


you should be able to remove the pucks and still clear the 37's with out a problem those high fender kits are awesome if i cant sell my jeep thats one of the next upgrades down the road a ways though, tera's coils seem to be pretty good i would keep them, longer shocks? i have no idea i havent ran shocks in awhile so i dont know what are good you should be fine with the same length especially if you remove the pucks. i would keep those too depending on what kind of shape they are in

 

[Cascadia]

Well I got the whole kit on today. All of the arms and full skid. I took it out for a drive and I can tell a huge difference just around the road alone. Very soft ride. Instead of quick jerks its more like the body rolls a little bit. I'd say everything took me about 10 hours total. Not bad considering it would have cost me $550 to $650 to have it installed by someone else. Like I said earlier, this is my first project I've actually done on my own. I did it mostly by myself but the wife was willing to get under there and hold a skid or arm up or something. There's no rocks by my house but I found a 2.5 foot barrier to drive up on. Drove straight up it and all 4 tires were still on the ground. With the old lift I would have been teetering back and forth on 2 or 3 tires. I still need to straighten up my pinion angle a bit but other than that it's done. What's the easiest way to set the pinion angle? Genright hi fender kit should be here middle of this coming week so I'm excited to get started on that so I can get my new tires.

 

[Lifelong Jeeper]

If you have a CV Driveline point the pinion straight inline with the driveline so there isn't an angle at the axel end ujoint. If you don't have the CV driveline (however, having had 6" lift, I'm assuming you do), the Ujoints at each end of the driveline need to be at equal (but opposite) angle's so that they cancel eachothers driveline vibrations out. Adjust the pinion angle by lengthening/shorting the control arms (lengthing the lowers and/or shortening the uppers will drop the pinion down, and visa versa.)

How good of condition are your 35's in? My two rears are shot and are in need of replacement.

 

[Cascadia]

My 2 rears are at about 75% if not more. The front right is at about 25 and the front left is at about 60 or 65. Thanks for the help.

 

[Lifelong Jeeper]

When are looking to buy your new tires? I may be unloading these from you.

 

[Cascadia]

Soon. My genright hi fenders came today and I need to get my 37s on it to install the new ones so I can trim where necessary. I've had 2 guys offer me $400 for them. I just haven't gotten back to them yet. Could you do like $425 and they're yours.

 

[Cascadia]

I got started tonight on my rear corner guards. Things lined up great. I've only got one side done so far but I would definitely recommend Genright to anyone. So I've got a few pictures of my RE kit I put on and the one corner guard finished. I think my new kit flexes great. The picture is of my LJ on 35's pulled up on my YJ on 37's.

 

[STAG]

Well the rear flexes pretty well! The flex doesn't look balanced between front and rear though... Looks like it turned out pretty good though! Now time for some 60's F&R

 

[GOAT]

Upcoming projects (before EJS)
Already ordered and delivered Rubicon Express Long arm upgrade kit, planning on installing it this weekend.
Already ordered and waiting for delivery Gen right hi fender kit for the front fenders, and rear hi fender kit with full corner guards.
Lite dot led lights
Another locker in the rear, any recommendations or used one someone would recommend/
37 12.5 17 kevlar MTR's.
New bumper with tire carrier in the rear. Recommendations?

you are going to regret this decision

 

[Cascadia]

Why would be the major disappointment with the MTR kevlars? A lot of the driving will be around town cause this is my daily driver also. Thoughts??? Chocflip, I think the front would flex better in the front with the swaybars undone. Do you think that would make it more even or do you think there should be even more?

 

[STAG]

It would help your front flex if you disconnected it, but where as it is your daily driver I'd leave the swaybar hooked up. I'd look into quick disconnects. either making your own or buying some.

 

[Cascadia]

It's got quick disconnects. Pulling up on the Jeep was just spur of the moment and last time I undid them I put my tire through my front fenders. Didn't want to do that again. That why I'm doing the front and rear hi fenders. Got one more corner to do and I thin JR is going to help me weld those rear tubes on cause I obviously don't weld.

 

[Lifelong Jeeper]

If your're looking at equalizing your front and rear suspension to work together then scrap your front sway bar and put in an anti-rock bar. You can adjust them to amount of flex you want versus how stiff you want the anti sway on the road. Or if you want the best of both worlds put on the new Tera dual rate bar. Only disadvantage is it costs 2-3 times what you can get a Currie Anti-Rock for.

I'm going to have to pass on the tires, btw, being that we just had to travel down to phoenix for a funeral. Extra spending cash went to that.

 

[UNSTUCK]

you are going to regret this decision

So how do you make a comment like that with out a story following it? I heard they were pretty good. But that's just what I heard.

 

[Cascadia]

That's what I was wondering. I've been looking forward to these tires with a lot of good reviews and then I have a comment like that with no explanation. I'll have to look into one of those Currie anti rocks. I was wondering how they were different from others. Sounds like a good option.

 

[Gravy]

I think he is referring to the SIZE of those tires.

No dana 30 will live long on 37's.
Even with Bobby Longs- that ring gear, especially the low pinion 30, is not up to the job.