YJ build

[kmboren]

I am thinking about picking up a YJ if the deal goes through. It is a 1995 4.0 Manual. It is mostly stock with 31s. 140k+ miles. I guess an older couple traded it in for a JK. It is at a local small town dealer. This would eventually turn into my kids driver/wheeler when they are old enough to drive on the road. My daughter is already stealing my drivers seat in the XJ. I also want them to learn to drive a manual. What are the good and bad ways to build a YJ?

My thoughts are to run 35s.
Swap out the 35 for a ford 8.8.
Keep the dana 30 with upgraded shafts.
4.56s (too deep for a manual and 35s)?
Flat bottom it with 1 inch body lift if needed. 231 sye (left over from my atlas XJ swap)
A high steer kit.
Keep it sprung under? Sprung over in rear and under in front?
Keep front track bar? and ditch the rear. Stretch a little front and rear. Best way to do this?

Anything other than an XJ is new to me so I am open to advice?

 

[skippy]

My CJ is sprung over in the front and under in the rear, staying sprung under in the rear will help with axle wrap.

 

[DaveB]

The problem I had with my CJ and lifted spring under springs was that there is so much arch in the springs that when you stuff an axle up into the wheel well the axle moves back a lot and hits the body. I had to limit my up travel quite a bit since I didn't want to cut out my wheel wells on my CJ8. Now that I have long arms and coils I don't have any issues rubbing.

 

[Jay5.9L]

My SOA CJ doesn’t have axle wrap issues often. I could throw on a anti wrap bar and be fine

 

[Jinx]

The problem I had with my CJ and lifted spring under springs was that there is so much arch in the springs that when you stuff an axle up into the wheel well the axle moves back a lot and hits the body. I had to limit my up travel quite a bit since I didn't want to cut out my wheel wells on my CJ8. Now that I have long arms and coils I don't have any issues rubbing.

Question here. Was that with a shackle reversal up front? or stock shackle forward design?

 

[DaveB]

Question here. Was that with a shackle reversal up front? or stock shackle forward design?

My issue was on the rear axle with the shackle in the back. I didn't do the shackle reversal up front or I may have had the same issue up front.

 

[Bart]

I like the plans, and the gears will work great.

 

[N-Smooth]

dang so our opinions aren't enough for you? #ouch
no trac bars needed. I will fight anybody who says you need them on a YJ. okay not really but it's dumb.
4.56 might be a little high in the rocks. my buddy with a TJ and that same setup still stalled it a lot. FWIW
I would do springover front, springunder rear like Ryan's CJ. If it's sprungover and you like to push it, of course it will wrap, they all do.
re-drill springs or buy wagoneer springs like I told you before. the part number (IIRC from like 15 years ago) is 44044. same length as YJ springs but 1.5" offset in the center pin.

 

[DaveB]

I have some Wagoneer front springs that someone can have if they want them.

 

[I Lean]

Springover front will create steering issues. Consider a WJ knuckle swap to fix that, as well as improve braking.

4.56 and 35's with a manual is about right. Nate is right about it being too high in the rocks, but if there's a lot of freeway driving then 4.88's will likely be too low. (and still too tall in the rocks)

 

[Spork]

Just throwing this out there because I'm starting to feel like an old guy with a kid about ready to turn 16, does your kid need 35" tires? If it's 90% street would dropping to 33" tires be a better option? (I resisted 31" even that may be plenty if it's just going to school and back). I'm all for 33" and the 4.56 gears to keep speed down

 

[J-mobzz]

I would have to agree that for a driver /weekend wheeler less may be more. Tj flares, small lift and 33’s. Throw the 8.8 in with a locker and regear the front but leave it stock. Junkyard axles are cheap to keep as a spare on the trail.

 

[Hickey]

I would have to agree that for a driver /weekend wheeler less may be more. Tj flares, small lift and 33’s. Throw the 8.8 in with a locker and regear the front but leave it stock. Junkyard axles are cheap to keep as a spare on the trail.

I agree with this. Rubicon take-off wheels and tires look great on a TJ/YJ.

 

[N-Smooth]

hey now, the E stands for extreme, right? Kevin, don't listen to them!

 

[kmboren]

I agree with this. Rubicon take-off wheels and tires look great on a TJ/YJ.

I already have a set of 5 spoke 17s from a JK that would go on it.

 

[kmboren]

Just throwing this out there because I'm starting to feel like an old guy with a kid about ready to turn 16, does your kid need 35" tires? If it's 90% street would dropping to 33" tires be a better option? (I resisted 31" even that may be plenty if it's just going to school and back). I'm all for 33" and the 4.56 gears to keep speed down

Why not. Why spend money on 33s when I won't be happy until it has 35s. Plus the 35s work better all around here in Sand hollow. Maybe keep the 31s for daily and swap the others for the trails.
Honestly I am living vicariously through my daughter also. Who wouldn't love having a wrangler as a sophomore in high school.

 

[mesha]

I would do 35s with 4.88s. Not because 4.88s are better, but because I usually do the next lower gears than I think I will need. Especially if this is a rig to learn to wheel/drive stick. Lower gears are so much easier to learn. I wouldn't worry about front axle shafts until you break the stock ones. Especially if you have no front locker. I would keep it spring under probably.

Actually, I would probably make it giant and completely horrible to drive on the street.

 

[Hickey]

Learning on a smaller tire and lesser equipped Jeep will make a better driver. It forces a driver to think more about an obstacle. It's the same argument for teaching a kid to drive stick, even though they are eventually going to all be extinct.

 

[kmboren]

Learning on a smaller tire and lesser equipped Jeep will make a better driver. It forces a driver to think more about an obstacle. It's the same argument for teaching a kid to drive stick, even though they are eventually going to all be extinct.

She already drives my jeep so it is too late for that. 😉

 

[kmboren]

So I am bringing this back from the dead. My wife cousin calls us and tell is he is selling his YJ and wanted to know if I or someone I knew was interested. So after a little discussion I end up buying it.

It is a 95 with the 4 cylinder. 195k miles or so. Has some brand new bfg 33x1030 r 15 km2s on pro comp wheels. Paint is rattle canned matte black interior is Vegas sun rotted. It did come with a hard top and full bikini shade. It's a little unique as it has a pro comp coil conversion kit on it which utilize the leaf perches for one of the arm mounts and has a bolt on upper mount. Already has a SYE kit. 30 front with vacume disconnect which isn't working so picking up a soild axle today. To swap out.
Have some plans for it. An 8.8 or 8.25 for the rear maybe go back to leafs in the rear with anti wrap bar (XJ owner and love how they handle so why not). Maybe 3 link the front and get rid of the pro comp stuff. Push the front a little forward and the rear a little backwards. Possibly a genright stretch gas tank.

1st things first is front axle working so we have 4WD.