Suggestions on suspension lifts |
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sd48willys
Member Joined: 17 Feb. 2020 Location: South Dakota Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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Posted: 18 Feb. 2020 at 2:44am |
Hey, new to the forum and Jeep in general. I have a 48 CJ2 that I have stripped and have started to rebuild from the frame up. Im in the middle of fixing and sealing the frame. I have conceded that I need to replace all 8 of the shackle & pivot brackets. One was broken long ago and was welded shut instead of replaced. Anyways I want a slight lift, but I dont need to get real crazy. I was looking at this kit: It does not come with shocks, and the vendor doesnt or wont get them, nor help me figure which ones to buy. Would anyone be able to assist? I have seen some closer to $900, but may need go that route due to the cost of the shocks anyways. Also, with doing a little lift like this, I have seen others use an "H" bracket on the ends of the frame for the springs. Would I need to do this, or would the stock leaf spring brackets be sufficient? They need to be replaced as well |
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jeepsterjim
Member Joined: 13 July 2011 Location: lincoln, ca Status: Offline Points: 1283 |
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Welcome to the board
First, what are you wanting to do with your Jeep? Give us some idea so we can help. Post pictures |
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Jim
CJ-2A - 81299 |
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nofender
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 10 May 2016 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 2036 |
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Welcome to the page and to the Jeep world.
Rancho makes a nice spring. Nothing wrong with them. If I were to do my Jeep again, I wouldn't use lift springs again. I have Superlift 2.5in lift springs. They are just too harsh. I may at some point replace the springs with some stock replacements. People are reporting 1-2 inch increase in ride height when compared to worn 70 year old springs. I would have rather landed around there in ride height. Shackles - no an H-shackle isn't required. Some consider them an upgrade. If your Jeep sees heavy use, maybe not a bad idea. But again, by no means required. The C-shackle has proven it's toughness over many years. Shocks - buy shocks last. With the Jeep assembled and all the weight on in, take some measurements. Figure out what lengths you need and how much travel you have. Then hit the parts catalogs. These lightweight Jeeps don't need a fancy shock. I used off the shelf Gabriels from Rock Auto. The original applications for the shocks I used was a Grand Cherokee rear and Izuzu Trooper rear. The lengths matched up perfectly. All I had to do was fiddle with the bushings on the Trooper shocks. Rock Auto is good because they offer up all the relevant measurements to help you find a shock that fits. I have to imagine Napa and others would have the same info.
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46 CJ2a rockcrawler
46 CJ2a - 26819 46 Bantam T3c "4366" 47 Bantam T3C - 11800 68-ish CJ5 |
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Rick R
Member Joined: 10 May 2015 Location: Black Hills Status: Offline Points: 341 |
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Welcome to the board. There is so much knowledge on this site I’m sure you will find the info you’re looking for. What part of the state are you from? I’m on the west side, northern Black Hills area.
I have a 1949 3A with a Rancho 2” lift springs. It’s a rough rider and I plan on taking out a leaf or two this summer. Also have a 46 2A that I put new springs, shocks and tires on. Got the kit from KW I think. |
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RWILLYS (Space R)
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6144 |
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"What are you planning on doing with your jeep?" is a really big consideration when making any type of modification. Adding lift seems like an easy simple thing, but can have long lasting side effects. Lifted springs are usually stiffer. Steering geometry changes. Pinion angles can get weird. Raised center of gravity can be tricky on the trail. All workable, but you have to decide if it is worth the work (or harsh ride.)
I run stock springs and height and wheel my rig pretty hard. I have busted a C-shackle or two. Recently I have gone to these "heavy duty" shackles that came on the M38A1. They fit exactly like the originals. They just have a side plate closing up the end that makes them stronger. They do only come in right hand thread so you don't have to worry about getting the wrong shackle on the wrong corner and one spare covers all corners. |
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drm101
Member Joined: 12 Dec. 2012 Location: Clarkston, MI Status: Offline Points: 1471 |
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Thanks for the tip, Stan!
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Dean
'47 CJ2A "Ron" '66 CJ5 "Buckie" The less the Power the More the Force |
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