Soa

I am in the process of rebuilding my 72. I would like to run 37's and was think to do a SOA (springs over axle) conversion. That would give me 5.5" of lift. My questions is does anybody know if that enough lift for 37's or will i need a 2.5"-4" additional lift using spings. I dont want to use shackles or body lifts.

 

You will have to trim sheet metal to run 37's. The tire is just too big for the rear opening.

I ran 35's SUA with about 5 inches of lift to give you a comparison and had to clearance the front fenders and rear wheel openings. Normal driving you probalby wont have any issues but when you go off-road and start flexing you will quickly identify where you need to cut.

This kinda shows you why.


And here is a side shot.. (hyperlinked because of size.)

http://www.hudsonhawk.net/jeep/fend.jpg

 

Thanks for the pics. So, I am thinking I might have to do an additional 2-3" of lift with a set of springs, plus the SOA for a total of 7" of lift to fit 37's. And when i do the lift i am planning on installing a dana 44 axle on the front and using beefer axles on the rear. And I plan on using YJ springs because I think they are about a 1" wider.

 

That jeep was running Rubicon Express 4.5" lift springs (CJ to YJ conversion) with '76 up CJ mounts on the frame. This achieved the 5.5" of lift. The YJ springs are 2.5" wide versus the 1.75" wide springs on onthe '72. The 76 and newer CJs had 2.5" wide rear springs and 2" wide front springs.

To mount the YJ springs on the front you use the rear CJ hardware from the 76.

I ran a Widetrack 30 up front with disk brakes, chromoly axles, ungraded u-joints and a lockright.

The Rear was a Custom built Currie with a 44 center section, Ford large bearing 9" outers and custom alloy shafts and a Detroit. This was built to WT CJ specs.

4:56 gears on both ends, 3.15 to 1 transfercase gears, t-18a with a 6 to 1 granny gear, and a 258 with custom fuel injection. It was a very capable off-road vehicle.

Here is a link to my build thread.
http://www.hudsonhawk.net/jeep/jeepmain.htm

 

Don't forget to plan out your driveline angles VERY carefully. That much lift in that short of a wheel base can make it a real challenge. Especially if running a longer transmission. Not saying it can't be done, but needs to be planned and measured carefully. Most folks who go that much typically lengthen the wheel base or go high pinion axles.

 

Sorry. Meant springs over axles. which doing that alone gives 5.5" of lift.

 

and steeper driveline angles , and wicked axle wrap and a higher CG.
side hilling with soft suspension should feel down right scary.

 

I always heard it as Spring Over Axle (SOA) or Spring Under Axle (SUA).

 

Thanks for the corrections to what I typed out. But thats not what i was needing help on. Most people knew what I meant when I said SOA. SO, please post if you have any helpful ideas or experiences. And not just to say I type suspension, instead of springs. Thanks for any help anybody can give me.

 

The rear drive shaft angle will be very severe with that much lift. Using a CV joint mine was still almost at the limit with the 5.5" of lift and the pinion angle adjusted.

What the others are saying is you will have to address issues with both driveshafts and all the steering components to make it work well. It can be done but it is not a easy as just swapping the axles under your springs. You will also need to buy new extended brake lines. These are all the standard things you run into with a suspension lift.

 

you will need to build the springs to get rid of axel wrap or get an anti wrap bar (i gt mine from skyjacker . (i think) )

 

where did you mount the AW bar ?

 

My buddies cj7 has 2.5" springs, sprung over the axles and was running 38x15.50's when he first bought it. Bald 38's at that and there was not much (maybe inch or 2 at most) between top of tire and fender. He switched to 35's instantly and that setup seemed to be perfect for the jeep. On my 72 cj5, I did a spring over with stock yota springs which are fairly flat, not much arch to them and I will be able to stuff maybe 36's under it and that will be pushing it. As like everyone has said already, going with a cj5 with 2.5-4" springs over the axle means wicked driveline angles, high center of gravite, have to notch rear wheel openings etc. In my opnion, I would do your spring over with stock springs, get 1" lift shackles and throw a set of 35's on there and go wheeling. Just my opinion.

 

I know you're new here, so we'll cut you some slack, but just be aware that attitude isn't how we roll at ECJ5. You'll get plenty of helpful assistance when you ask questions. No one will flame your or make fun of you. There was a bit of confusion about the terminology you used, which was cleared up. That's it. Nothing more. No need to get snippy. Stick around, enjoy the community, and find that we are a unique place in the worldwide Jeeping web, we all get along very well without the flaming and arguing that goes on elsewhere. Welcome and good luck with your project.

 

you want attitude go to pirate.....

 

Well said fella.

In other news, I just wrapped up spring over with 2" in the front and 2.5 in the rear with 2.5 lift springs and after removing a few leaves from the pack, it is still too tall. Clears 35"s with ease, but could get tippy on the trail. I would have done yj leaves in hind sight, but those were what I had in mind. Just make sure to clock that front axle to a good caster angle, and pay close attention to the rear pinion angle so they are within specs for the cv driveline you are will need.