lift for 75 cj

im buying a lift this week. 2.5 or 3". iknow im talking abought a .5" but what are the additional thing i need for a 3". dont think anything but springs, u bolts and bushings for the 2.5" is that true? im going with the cheapest lift i can get. as i do light wheeling in the 75, the old stock springs are just shot. will my p/s be a factor? also can i get a one piece shackel? by the way why are there 2 or 3 shims under my rear axle right now? will post pic if that will help




a20 front?
d44 rear
3speed man tranny
stock 258

 

The shims are to correct the angle from the rearend to the transfer case. Too much angle=vibration. I just did the 2.5 fourwheeldrive hardware lift and it is great. It's more expensive than the black diamond, but I like it. I now have a vibration over 40mph and I think I need a CV driveshaft and a longer shaft at that. I think I am maxed out right now. I did put a 4* shim on the rearend to help with that angle, but I think it's still too much.

The ride is already improved and the springs aren't even broke in yet.

Good luck,

High5

I have pics on here with some before and after shots. It's on the "took the plunge" thread.

 

so the thing is you just put it on and go from there. what ever it takes to get it right. i dont want to spend 300$ on a new shaft, thought i may have to. any one set up with a 2.5" lift only change the springs and have no problems? and i know what the shims are for but why would they be on top of stock springs?

 

Maybe you don't have stock springs. However, a picture would definitely clear things up.

My drivetrain is really long with the 258, T18, Dana 20. My rear shaft, not sure if it is original or not, is only 15 or 16 inches long. If you have a 3 speed your shaft will already be longer. I could wait and do the CV when this one craps out, but I would rather do it now instead of when the thing breaks on the highway somewhere.

High5

 

Firstly, I'd expect that there may not be much difference in a 2.5" and 3" lift, especially if they are from different sources. I'm just guessing, but I'd guess that the proper comparison is to the standard 5-leaf springs that came on these Jeeps. The HD suspension option, with 10 leaves IIRC, both increased the GVWR and the ride height, by 1-2" or so. On my '73 CJ-5 with a 304, T-15 and HD everything, the original rear u-joints only lasted about 20K miles. I'd presume this is because of the large rear driveshaft angle... so even the OEM setup is marginal.

If it were mine, I'd place the claimed lift numbers last in my priority queue, simply because those numbers depend on how the manufacturer defines lift. I'd first consider price, quality, and user comments for all the lift kits in the 2-3" range. An additional 1" of lift won't get you a lot more tire clearance AFAIK - you're pretty much limited by the fender shape at anything over 33-34" diameter. Plus, IMO adding more lift if you don't need it for tire clearance only succeeds in making the Jeep a less practical vehicle - less stable in ascent/descent/sidehill, less streetable, harder to resell, and more likely to draw the critical eye of your local LEO.

 

Some times it takes a combination of shimming up the rearend and shimming down the transmission cross member to get compatible and tolerable U joint angles. I did a 2.5" Skyjacker lift on my 80 CJ-5 a few years back and had to do that. Lots of people don't like to shim the cross member down because they want as much clearance as possible but in the end it's either that or spend money on an expensive CV shaft. I shimmed mine down 1".

 

not sure where you are located at, but i ahve a set of lift springs that you can have for 50 bucks plus a ride.
just let me konw.
Thanks
Shane

 

first, timgr your knowlege of jeeps is part of why im at this site. you take the time and have the insight to help people with there jeeps. thax. (no im not trying to get in your pants) however the 75 has 8 pack rear and 9 in front? aftermarket lift? the rear shims might be the give away.
pic on the way tomorrow.


what i will do, buy the superlift 2.5, set of dt 3000 shocks , put it on and see what i get. still wondering abought the one piece shackels?
im of the opinon that most of the ride is in the shocks.

hey 56 im on the east coast thanx for the tought. but if you want to drop them of i will give 55$ and a cold beer!

 

CV shaft might be a big help, but you don't need to spend big bucks. My rear CV shaft comes from a donor Cherokee front shaft. Total cost was around $11.00, plus I needed a CV Yoke off the D20. I've built two since then, 1 for a friend and 1 for a trail spare. Check out http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/shaft/diydriveshaft/

The author, John, and I were in the same club and the photos are from my 74 CJ/5 -- 2.5 spring lift.