67 commando lift

well i just got this thing. its in really bad shape but its just going to be for riding around the woods, mudd, etc..but i will have to be able to drive it on the road also.. my question is what are the best ways to lift this thing. i dont want to go more than 4 or 5 inches with shackles and or leafs . how much is a add-a-leaf for it? and it looks like the shackles on it are already pretty long.. but its still very low. and stock looking..mabye i can move the axle too
also that "alcan" website is very confusing. is there a catalogue? what is the actual website?

 

Actually the guys at Alcan are really helpful. Not sure if they have a catalog as they make the springs to meet your needs. I haven't been there in a while, but they had a form to fill out with estimated weights of the vehicle to get the spring rate. I sent a few e-mails back and forth with them and they were very helpful. I think the quote I got from them was around $800 for a 3 inch lift. I have an add a leaf that I am going to try. Watch your shackle length as it will tend not to drive well.

 

800$?!?! for 3 inches lol my god im not going to spend that much on this thing with tires and lift and geting the motor running.. i'll just put the axle on top of the leafs for 4 inches and either get them rearched or add a leaf, mabye both.... i mean how good is thing going to ride anyways. which is my next question.. if i get my leafs rearched for about 2 inches lift.. is it pointless to get the add a leaf also, or will it help that much more?

 

If your going to go spring over I would avoid rearching the springs. Espicially if you have a hard top. These things get a bit tippy of you have a hardtop with spring over. I am going to go woth an add a aleaf and a little fender trimming to run 32's on mine. $800 is a lot for springs, but you will probably never have to replace them.

 

where do i order the add a leafs from? yeah i am going to put the axle under springs for about 4 inches, get the add a leaf or rearching for 2 1/2 and then 33" tires (will do the fender triming also)..all together about 10 inches of lift. im not realy woried about it being top heavy, theres not alot of huge hills for me to flip on just good mudd and its not exactly a cream puff, so i dont realy care if it does flip.. i will have roll bars too.

 

I'm picking up a '70 in the next few weeks, it's got 37" tires, lift springs and a spring over, it's way too tall. I'm putting the axles back over the springs.

Paul

 

try kaiserwillys.com thats where i got mine it rides great

 

To properly (safely) perform a spring over usually costs as much as and often more than a quality spring set. Alcan springs typically cost the same, regardless of lift height. I talked to them about springs for Cherri's '71 C-101. 0"-6" of lift were all in the $800 range. The thing about Alcan springs is that they last forever, are tailored to your vehicle weight and use, and ride like you're on a cushion of air, on or off road.
I've had the pleasure of experiencing Alcan's springs. I highly recomend them and believe they're money well spent.

 

I have a '72 Commando running on 37" tires, I don't think its too tall. The suspension is 4" Scout lift springs,under the axle.Rear is stock springs over the axle. I'm allso running a Scout frount axle and narrowed 60,with Scout shafts and outer ends. I allso did some work to the frount axle to get the alignment right,because Scout frount axles have little or no caster angle in them.It handles great both on and off road.I allso have a 3" body lift.

 

My 37's weren't even in the wheel wells. I since decided to leave the spring over, take the lift leaves out of the front, short shackles in the rear, and reduce the body lift from 3" to 1.5". Mine is much closer to yours now.

Paul

 

My 72 is set up with XJ cherokee rear springs with a additional main leaf with the eye's cut off in the front and stock commando springs in the rear but spring over. I also have TJ flares all around. The flares work great in the back and give you tons of room. The front flares wont fit the short fenders with out tons of work, but maybe you could buy/build the flat fenders for it. This would give you lots of room and still be cheap! By the way my 72 runs 36s and is a inch and a half shorter then my friends CJ on 33s.

 

I'd like to flip my axles. I have a 1970 Commando and the LOA is the only lift I plan on using. Anyone got a kit recommendation? searching the internet I haven't found any good kit specifically for the Commando.

 

You can't find a kit is because nobody makes one. Spring perches shouldn't be a problem, they're pretty standard. Assuming you have Saginaw steering a drop pitman arm won't be a problem either. Don't have any part numbers so not much help to you that way but places like Quadratec or Morris4x4 and others sell everything you'd need. Just don't go looking for Jeepster specific parts.

 

What steering do you have now or plan to have after doing the lift?:? The older Commandos have the Ross steering and they are not lift-friendly since the column meets the gearbox right at the base of the tub's firewall. That's the reason my plan to body, suspension lift and drop-floor a Commando is going to be on the 71, since it has the Saginaw steering. After buying the 67 I now have the parts to do the P/S option on the 71, since it would be a lot of work to change over my 67 or my 68.chainsawguy