Would a SOA Yj with 35s be too squirly to be on the street? would it be good to go wider when doing so? What are some main things to keep it safe? stiffer shocks? thanks

soa and 35's rides like a caddy, however theres alot more things that need attention than you might think... driveline angles, steering gets fuct, brakeline length, yadda yadda. A rim with lots of backspacing, wide tires, or wide axles will make your ride more stable on and off the road.

You may also want to keep the trac bars and sway bars intact to offer more stability...but then again, I didn't.

Originally posted by WideJ
soa and 35's rides like a caddy, however theres alot more things that need attention than you might think... driveline angles, steering gets fuct, brakeline length, yadda yadda. A rim with lots of backspacing, wide tires, or wide axles will make your ride more stable on and off the road.


:confused: Why would lots of backspacing make the rig more stable:confused:

:rolleyes: Ok I shook that one off.

Now to the original question.
SOA suspensions are as safe as any other suspension, many vehicles come from the factory with SOA designed suspension. But like WideJ was saying before the egg nog got to him, an SOA needs to be built correctly.
The fact that you are going higher means the center of gravity is going up. So naturaly a wider stance, propperly inflated tires, and good shocks are gonna help maintane road cornering and stability. Steering geometry is also a concerne as the drag link angle will increase, leading to bump steer, and decreased steering response.
Then there ae all of the things that need to be done to get the most out of the suspension off road. Longer shocks, modified shock mounts, anti wrap bar, the search for the perfecdt spring packs, fender trimming,...well you get the picture.
It is a great suspension, but it is a little more than just relocating the springs.

Originally posted by Insayn
You may also want to keep the trac bars and sway bars intact to offer more stability...but then again, I didn't.

Trak bars, I would throw in the scrap metal container.
Sway bars with disconnects,..yeah OK, if your driving it day to day a lot.
My YJ is used by my girlfriend as a daily driver, and when the weather is good we usually have to flip a coin over who gets to drive it. It handles just fine and I havent had trak bars or sway bars for years. I just drove it from Roseville to Lake Tahoe last weekend. Even driving the winding roads, it is very comfortable.
the trick is to keep good bushings in your spring mounts, design a good steering system, use good shocks, and keep your tires aired up propperly.

What is it with us logical thinkers like me that automatically assume that the word "backspacing" means that the mounting surface of the rim was moved toward the inside or (back) of the rim from the stock position X amount of inches when made? I think it is because the word backspacing sounds more like an action word then a word refering to a measurement. The true meaning makes sense too though. "The amount of space between the mounting surface and the inside edge of the rim". Example: an 8" rim with 4" backspacing has the mounting surface center in the rim. With 2" backspacing, the mounting surface is offset from the center leaving only 2" of space between the mounting surface and inner rim edge. They should change the word to just backspace.
Shaggy

I drove my YJ for over a year with the basic SOA setup. I had about 3 5/8 backspaced rims and felt quite safe and comfortable driving it (especially on the $hitty streets of Dallas). My only issue was bumpsteer and the front end dipping on turns or bumps, but connecting the swaybar will help there. I had a telescoping trac bar for awhile and it did tighten up the steering quite noticably. Now I run a different setup that has solved all the minor problems.

H8Monday...were you one of the ones that did the Wagoneer front springs all around on your jeep? I asked for several opinions about the rear axle hitting the fuel tank and everyone said it wasn't an issue...well...it's an issue.

Yeah, I ran the older 7 leaf Grand Waggy springs in the rear for, a few months, and also a set of 44044 Rancho springs and there were no clearance issues with the tank. At the time they were installed, I was using the stock mounting locations. I was using a Ford 8.8, but I know rockslut runs them with a D60 and he doesnt seem to have any problems.
I dont know why yours would be different, unless the tanks been whacked or something and shifted :confused: , I dunno. Got pics or more info?

I am setup with a 9 inch and Wagoneer springs all around. I even added longer shackles to try and get the axle a little farther from the tank. I fabbed a tank skid, but it hugs the stock skid so I don't see that being an issue. I am wondering if you guys have the smaller tanks. Mine hold 20 gallons after removing the tube from the filler. On the Big Dog Competition I did in Clayton, OK. I smacked the crap out of it. Everyone thought I was breaking my sheeit all over the place.

No on the tank thing. I swapped in a 20 gallon unit from a 94 when I installed the 5.0.... I did use my old 15 gallon skid plate though. Im not sure what tank rockslut is running.

I would think there would be some room to streamline the stock skid plate, or reconfigure the mounting bolts to shift it a little.
If your happy with the spring performance, I think solving the clearance issue would be simple enough. Even if you had to build a few L brackets and move the tank up and back a couple of inches.

Raising the tank up 2.5 inches was my next project. I like the springs performance...well...I have to like it cuz I hacked the rear wheel wells back...hehe. I can't figure out why you guys don't have contact issues. It may be that I wasn't running shocks at the time.:confused:

raising the tank a few inches should be no problem. I raised mine 7" a couple of months ago, when I lengthened the wheel base.
Good luck,
Sorry about the errant advice, now we know that it may not work in all cases. Luck you:flipoff2:

Thanks for the help. I will do the work and see how it comes out.

YJforlife,
You might want to visit my website for lots of SOA info.
http://homepage.mac.com/jefe/
The basic truth is, an SOA is NOT as stable as an SUA of the same height. More actual leverage on the axle is applied to the SOA version through the springs , causing more axle wrap and an increased propensity to turn the rig on it's side. Also, the aftermarket SUA lifts tend to be a lot stiffer, which adds to stability. That being said, I've done (9) SOA's on rigs and just completed a fine one on a friend's '71 Jeepster, and still think it's the best in-the-rocks-off-roadable lift you can install.
regards, as always, jefe

After the swap i did on mine, i thought that i would never be able to drive it on the road again. But after a few hours of driving it you learn. My drives great now. It would help if i had shocks in the rear and took off my dual shackles and buggy but hey it makes the drive more interesting that way!:rasta:

bigblackjeep- you really need to update the pics on your website. they dont match your sig at all.


- jake

I used to drive my SOA , 35's YJ on the street everyday about 50 miles each way to work. Crusied right along on the freeway like a big ass cadi. I didnt run track bars or sway bars either :D

kinda depends on your driving.

my mistake on the backspaced wheels! you know what I meant

Ok now I get to put in my .02. H8Monday has the right idea, but I just wanna add some stuff in here. The SOA is no worse than the SUA. I say go for it. Get some sway bar disco's, and some RS9000's. Steering does become an issue, but that is easily remedied. I mean if you can do a SOA, then you can do the steering. Another thing to remember when doing the SOA is to do it right, you have to rotate the castor of the front axle, and do a SYE for the t-case. As for getting a rim without much backspaciong, I would stay away from that as a means to get wider. The added width wreaks havoc on your knuckles....

Dimtiri