Best flex kit? - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

GM4Life · 04-04-2006, 09:38 PM

Out of the 1955-1976 cj5 4" lift kits, what would i get the most flex and best overall ride from? I have found the superlift, the skyjacker, and the cheap and ever apealing National Tire & Wheel lift special. Does anyone have any experience with these?

HalfPint · 04-05-2006, 11:38 AM

It sounds like you're driving a Jeep. Are you? It's kind of helpful to know what you're putting the lift on...Different kinds of lifts for different kinds of vehicles...

GM4Life · 04-05-2006, 03:21 PM

hopefully one of these will go on a 1949 willys wagon. i checked and the spring width front and back is 1.75 which is the same for the early cj5's, i think. im hoping to run 33x13.50 tires. if i have to do anything else or if the springs are different, can you help point me in the right direction?

Iowa rust · 04-07-2006, 01:07 PM

you might want to check the over all length of the springs. The wagon springs might be a different length. The center pin location is also critical, some vehicles have the center pin offset to the front or rear of the spring, measure from the spring eye at each end of the spring to the center of the axle. This is critical for axle location.

GM4Life · 04-07-2006, 03:14 PM

k, ill take all sorts of measurements

jetboy · 04-07-2006, 03:26 PM

I'm not sure all that is entailed in a cj5 spring over axle ("SOA") conversion, but it may be something to look into if you're into fabrication. I have an soa on my landcruiser and it flexes very well, has a good ride because you dont need springs with so much arch. I went with 2.5" lift springs becasue I had them, but the stock springs will give you about 5" of lift. All in all it will still cost a little more becaue you will probably want to cut and turn the front axle to keep the steering geometry liveable, and you will need a rear anti wrap bar. they are easy to build though. Anyway just something to think about when making your choice.

BTW I had bad luck with the skyjacker 5" lift on my toyota pickup. the springs were crap, I bent two sets of rears which they warrantied, but it's a bummer to come off the trail and have one rear corner sitting 3" lower than when you started. It was a light trail rig/daily driver with a 4cyl too, so it was not a problem with weight or power, and I wasn't thrashing it like a buggy; just poor metalurgy in the springs.

GM4Life · 04-08-2006, 11:17 AM

k, i looked into the soa but there were a lot of things that needed to be done that i dont have the tools or experience to do right.

04-04-2006, 09:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
GM4Life Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Member # 67499 Location: Eatonville, Wa Posts: 13	Best flex kit? Out of the 1955-1976 cj5 4" lift kits, what would i get the most flex and best overall ride from? I have found the superlift, the skyjacker, and the cheap and ever apealing National Tire & Wheel lift special. Does anyone have any experience with these?

04-07-2006, 03:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
jetboy Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Member # 53743 Posts: 145	I'm not sure all that is entailed in a cj5 spring over axle ("SOA") conversion, but it may be something to look into if you're into fabrication. I have an soa on my landcruiser and it flexes very well, has a good ride because you dont need springs with so much arch. I went with 2.5" lift springs becasue I had them, but the stock springs will give you about 5" of lift. All in all it will still cost a little more becaue you will probably want to cut and turn the front axle to keep the steering geometry liveable, and you will need a rear anti wrap bar. they are easy to build though. Anyway just something to think about when making your choice. BTW I had bad luck with the skyjacker 5" lift on my toyota pickup. the springs were crap, I bent two sets of rears which they warrantied, but it's a bummer to come off the trail and have one rear corner sitting 3" lower than when you started. It was a light trail rig/daily driver with a 4cyl too, so it was not a problem with weight or power, and I wasn't thrashing it like a buggy; just poor metalurgy in the springs. Last edited by jetboy; 04-07-2006 at 03:28 PM.

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04-05-2006, 11:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
HalfPint Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Member # 68061 Location: Emmett, Idaho Posts: 7	It sounds like you're driving a Jeep. Are you? It's kind of helpful to know what you're putting the lift on...Different kinds of lifts for different kinds of vehicles...

04-05-2006, 03:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
GM4Life Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Member # 67499 Location: Eatonville, Wa Posts: 13	hopefully one of these will go on a 1949 willys wagon. i checked and the spring width front and back is 1.75 which is the same for the early cj5's, i think. im hoping to run 33x13.50 tires. if i have to do anything else or if the springs are different, can you help point me in the right direction?

04-07-2006, 01:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
Iowa rust Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Member # 49374 Location: Burlington Iowa Posts: 117	you might want to check the over all length of the springs. The wagon springs might be a different length. The center pin location is also critical, some vehicles have the center pin offset to the front or rear of the spring, measure from the spring eye at each end of the spring to the center of the axle. This is critical for axle location.

04-07-2006, 03:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
GM4Life Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Member # 67499 Location: Eatonville, Wa Posts: 13	k, ill take all sorts of measurements

04-08-2006, 11:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
GM4Life Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Member # 67499 Location: Eatonville, Wa Posts: 13	k, i looked into the soa but there were a lot of things that needed to be done that i dont have the tools or experience to do right.