Lifting and modifying the YJ...

[paulhead]

Although my Jeep isn't a daily driver, what is the general thought about driving a YJ on the street w/o a front track-bar?

don't even notice it gone

[USMC 0369]

I've heard that because the YJ is on leaf springs, the track bar isn't "necessary". I'd like to believe that the engineers went to school and had a purpose in mind for it, but it was redundant. Mine is gone-baby-gone. The sway bar however, will be kept and some disconnects will be put in.

[pdw]

I've heard that because the YJ is on leaf springs, the track bar isn't "necessary". I'd like to believe that the engineers went to school and had a purpose in mind for it, but it was redundant. Mine is gone-baby-gone. The sway bar however, will be kept and some disconnects will be put in.

I got rid of my front sway bar a while back and haven't missed it either! I was thinking about the possibility of using the sway bar mount on the axle as a place to mount my ram assist.

[USMC 0369]

I'm playing hooky in the morning to go to Norco to pick up my Axles from John. This is coming down to the wire!!! I've GOT to make Calico!!!!

[NAILER341]

I'm playing hooky in the morning to go to Norco to pick up my Axles from John. This is coming down to the wire!!! I've GOT to make Calico!!!!

you can dooo it.

[Kodiak Spirit]

I got one of those JKS trackbars for the front when I fist started wheeling, I was with the Crestline Ridge Runners and thought I needed something for the MTN. roads...

if anyone wants one, I should put it in the sale forum, I never have used it!

I will say that after I got rid of the track bars I did notice a little drift when going through woops or roads that have lil hills, up and down like some spots on 395... but only 'cause I am going as fast as the jeep can drive...

My jeep never had a sway bar, I got it used without one, and didn't realize it was gone untill I saw another jeep with one, and said hmm, what's that all about?

so I will say, you don't need any of them, and the driving will be normal... most I know have disconnected the sway bar for off road, and then never re-connected it... it's just xtra weight...

[mrblaine]

My jeep never had a sway bar, I got it used without one, and didn't realize it was gone untill I saw another jeep with one, and said hmm, what's that all about?

so I will say, you don't need any of them, and the driving will be normal... most I know have disconnected the sway bar for off road, and then never re-connected it... it's just xtra weight...

A lot of that will depend on your spring design and rate. If you have stiff springs that aren't very compliant like some of the Pro Comp leaf packs, you won't notice the missing swaybars.

If on the other hand, you have flexible high count leaf packs like Erik ran, you might like the extra control on the highway that the swaybars afford.

Having ridden in Erik's rig more than a few times, it was pretty hard to tell he wasn't running a well set-up coil link suspension. Purely not a leaf sprung ride at all.

[Kodiak Spirit]

well, of course... nothing is absolute.. my suggestion is that you go ahead and drive it disconnected for a bit and if you don't notice the difference, then remove it. if you don't like it of course re-connect it! you are going to want some sort of quick disconnect system for off road, but I wouldn't spend the money until I knew if I was going to use it or not.

I have Currie soft ride springs, and they are pretty soft, but I wouldn't say they feel like coils... and shocks make a difference to...

[mrblaine]

well, of course... nothing is absolute.. my suggestion is that you go ahead and drive it disconnected for a bit and if you don't notice the difference, then remove it. if you don't like it of course re-connect it! you are going to want some sort of quick disconnect system for off road, but I wouldn't spend the money until I knew if I was going to use it or not.

I have Currie soft ride springs, and they are pretty soft, but I wouldn't say they feel like coils... and shocks make a difference to...

so I will say, you don't need any of them, and the driving will be normal... most I know have disconnected the sway bar for off road, and then never re-connected it... it's just xtra weight...

Sounds fairly absolute to me.

[USMC 0369]

Time Crunch to get to Calico '08.

I got my axles back from John on Friday Morning. But my job kept me here very late and I wasn't able to get at them until this morning. I've got the rear shafts in and sealed up. The front knuckles ran into an issue when one of my rubber cups for the lower ball joint is missing. Cannot source a new rubber cup so will probably have to buy a whole ball joint and just take the cup out of it. That will get my steering set-up going on.

{steering set up.... I plan to adjust the new linkage to as close to the original as possible and that should get me up on the rack so I can do an alignment. Any tricks I should know about?}

I have yet to weld on the new shock mounts also. And need to fabricate and install the rear upper mounts also. Need to measure and place the front Ford towers in still.

A LOT of work to be done.

I need to order parts like the OBA set-up stuff for the ARB up front. Steering stabilizer, disconnects.... and oh yea, a couple of front shocks. I'm such an idiot and didn't think about the front shocks being a 'post' type mount, but now they are an 'eye' mount. I'll ask for fast shipping on these things, but still expect Wednesday to be the earliest they will get here. If the axles are on today resting on the tires, I'll push it out of the shop so I can work on it Monday and Tuesday since the shop is closed.

Not to mention all of this and then a new rear driveshaft...bleeding the brakes out...

I'm never going to make it...I'm not planning on rushing anything. I know me, and I'll skip something.

I need a schedule...

[pdw]

Take the time to do it right the first time. Nothing worse than having something break-off when your out on the trail. These types of projects are never done early or quickly!

It seems that the magazines show us these project builds and want to give us the impression that these things happen in fairly short order.

There is one editor in one of the 4x4 mag's who has been working on his "Fun-Buggy" for two years now?

[USMC 0369]

As was evident, I didn't make the Calico time-line. Not entirely my fault, but partially. I'm happy to report that Hector is on his wheels again and I have 6 more jobs to complete until we can take him on his first adventure.

1.) Get rear upper shock mounts fabbed. Decided to go with a different design after looking at it for a long time.

2.) Put front shock mounts onto vehicle. Doing the Ford shock tower conversion puts the front shocks at a 26" resting height. Need new shocks for that too.

3.) OBA - Still planning to do a York set-up, but an arb mini-compressor to run the locker with the york as a back-up.

4.) Put on the driveshafts. Embarassing story behind that, sorry...I don't care to share it.

5.) Bleed the brakes.

6.) Front end alignment.

[USMC 0369]

Okay, progress yesterday was minimal, due to my clumsy hands. I borrowed a "crows foot" wrench-end for tightening the bolts on the inside of the frame. Well...I dropped it inside the frame (x3) and it took forever to fish it out each time.

Sooo, I managed to get the driveshafts back on the Jeep, and get one of the shock towers put up, but it's not finished. Still have two more bolts to drill and put into it.

[CENTER][/CENTER]

Today, I anticipate progress....mucho progresso.

(did I just ask for a lot of soup?)

[Shadly1]

I will say that after I got rid of the track bars I did notice a little drift when going through woops or roads that have lil hills, up and down like some spots on 395... but only 'cause I am going as fast as the jeep can drive...

My jeep never had a sway bar, I got it used without one, and didn't realize it was gone untill I saw another jeep with one, and said hmm, what's that all about?

so I will say, you don't need any of them, and the driving will be normal... most I know have disconnected the sway bar for off road, and then never re-connected it... it's just xtra weight...

I've heard of other people doing this too with no difference in handling. I just don't understand. I take my track bar off disconnect my sway bar before I go wheelin and then put it back together when I'm done. It's a 15 minute job. It takes longer than that to adjust the air pressure in my tires for trail rides. There is a HUGE difference between open suspension and restricted suspension. With everything disconnected, the slightest gust of wind will cause me to practically change lanes. It's too many corrections for my taste. Long drives would exhaust me. With it all hooked up, it's nice and solid on the highway. I can actually travel in it without being tense and on-edge by the time I get to my destination.

My suspension might be different than the rest of you though. I have some super soft Rusty's springs and a perfect alignment at all times. It is a damn good ride on paved surfaces and it's very stable. Feels like a new truck.

[pdw]

I like those snazzzy blue brake line covers!!!:yay:

Are you simply bolting those shock towers on? Hmmmmm-sure wish you had a welder. Bolt them on first to make sure that they are positioned correctly and then weld them on!
You can always do that later, though.