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View Full Version : Question about an 8.8 swap........TJ parts



Fatty-McGee
11-27-2005, 09:39 PM
Hey guys im in the process..........a very long process of building an 8.8 right now, all I need are the the coil buckets and the lca mounts. I have access to some TJ brackets, i was just wondering if the lca mounts and the coil buckets would work from that. If they wont work im just going to get claytons over the axle bracket kit i think. Thanks

Jcbzj
11-27-2005, 10:10 PM
Yes they will work

Fatty-McGee
11-27-2005, 10:24 PM
thank you sir.

OverkillZJ
11-27-2005, 11:03 PM
The lower brackets are the same, the COIL BUCKETS ARE NOT!

They "can work" but you'd have to make some spring retainers at the bottom. TJ rear coils are much wider than ZJ.

Kraqa
11-27-2005, 11:16 PM
The lower brackets are the same, the COIL BUCKETS ARE NOT!

They "can work" but you'd have to make some spring retainers at the bottom. TJ rear coils are much wider than ZJ.

x2.

Jim311
11-27-2005, 11:28 PM
I have some bitchin Rock Control integrated coil bucket/LCA mounts. They're bad ass.

Kraqa
11-27-2005, 11:38 PM
I have some bitchin Rock Control integrated coil bucket/LCA mounts. They're bad ass.

ya i herd those are the dopest of dope setups. RC has to formulate them from the special 5.9L alloy. Apparently thats why it takes 6 months to get.
:smt021

Fatty-McGee
11-27-2005, 11:46 PM
RC has to formulate them from the special 5.9L alloy. Apparently thats why it takes 6 months to get.
:smt021

or to not get.....................ty must have run out of the super premo-alloy. I guess there was only a limited amount left and he happened to run out when my name came up on the list.

Kraqa
11-27-2005, 11:50 PM
thats ok i didnt' liek the kit anyways. the parts were quality from the look sof it but it was a uber complicated design that i have yet to see any pictures of it functioning well enoguh to justify the amoutn he was charging. every pic i see the rear is binding.....ALOT.

Fatty-McGee
11-27-2005, 11:58 PM
i just wanted what jim has, the over the axle coil buckets/lca mounts because I already run claytons. He was going to give me them plus the truss for 265, compared to 300 for claytons bracketry plus 125 for the truss. 425 plus shipping for brackets for a $200 axle? I dont think so. Not to mention it comes in 1000 peices (at least thats what that picture looked like on here)

Kraqa
11-28-2005, 12:19 AM
theres no doubt the kit was quality parts, and the brakets were very nice. Why not make your own brakets? its not hard you coudl make all of them in a matter of hours with a angle grinder and a drill.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
11-28-2005, 01:47 AM
I got my perches off of my old D35. My favorite part is that they're FREE.

nate
11-28-2005, 02:23 AM
Kraga....

I'm not defending Rock Control or anything... on my setup though, I find the back flexes really nice. What limits my setup is the shocks and the UCA would hit the floor if I didn't run bumpstops.

The front binds some... more than I'd like. 1 problem, I don't know if anyone every really noticed is the LCA brackets on the stock axles point in some. Now with the long arms, it's not possible to angle the arms very much... so it binds there a bit.
Plus the radius arm design in itself isn't the flexyist thing in the world.

For the brackets, what you could do is draw up some prints and have a metal shop cut them. One of the places in Anchorage did waterjet cutting, it wasn't super expensive, and well worth it. Or invest in a torch or plasma cutter.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
11-28-2005, 02:26 AM
Kraga....

I'm not defending Rock Control or anything... on my setup though, I find the back flexes really nice. What limits my setup is the shocks and the UCA would hit the floor if I didn't run bumpstops.

The front binds some... more than I'd like. 1 problem, I don't know if anyone every really noticed is the LCA brackets on the stock axles point in some. Now with the long arms, it's not possible to angle the arms very much... so it binds there a bit.
Plus the radius arm design in itself isn't the flexyist thing in the world.

For the brackets, what you could do is draw up some prints and have a metal shop cut them. One of the places in Anchorage did waterjet cutting, it wasn't super expensive, and well worth it. Or invest in a torch or plasma cutter.

do you run 1 or 2 radius arms?

JeepinHank
11-28-2005, 12:20 PM
I chose to re-use my old spring perches, but I decided to build some beefier LCA mounts...

For the Rear LCA Brackets:
Get yourself some 3 x 3 x .25 box tubing. Around 7 or 8" should be plenty.
First make your radius... Using a 3.5" hole saw, cut the box tubing in half - and make the radius for the axle tubes at the same time. You can move your cut postion up / down along the box tubing to increase/decrease clearance. (Depending you your hole saw, you'll probably have to come in from each side to get a complete cut.)

Next, open up one side of the tubing to allow your LCA more travel room... Rotate one of the halves 90*, and using a 2.5" hole saw centered across the 3" side and the 4" side, cut open one side of the tubing. Take your angle grinder or similar cutting tool, and cut out the side of tubing from the 2.5" hole AWAY from the 3.5" radius cut.

Drill the hole for your LCA bolt, smooth all of your cuts, grind the sharp corners, and repeat on the other half of tubing for your other mount.

I know that isn't the easiest thing to read, I'll try to sneak out this evening and snap some pics of everything to help you visualize. I want to say that they took me about half a day to make the brackets, but I'm slow, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to go about doing it. I know I spent a hell of a lot more time trying to cut off those damn spring perches with a 4.5" angle grinder....

Jim311
11-28-2005, 09:46 PM
Call Blue Torch Fab and see what they can do. Their prices are usually reasonable, and if they find the design to be good, they might even start making them on a production basis.

http://www.jeepcrew.com/gallery/albums/album25/brackets1.jpg

http://www.jeepcrew.com/gallery/albums/album25/brackets2.jpg

http://www.jeepcrew.com/gallery/albums/album25/brackets3.jpg


Send them the pics and they might be able to do it for you, especially if you quote RC's old price.

OverkillZJ
11-28-2005, 09:50 PM
Axle mounts and the like would probably be suspensions, huh?

Cue-Ball
11-28-2005, 09:53 PM
I have to admit that RC's parts were BAS ASS!!!!!! Waterjet pieces were slick.

goldensd
12-02-2005, 11:11 PM
I am getting ready to make all of my bracketry for an 8.8 and have been working on a similar thought process as JeepinHank. I think using standard steel sections is the way to go. As with JeepingHank's and probably most aftermarket control arms, my lower control arm mountsneed to be 2.5" wide. So 3x3x.25" tube is a perfect fit. I'm not sure why I haven't found this anywhere, but all I see needing to do is take the box tube and determine its position on the axle (I am planning approx. 1/2" below the axle tube) and use hole saw, plasma, or torch to cut the 3 1/4" hole for the axle. Then determine control arm position and drill that hole. Lastly cut the top side out of the box tube, and you now have a solid mount that is perfectly aligned plus has a built in skid, and will be nearly impossible to bend/damage. The only other addition to this part I want to do is cut a small pie shaped piece out of the front sides to bend up the front a little for an angles approach. Seems that would be super strong, clean, and simple, without any major tools required.

To complicate things, I'm planning on extending this same piece a bit behind the axle to provide mounting and protection point for a triangulated shock setup I am working on, but most would probably just want to cut the tube at the base of the axle.

On the same theory of standard steel shape, why won't some 6"x1/4" C-channel with the 3 1/4" hole cut in the side legs and laid on top of the axle make for simple yet strong starting point for the spring mounts. From there I envision taking some 1/2" bar and cutting a piece that holds the spring in place and then welding a spacer/nut to it and then take a 1/4" piece of plate that fits the lower coil of the spring, bolt it in, and your done.

I know this is probably a simpler idea than reality, but I am excited to get started and make it work. I've got the axle, just need the time.