2004 1-ton TJ Build

[RustyC]

This has been in my head lately. It's been discussed many times before on this board. Trying to find a solution for low ride height, max wheel travel and not cutting the tub for shocks to clear.
This complicated mess or dragging trailing arms on the rocks. 9" axle, 40" link and a 8-6.5 unitbearing as the pivot.

 

[1Sinner]

Also keep in mind if you are planning on a back seat the shocks might poke up through the floor next to it, which can limit the amount of room you have for a seat. Not sure on bavk seat room in an LJ, but it is probably not a whole lot.

You don't say. Lol. Here was my solution in my cj6. I poked em through the floor and made tower covers so i can access the coilovers.

 

[LScout800]

This has been in my head lately. It's been discussed many times before on this board. Trying to find a solution for low ride height, max wheel travel and not cutting the tub for shocks to clear.
This complicated mess or dragging trailing arms on the rocks. 9" axle, 40" link and a 8-6.5 unitbearing as the pivot.

This does not solve trailing arm issues. The reason trailing arms hang down so low is to keep where the shock mounts below the centerline of the tube to prevent it from rolling on the joints/bushings. In order to keep a straight link you must mount the cantalever link to the axle. Smacking a trailing arm on a rock and sliding over isn't bad, especially since they are close to the tire and the axle still hangs down lower.

 

[67StingrayJ]

Also keep in mind if you are planning on a back seat the shocks might poke up through the floor next to it, which can limit the amount of room you have for a seat. Not sure on back seat room in an LJ, but it is probably not a whole lot.

Not planning on running a back seat. Kids are close to grown anyway. By time this is finished they'll be in college.

Definitely don't want the shocks coming into the cab. I'm taking the inner fenders, or as some like to call them wheel wells, all the way up to the bed rail. That's the plan anyway.

I forgot how inexpensive it is to fab in CAD! Thanks God for Onshape!

 

[67StingrayJ]

This does not solve trailing arm issues. The reason trailing arms hang down so low is to keep where the shock mounts below the centerline of the tube to prevent it from rolling on the joints/bushings. In order to keep a straight link you must mount the cantalever link to the axle. Smacking a trailing arm on a rock and sliding over isn't bad, especially since they are close to the tire and the axle still hangs down lower.

I second everything LScout800 is saying. with the shock mounted above the CL of the lower control arm, the shock and arm will want to roll as opposed to compress. The only wat to prevent this would be with some seriously rigid connection between the control arm and the shock.

 

[67StingrayJ]

This has been in my head lately. It's been discussed many times before on this board. Trying to find a solution for low ride height, max wheel travel and not cutting the tub for shocks to clear.
This complicated mess or dragging trailing arms on the rocks. 9" axle, 40" link and a 8-6.5 unitbearing as the pivot.

Out of the box solutions are often criticized on forums. Despite what we're all saying is a flaw in this design, it does solve a problem of having to have the shock poking out the tub. I like the concept. Very Formula 1! I may play around with something like this in CAD just for fun.

 

[RustyC]

A poly bushing would be used at the chassis side of the lower link. After test fitting the shock on the LJ it fits better with the shock pointing forward of the axle vs behind. That would put the push rod attached to the axle housing. That solves a bunch of issues.

 

[RustyC]

This modeling looks good. In my situation the upper towers in blue would not clear the wheel well without cutting. That forced me to lower the mount on the trailing arm or try the cantilever idea.

 

[67StingrayJ]

My jeep is a TJ that I’m stretching to LJ length. I’ve already got a boat load of sheet metal work to do. Might as well do a fender too.

 

[67StingrayJ]

Well folks, it's been a while. I've been on the hunt for a LJ hard top with little luck. Everyone wants a right arm for theirs, or isn't willing to part. Ideally, I could find someone in the Southwest area (I'm in Las Cruces, NM) with a LJ hardtop that I can use for a few hours to get the back half on my jeep with confidence. The ide is just verify I have my measurements right before I weld the back half to the front half.

So... if anyone knows of a LJ hardtop, or anyone is in the Southwest and is willing to lend a hand, I could shell out a few $ to make it worth the while.

 

[67StingrayJ]

Been busy with school, work, kids, etc. Spent about 1 hr every weekend measuring, planning, etc. About 3 months ago I decided to just go for it and cut the TJ, and the new to me back half and splice them together. I messed up big time on my measurements.

The jeep ended up being only 7.5" longer. Supposed to be 15". Don't be afraid to try, even make mistakes. I'm was (am) super disappointed I got this so messed up, but it's not beyond repair.

Yesterday, I Picked up an LJ Hardtop in Phoenix. Will use it to get my stretch just right.

 

[gt1guy]

Mistakes happen. Pisses you off but the world doesn't end. It's metal, you just add more.

 

[fl0w3n]

Mind sharing how you measured (wrong) for educational purposes?

 

[67StingrayJ]

Mistakes happen. Pisses you off but the world doesn't end. It's metal, you just add more.

I ended

Mind sharing how you measured (wrong) for educational purposes?

Over a period of 3-4 months, while working on my PhD, I measured and marked the same point on both jeeps for reference. Then I added 7.5" to one jeep cut but not the other. Typing it out sounds so foolish. But I was convinced after 4 months of looking at it that everything was perfect. I literally recall telling myself that adding 7.5" to the one jeep, and not removing 7.5" off the other will get me the 15" I was looking for.

 

[gt1guy]

You silly PhD guys.

That's a very easy mistake to make. You're basically doing one measurement split between to different locations.

Want to know what will really piss you off. Marking out a part to cut, then loosing track of which side of the line is the part. That results in a perfectly cut out piece of scrap and a destroyed part that you've cut completely through 18 times. Ask me how I know


So I assume you can still get the other 7.5" section to add in?

 

[Wisconsinite]

Want to know what will really piss you off. Marking out a part to cut, then loosing track of which side of the line is the part. That results in a perfectly cut out piece of scrap and a destroyed part that you've cut completely through 18 times. Ask me how I know

The part on the right is correct. The part on the left, I machined the wrong side of the scribe line....... IDIOT. I was wondering why it seemed like the second one was taking so much longer.

 

[Drummer79]

Not planning on running a back seat. Kids are close to grown anyway. By time this is finished they'll be in college.

Definitely don't want the shocks coming into the cab. I'm taking the inner fenders, or as some like to call them wheel wells, all the way up to the bed rail. That's the plan anyway.

I forgot how inexpensive it is to fab in CAD! Thanks God for Onshape!

this looked familiar when I saw the design, so I looked back through the thread about my 1970 chevy and it's very similar to how they did the trucks in at least 69 and 70. I'd have to crawl under mine and take more pics to explain why it doesn't axle wrap, maybe perches that rest on the trailing arms, but anyway check this out 1970 C10 project

 

[gt1guy]

this looked familiar when I saw the design, so I looked back through the thread about my 1970 chevy and it's very similar to how they did the trucks in at least 69 and 70. I'd have to crawl under mine and take more pics to explain why it doesn't axle wrap, maybe perches that rest on the trailing arms, but anyway check this out 1970 C10 project

That's called a truck arm design. It doesn't wrap because the axle is hard mounted to the arms. It actually works really well on the street where there's not a lot of suspension movement. Trying to use it in a long travel suspension would result in binding.

 

[Drummer79]

That's called a truck arm design. It doesn't wrap because the axle is hard mounted to the arms. It actually works really well on the street where there's not a lot of suspension movement. Trying to use it in a long travel suspension would result in binding.

yeah I know what happens when an old school drag racer who just got into jeeps welds up a rear suspension on a TJ
I kept telling him when he axle swapped that he better build a jig or something before welding those links on new axle.. "nah I got this" well yeah every time he got to an obstacle it either didn't flex at all, as if built by legos or something, or it would spit a coil spring out and we'd chase it down the hill and put it back in

 

[67StingrayJ]

You silly PhD guys.

That's a very easy mistake to make. You're basically doing one measurement split between to different locations.

Want to know what will really piss you off. Marking out a part to cut, then loosing track of which side of the line is the part. That results in a perfectly cut out piece of scrap and a destroyed part that you've cut completely through 18 times. Ask me how I know


So I assume you can still get the other 7.5" section to add in?

I bought the GenRight TJ to LJ extension panels. TJ to LJ Body Extension Panels

This is helps explain how bad I goofed.

 

[67StingrayJ]

this looked familiar when I saw the design, so I looked back through the thread about my 1970 chevy and it's very similar to how they did the trucks in at least 69 and 70. I'd have to crawl under mine and take more pics to explain why it doesn't axle wrap, maybe perches that rest on the trailing arms, but anyway check this out 1970 C10 project

That is similar to my design, but I have Upper control arms (UCA). I styled my suspension off of some baja trucks, and Bmxbry9 build below. I would really like too know how other people like their trailing arm setups. Seems like one can get some serious articulation.

 

[67StingrayJ]

posting my current or latest set of numbers for my build.

 

[NDCjeepsmith]

Ooh, I like the visual. Is that a new update to the Calc or did you photoshop it in?

Good idea

 

[67StingrayJ]

Ooh, I like the visual. Is that a new update to the Calc or did you photoshop it in?

Good idea

Just inserted an image behind everything. Copy and paste. Simple. But how about the numbers in the calc?

 

[67StingrayJ]

testing out the latest numbers and their resulting articulation in the model. Will redesign the rear trailing arms some time but for a model, it's good enough for now.

 

[67StingrayJ]

a site worth saving.

King Shocks Replacement Rod Ends (Part #30)

King Shocks replacement lower rod ends for shocks, bypasses, coilovers, air shocks, and bump stops are machined from aluminum and anodized Kings trademark blue color. Made in the USA and available in many different lengths and sizes.

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