Picked Up A 71 For A Buddy Of Mine......

I'm thinking the springs will soften up, with more miles and with some crawling.

 

Shackle angles and length have a huge impact on suspension feel. How do they compare between two Jeeps?

 

That is what he is hoping, but the springs are going to have to soften up quite a bit for the rear shackles to tip out.

 

That's the difference I am talking about. I was able to build in some shackle angle and room for an increase in shackle length if necessary. The Rocky Road shackles are 3.5" on center. After 10 months, the rear's are still pointing forward and the fronts are about straight up and down. Hopefully the upcoming rubicon trip will help. If not we will be moving his mounts to the same measurements as mine.

 

Did he go with the 3-3.5" heavy or the 4-4.5" heavy? In your opinion, would the medium have gotten what he was looking for? Which springs do you have on yours?

And, did you get it up on the trails yet?

 

It just ran the Rubicon (in mostly 2 wheel drive from what I here). Look at this thread
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/rubicon-2019.132199/page-22#post-1499401

 

Steve went with the 3-3.5" heavy which uses the CSO36R springs.
On my jeep I bought the CSO36R springs, ruff stuff brackets and assembled the suspension myself. The only suspension issue I had on the trip was my front shackles inverting when hitting the front shackles on rocks, driving the spring backwards. I will weld a cross bar into the shackles to prevent this. 33" tires would have helped too.
Steve had to drive very aggressive after breaking his front drive shaft. Getting towed up the hills ripped off 1 rear shock mount, bending 1 front shock shaft into a banana shape and putting a dent so big in the other front that it was basically not functional.... He pretty much finished the trip on 1 rear shock. It took a lot of momentum for Jonah to tug him up the hills.

 

One last question, with the 3-3.5" would there be sufficient clearance for 35" tires?

 

Steve is running 33’s and he has the 3” kit. 33’s are the perfect size with his height.
If your putting this on your new 6 I would assume that it’s going to end up heavier than a 5 so with the spring sag the 4” is probably needed for 35’s.
Personally if I were going to go with 35’s I’d go spring over and flat springs; but I don’t want to encourage you to get too deep into this and not be ready to go to the rubicon next year with us.

 

I am really, not a SOA guy. I don't want to run 35's but, the Sierra Trek requires 35" or better, much to my dismay. The 34" I have now I like.

And, that is my plan, to be Rubi Ready next year!!!!

 

We thrashed on Flippers jeep all afternoon and late into the night. Installed the stock rear tank to go with his underseat tank so he can ditch the jerry cans. Then we put cables on his 11" drums and mated them to a forklift E brake handle mounted in between the seats. The repaired windshield frame fit perfect!

 

Pretty sure 35s would require enough lift so the tires never enter the wheel wells. The diameter of the rear opening is about 34" IIRC. Also think you'd catch the front edge of your fenders when stuffed. Rather than lift more, you could run tubing fenders on the front and cut some on the rear openings and it would be ok. TJ flares for the rear are squarish but I recall they work well. Stone in Texas (forgot his screen name) knows something about this... surely others have cut successfully.

Which Sierra Trek requires 35s?

 

The Fordyce Creek run requires 35's.

 

Why ?
Because of water crossings ?

 

Multiple water crossings and terrain. I have several friends that fly through the Rubicon......they have winched their way through Fordyce........

 

The first minute about tells the story.

 

Fordyce has deep water crossings. August is best bet for us little wheel crowd and there is an online guide that tells you the flow rate at any given time so you can judge when you can make it. If you have 33's and are unlucky enough to make it through the water then you have to deal with endless Volkswagen (bus) size obstacles.

 

For Sierra Trek the water volume is turned way down so rigs on 35's can make it through easier. The online water flow rate is called "dreamflows". Fordyce Creek - Below Fordyce Dam - river flow graph
If you look at history for August 2019 you can see where the flow is cut for Sierra Trek.