with a soa do you need longer driveshafts?

I have a 72 CJ5 has a 2" shackle lift. Strictly mud. If I do a spring over kit do I need longer driveshafts?

 

Yes. You will be adding around 5" more lift to it.

 

Nope, unless you plan on driving itR) R) R)

With a spring over you will also probably need CV joints on the shafts and maybe even need to turn the diff up towards the transfer case.

High5

 

I have done about 15 SOA conversions. Best way is to get new shafts. I have gotten away with the original shaft in the front only several times with saggy wrangler leafs. Rear always needs to be changed. I have also recommended on my other posts to search the yards for used shafts. You can often find shafts from other vehicles that are the right length and have the correct yokes. Much cheaper than having new shafts made. You can also have yours lengthened by a reputable driveshaft shop. While CV joints will work smoothly, I have never "had" to use them and have had many years of trouble free crawling/wheeling. If you do a SOA, I highly recommend removing the lift shakles. Heck, I highly recommend removing them anyway! Remember, if you rotate the diff upwards (rear only!), you need to make sure that the transfer case/drivetrain angle is rotated down the same amount of degrees. If not, you will get serious vibrations.

 

Thanx for the input. Any ideas what shafts fit from what types of vehicles? I'm going to have a buddy of mine help me with this, he know's more what he's doing then I do. You confused be when you said to drop the pinion angle down? Like shim the tcase down? Also are you saying leave the pinion angle the same on the front as stock? Sorry, I'm a rookie.

 

The angle of the pinion shaft of the rear axle ideally should be the same as the transfercase output shaft angle. That is, if you shim the rear housing to increase the rear pinion angle a few degrees, you also need to drop the transfer case (at the crossmember mounting point) the number of inches necessary to have the transfer output angle increase the same number of degrees. You don't want to mess with the front because of the caster angle that is designed into the front axle. If you rotate the front axle pinion up, you are changing the caster angle. This will cause the jeep to turn much easier, but become much more unstable. The more the caster angle is increased, the more the Jeep will want to nose dive into a turn. The wheels will also not want to naturally return to center, which is why caster angle is included. Most Scouts have a positive (rotated forward) caster angle to help compensate for the extra weight of the vehicle to make turning easier. This is why most Scouts are not good road vehicles (among other reasons . . . I do like the older ones though). To rotate the front pinion correctly (and safely), you need to cut the axle tubes and then rotate the pinion. Very costly and not a good home project unless you are extremely skilled, very much a perfectionist, and can weld all types of metals. As for the shafts, I have found that other Jeep shafts can work . . like for 7's, commandos, etc. I have also found Ford truck shafts that bolted right in without modification. Just find the length you need after the SOA and hit the yards with your tape measure. Take a u-joint along if you don't recognize them on sight. Make sure the joints are the same, and find a saft that has a resting length (middle of slip) that fits the bill (or is close) to the length you had measured at home.

 

thank you so very, very much for all your time and knowledge. You've answere all my questions at this point. thanx again.

 

No problemo. Anytime.