Going for 35 tire need help

6" lift kit, SYE and new drive shaft, wheels and tires. Might not be the best idea depending on your current axles. What model TJ you have?
 
LGR said:
6" lift kit, SYE and new drive shaft, wheels and tires. Might not be the best idea depending on your current axles. What model TJ you have?

Agreed! Upgrade your front end to Dana 44. Skip the body lift. Do it right. If u regear the axles, might as well lock em up....
 

4:88 gears at least. 4" susp + 1" body lift. Don't get the short arm kit either.....go for the long arm. With that high of a lift, you'll be kicking yourself in the ass a few years from now if you get the cheaper short arm.....I know I am! I've driven a friends TJ with long arm and it's night and day how much better it rides than my short arm set up.
 
LGR said:
6" lift kit, SYE and new drive shaft, wheels and tires. Might not be the best idea depending on your current axles. What model TJ you have?

Please excuse me for not responding sooner. I have the tj with 3.73 gear
 
I'm going to piggy back on this thread since I'm in the exact same boat. First question, how long will the stock drive shafts work with a 4.5" lift? I do hit the trails but my plan was to upgrade in stages. Do I need a front more than a rear?

Second question, with a light gas pedal, how long will stock axles live? My friend is running 35" muds on his jeep and with regular maint has not broken anything yet but 1 sample isn't enough for me.

Third question, how bad is the rubbing with a 4.5" lift and 35s? I don't want a body lift for now and will upgrade to high clear fenders later if needed.

I'll have more questions soon, I'm getting ready to do this!
 

I'm going to piggy back on this thread since I'm in the exact same boat. First question, how long will the stock drive shafts work with a 4.5" lift? I do hit the trails but my plan was to upgrade in stages. Do I need a front more than a rear?

Second question, with a light gas pedal, how long will stock axles live? My friend is running 35" muds on his jeep and with regular maint has not broken anything yet but 1 sample isn't enough for me.

Third question, how bad is the rubbing with a 4.5" lift and 35s? I don't want a body lift for now and will upgrade to high clear fenders later if needed.

I'll have more questions soon, I'm getting ready to do this!

You'll rub with flexing with a 4.5" lift and the 35s. Best is to get 6" kit and do it all at once. If you really want to do it in stages you might end up spending more money in the end having to replace the springs, control arms and such from the 4.5 you put in first. Could put in the 4.5 and a 1 inch body to hold you over, Swap out the 6" lift extras and pull out the body lift. 4.5" or 6" I'd say you are much better off going with an SYE and new driveshaft.

I had 33s on my TJ with the 30/35 axle combo and beat on it hard and never had one problem with them. I've seen all different type of axles break on the trails, guess I just had good luck.
 
Do my "stats" not show up when I post (98 TJ with no lift on 31" tires)?

LGR you say SYE and driveshaft...meaning rear driveshaft? I thought the front was the problem shaft no? I'm new to Jeeps, I hate not knowing much!
 
PahlM said:
Do my "stats" not show up when I post (98 TJ with no lift on 31" tires)?

LGR you say SYE and driveshaft...meaning rear driveshaft? I thought the front was the problem shaft no? I'm new to Jeeps, I hate not knowing much!

No your stats do not show on this thread
 

You can run 35s with just a 4.5 lift but you will need to set your bump stops so you don't bury them in your fender wells. You will also need a sye. There is no way around that since a lift like that can drip your rear axle further than the slip yoke could handle. I ran 35s on a 4 inch lift with no problems.
The 30/35 question has been argued to death, with upgraded axle shafts and a truss you make them last even with a locker. But it still would be a question of when, not if your going to break it. For the money you would be better off upgrading to a better axle, a 8.8 or a 44. Oh and yes the front drive line will have to be lengthened as well.
 
Your front axle is a dana 30 and is stonger than the cj,s dana 30. I think you will be fine with the front as long as your not a floor it and go person, use since it is a smallish axle. As for your 35 rear, I agree with the above post completely, its not if you will break the rear, its when?? Up grade your rear axle, get longer front shaft and slip yoke eliminator for the rear.
 
If your a bolt on type person, minimum of 3.5" of lift for 35" tires on a TJ with appropriate bump stops. You can fit 35's on a stock TJ suspension height, but it is not a bolt on type deal and requires longer wheelbase altering the gas tank etc..
 

Fantastic info everyone. Okay some follow ups. First off I hate 8.8" axles...I owned many fords and I don't like c-clips. For the money I would do a 9". I do come from a desert racing background though so it's basically the standard. Any reason more people don't run Ford 9" axles in the rocks?

For the questions. Do you all suggest the million different driveshafts the big companies offer for $300-$400? I used to get mine custom made for our desert trucks and they cost less in some cases.

Lock or leave the front open to make it last? Locker means less wheel spin and in theory less gas pedal (which is my style) but open means less stress on the axles and u-joints. Which in the real world works better for a dana 30?

Oh and I'm leaning at the Rubicon 5.5" kit with triangulated rear (again it fits my desert background better). If I can find the money of course. The other options is 3.5" with 33s until I hate it and move on in a few years.
 
Now why don't you see a lot of Ford 9 inch axles on a jeep? its the width, no standard 9 inch comes in the 51 inch wide axle. So that means custom axle and custom axle shafts. The 8.8 comes in with a 53.5 width so stock shafts could be used, I agree the C-clip is a disadvantage to any axle, but they make a bolt on C-clip eliminator kit for the 8.8.
Drive shaft MFG's...Spicer, Woods, or Bozo down the street, as long as your happy with the work and get what you need it doesn't matter who does the work.

I tell everyone who is buying a locker, always do your front first. Why? you will be surprised on how much the front axle works off road. I have had a selectable locker in my front Dana 30 for 9 plus years. I have punished it on every rock in Moab and never had to worry about it. U-joints will go out on you with or without a locker. If your going to drive the streets of Cali with this jeep go with a selectable type, either cable, electric or air.

As to lifts...why buy two? Doing it in stages means you buy the lift, shocks, drop components and other stuff to fit the 3.5, then turn around and re-buy some of the same things for a 5.5 lift.
Hold off and buy the lift once. It sucks going over the same ground twice.

All jeeps here are a work in progress....99% here dont have 80K to drop on a jeep in one shot. But we all wish lol.
 

I haev a wheeling buddy that has a super 8.8 kit on his 88 rear and runs red label BFG krawlers. we have a bet on when the rear will fail. so far, one season in and it has yet to fail (surprisingly) but it also has me second guessing the strength of a properly built 1/2 ton axle.
 
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