• Notice for iPhone users: DO NOT use the image size reduction option when uploading photos to the forum. This causes portrait images to post as landscape. We have added a warning to the image insert pop-up as well.

SOA Set up

Challenger

Challenger

Legacy Registered User
SOA Member
City
Loveland
State
CO
Need some assistance, I'm getting ready to do a spring over on my 8. I have 33's on there now but when I am completly finish I run either 35's or 36's. Should I use the 33's for the set up. IE pinion angle and welding on the brackets for the rear disc brakes and the spring perches or should I see if I can barrow a set of wheels and tires that I will use in the future. I don't see a problem with using the 33's for the set up. So if anyone has done this I would like to here your opinion. Thanks Todd
 
The tires doesn't make any difference on setting up the springs, pinion, etc. I used the old rotted 31" tires that came with the jeep when I did my SOA SRS conversion.
 
You need to decide right now if u want to run a CV driveshaft on the rear...if you do the angle will be different than a single u joint shaft....tires dont matter
 
My opinion: I wouldn't do SOA for just 35s. You can get there a lot easier on SUA. 37s+ it becomes much more reasonable to go through all of that.


That said, these guys have you going the right way.
 
I don't plan to run a rear CV drive shaft. Thats why I want to get the pinoin angle correct before I weld on the new spring perches, I want to elimanate any shims, do not want to use them. I have a spare CJ8 that has 33's on it that I will use for a template to moch up, so my main CJ8 will not be down for any period of time. So I can go play with in the snow, if we get any snow here in Denver.
 
My opinion: I wouldn't do SOA for just 35s. You can get there a lot easier on SUA. 37s+ it becomes much more reasonable to go through all of that.
Click to expand...

I disagree. By going SOA, you remove the springs from hanging down below the axle providing much desired axle clearance without running a larger tire. Well worth a little bit of work.

And going SOA in itself is almost as easy as going with lift springs. It is the High steer, outboarding front springs, SRS, axle swap, etc that usually accompanies SOA conversion that adds the work.

I don't plan to run a rear CV drive shaft.
Click to expand...
Would recommend you look at both options when setting up the pinion angle. By going with the CV driveshaft, it'll rotate the pinion up about 5-8 degrees. This will reduce the driveline angle and help move the driveshaft up out of harms way about 2".
 
ok couple questions

out boarding front springs? what, why, and how? if you dont mind. and is shackle reversal necessary?

cv drive shaft? is this a special order thing? or can you build one from other car parts? if so what has been working good? is it helpful in the front?

and finally, articulating perches???? ok i am really lost.

my wheeling buddy is trying to convince me to do the same. i dont care for my 4.5" homemade body lift. it is going south.

thanks
 
I believe everyone's talking about a 4.5" leaf spring lift, not a body lift. SOA set ups have many drawbacks. I have an SOA with SRS set up on my Scrambler. They aren't highway friendly. I would also agree that a well engineered 4.5" lift such as a Rubicon Express Extreme Duty lift would be easier and cheaper in the long run. An SOA set up is great for offroad but not the first choice for the streets. If your Scrambler will be primarily be used for offroad then SOA is it. But it does require a lot more than moving the springs above the axles. Rear axle rotation is a real concern, steering is also a concern, and drivetrain angles and suspension geometry are also important. They don't build pre-engineered SOA kits for Scramblers. Rocky Road Outfitters is not one either, don't ask. Good luck in whatever you try to do. My Scrambler is used mostly on the street and SOA for me isn't the best choice. I wish I had just spent the extra money and gone to a coil sprung suspension to begin with and I would be happier, but that's just me.
Peter
 
chilly4x4 said:
out boarding front springs? what, why, and how? if you dont mind. and is shackle reversal necessary?
Click to expand...

Outboarding is only needed to run wider than stock axles where the spring perches are farther apart than on the stock axles. Shackle reversal is completely optional and not needed. My thread that Randy linked above shows my outboarding without SRS.

chilly4x4 said:
cv drive shaft? is this a special order thing? or can you build one from other car parts? if so what has been working good? is it helpful in the front?
Click to expand...

CV driveshafts use a different type of joint (a CV joint) on one end and they allow/require you to rotate the pinion on the axle to point at the output of the transfer case. There's a regular u-joint at the axle end and the CV joint is at the tcase. This gets you clearance under the pinion, but it obviously requires that you weld on the perches with the correct pinion angle. This is NOT something you just put on in place of your stock driveshaft.

It's pretty much a new purchase because you'll need the right length and joint types based on the axle/tcase yokes and suspension you run. I'm sure someone somewhere has found one off some stock vehicle and made it work, but you're probably going to be calling Tom Woods.


chilly4x4 said:
and finally, articulating perches???? ok i am really lost.
Click to expand...

Look at his photos, there's an extra shackle between the spring and spring hanger (I think he got his terminology wrong, he meant spring hangers instead of perches) There's a couple aftermarket things like this, but they're not recommended because they introduce numerous other issues (particularly the need for an extremely long slip joint on the driveshaft because of the extreme droop) for a questionable benefit. Teraflex Revolver shackles are one example. Read up on them here and elsewhere and see what the general opinion is before you think about using a setup like that.

chilly4x4 said:
my wheeling buddy is trying to convince me to do the same. i dont care for my 4.5" homemade body lift. it is going south.
Click to expand...

Like ineedajeep mentioned, there's a bunch more to doing an SOA "correctly" than just moving the axle below the springs and it's all those other things that cost $$$ and get complicated.

If you get JP magazine, there's been a couple articles in the past year or so about the pros and cons of SOA and I think one that even said something to the effect that one of the editors who swore by them before was never going to do another one for all the issues they involved.
 
It's pretty much a new purchase because you'll need the right length and joint types based on the axle/tcase yokes
Click to expand...

Front shaft from a Grand Wagoneer, then have it shortened to desired length. Much cheaper than going new. This works fine with the 258 or 4.0, but if you go more hp than that, you may want to look into a heavier shaft. You will also need a CV flange yoke on the t-case, again easily purchased used.

The CV shaft is optional on most lifts. However, I found with the 7" I achieved from my SOA, the standard u-joint shaft was being pushed to the limit so the CV helped reduce the angle.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info

Just to let you know this will be a trail rig only once I do the SOA. I plan on shortening the front axle and setting up the caster angle so I don't have to use degree shims, since ill have the front all apart. I'll run a CV rear axle and I can get the flange for the transfer case. Next time I'm at the junk yard I'll look for a Wagoneer to get the drive shaft. Thanks again for all the help
 
kohldad plaese the fine details

wagoner for front drive shaft. any certain years?

used cv shaft. any more details? out of what and year?

thanks
 
Can't define what year and know that it came from a jeep.

A friend had it laying near his shop and gave it to me.

To find one in your junkyard, I would look for a XJ or Grand. After confirming it is a CV shaft, confirm it is a large diameter shaft and not a pencil size shaft and then finally make sure it is the required length or longer than what you need.

For me, I rebuilt all the joints and had our local driveshaft shop cut it down for $10. Still ended up with almost $100 in the shaft, but that's a lot better than a new shaft.
 
Some of my research on cheap driveshafts...

Older Grand Wagoneers 80-91 used 1310 U-joint CV's on the front shaft.

Old Broncos 78-79 used 1330 CV's on both front and rear shafts.

There are conversion joints available going from 1310 to 1330 and 1330 to 1350.

The CV joints are under more stress than a straight running joint, so using a 1330 CV shaft and then a 1330/1310 conversion joint at the axle end sorta makes sense...
 
great guys thanks

this is great guys. i think i am beginning to understand more. now that's progress. anyways i am looking to do this cheap as possible, i got way more time than money. i found a drive line but $50 from a guy on creigs list just seems steep to me. i know pull apart only would charge $15, if they got one that is. so is it a good buy?
 
I think $50.00 is steep. Go search the u-pull-it yards...something will show up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top