xd lift kit

[jipjip]

hey guys,
i just ordered my re 4.5"xd kit for my yj. my question is, can i use the stock d/s w/ a t-case drop and shims for a while???
or is it too much lift?
the guy at dc4wd told me i required a cv shaft... i have the sye, i just need the shaft, but i have a trail run end of april, and don't know if i can afford the shaft before then.
is it a bad thing to wheel it w/ the stock shaft?? or should i spend the money now, and get the shaft???

 

[JeepinMaxx]

hey guys,
i just ordered my re 4.5"xd kit for my yj. my question is, can i use the stock d/s w/ a t-case drop and shims for a while???
or is it too much lift?
the guy at dc4wd told me i required a cv shaft... i have the sye, i just need the shaft, but i have a trail run end of April, and don't know if i can afford the shaft before then.
is it a bad thing to wheel it w/ the stock shaft?? or should i spend the money now, and get the shaft???

I have been running a 4.5" YJ suspension  lift +1 1/4" shackle lift for two + years with little/no vibe problems

I have a 1" T-case drop and 8 degree shims on the rear springs.

I also have a SYE on the bench and a CV D-Shaft on the way - but it's been no rush because I don't have major vibes now  :wink:

 

[jipjip]

what size shims come in the kit???? do i need to get different ones, or will the ones in the kit work for now???

 

[bobnoxious]

Are you using 8 deg shims to point the pinion up or down? Just curious. Seems like the shims from the lift mfg. usually are just trying to keep the overall operating angle of the shaft lower, with no regard for having equal u-joint angles (if running a standard 2 joint shaft).

 

[NomadJeep]

usually the kits give a 4 degree shim.  which points the drive shaft up.  This is not the correct way for a 2 joint drive shaft being the output of the t-case and the pinion should be on the same plain.  However being the Wrangler shaft is so short, usually they can not handle this angle, even without a lift.  So most companies give you a 4 degree which points the pinion up...  this is not the correct way, however as you mentioned.  The design is the get you to within a spec that will "work", and just slowly decrease the life of a U-joint…

Out of all of the 4" YJ lifts I have done, it seems the correct shim is 8 degrees.  (however, this all changes as soon as you put a SYE on or raise the t-case drop.

I am not sure about what the RE comes with, call them and ask.  If not, RE actually has the best shims out there.  All steel, and be sure to get the new center pins.

 

[jipjip]

my thing is, the guy at dc4wd told me a 4degree shim would be adequate for the sye!!!!
i don't know if a 4 degree shim would point the pinion that high up for a cv shaft to work. is this right??
if not, what degree shims should i get for a cv shaft until i can have time to get my 8.8 in there???

 

[jipjip]

i'm not doing the 8.8 just yet b/c i have a trail run on april 29th in rausch creek, and i won't have the parts by then to be able to put the 8.8 in. when i do install the 8.8, i'm gonna have the spring perches welded on at the proper angle by you detour  :mrgreen:
but for now, i just want to know what shims to use for the d35 for this run to make the pinion point at the t-case so i can run a cv d/s w/o vibes....i am going to be driving this to rausch creek, and want as little vibration as possible. then, once i come back, it's game time on the 8.8.
so what shims should i go w/ for now???

 

[NomadJeep]

Out of all of the 4" YJ lifts I have done, it seems the correct shim is 8 degrees.  (however, this all changes as soon as you put a SYE on or raise the t-case drop.

I am not sure about what the RE comes with, call them and ask.  If not, RE actually has the best shims out there.  All steel, and be sure to get the new center pins.

there is no way that any of us can say it will be this or that... it is a hit or a miss.

Some Jeep take 8, some 6 etc....

As I said before, I have found 8 to be a good shim on many of the YJ lifts I have done.

If you have the money, buy both. (6 & 8 degree) Then you have them.  (first call RE like I said above because I read somewhere that RE already comes with 6 instead of the normal 4 degree)

Now remember, you can put in the 8 and in 1 month it could still be wrong ones your springs start to sag and the angle changes again...  it is allways a crap shoot when it comes to shims.

The best way to do a YJ lift with Shims.

Put the lift on, put the SYE in with the driveshaft.  Then get your measurement, and then spend the 2 hours taking the rear apart.  Then if you do that, you know you put in the right shim.  Either way you look at it, if you put the 8 in from the start you may be pulling it back apart anyway, so just do it write the first time.

(if you do the rear, just snug the u-bolts and measure.  The you can take them apart quick when you need to put the shim in. and you wont have to buy new bolts being you did not stretch them twice.)

When you take the rear apart, you dont have to undo much at all, leave the leafs in the Jeep, with the shackles bolted and all.  Leave the shocks, driveshaft all of it.  Just unbolt the u-bolts, jack the axle a few inches up from the leaf springs, and take apart the center bolt of the spring and swap with the new bolt and shim.

Dont drill out the shim, use a new center bolt through it.  and you can save more work by using a c-clamp and keeping the the leafs all tight and compress to each other.  The you just hit the center bolt out and pop new in... cake.  if not, all the leafs separate, drop and it is a bitch to line then all back up and get the center bolt in.....

 

[jipjip]

thanx for the long reply nomad. you truly are a yj god  :mrgreen:
i got the lift, and the shims say PRO COMP on them????? they are 4 degree shims and are aluminum. so much for the high quality re steel ones huh??
anyway, i think i'm gonna take your advice and put it together w/o any shim first, then measure, and order the shims, and the d/s at the same time. i decided to go w/ the tom woods d/s just so i don't have to worry ever again.
the sye i got was the jb conversions extra shorty one, so i'm probably gonna have a rear d/s over 20"  :mrgreen:
so hopefully vibes will be at minimum.
i got the front of the lift done today!!! took about 2 hours just for the front. funny thing was, the spring bolts and all came out w/o a hammer, cutter, or heat  i was amazed. only took about 30mins for both sides.... now the hard part!!!! those damn brake hoses kicked my ass!!!!!!! the lines were frozen, the brackets wouldn't line up, and the hoses are so long, they rub the inside of the tires 
any fix for this????
thanx for the advice guys. hopefully the rear will go together tommorrow, so i can get my shaft by the end of next week, and be ready to wheel by the end of the month  :mrgreen: