Spring over on a YJ

Muds Jeep

Muds Jeep

Zombie Slayer
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Location
Durham
What are the prose and cons on a spring over? Ive herd good and bad about them. This jeep will be my DD and weekend family trail rig. Thanks for any info.
 
i dont have a yj, but i do have a samurai sprung over on yjs haha....and the best things about them are 1. probly the cheapest way to get a pretty decent amount of lift, and 2. flew sprung over compared to under is a world of deference...one bad thing about it though is axle wrap for sure
 
the minimum amount of lift is like 5 inches and you have to address the issues like steering and driveshaft angles. The leaf springs you use can make or break the whole thing.
 
jdubb said:
the minimum amount of lift is like 5 inches and you have to address the issues like steering and driveshaft angles. The leaf springs you use can make or break the whole thing.
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I was thinking about going with a 5or 6" lift. I may be better off doing the lift and leaving the spring over out of the game.
 
Muds Jeep said:
I was thinking about going with a 5or 6" lift. I may be better off doing the lift and leaving the spring over out of the game.
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A 6" inch lift is going to give you pretty much the same steering and drive angle problems as the SOA. But even with the best leaf springs a 6" lift is going to be stiff and rough riding.

I'd say if you want 6" of lift do some research and do the SOA just be sure not to cut corners especially when it comes to the steering.

Rocky Road offroad makes a pretty simple bolt on SOA kit for YJ's I used their SOA kit for my CJ5 and it was pretty nice. I went with a CV rear drive shaft so I had to cut my rear perches and weld them back on so I could get the pinion angle right. Also they send a Z bar for the steering correction but I would recommend getting a high steer setup. See link with High steer setup the kit is like $1050

http://www.rocky-road.com/yjspoa.html
 
I had a SOA on my old YJ. It wasnt the best setup but i used the factory steering. Made my own packs out of stock yj spring. I even had the half spring on top of the shackle for a yr or so ( Forgot what that was called. ). I honestly thought it was the best lift i had on my Yj. Flexed like crazy, Just watch for spring wrap it can ruin your day.
 
i am currently still modifying my yj. but i have completed the soa part. in my opinion it its the best thing i could have done for the money... it gives you a perfect oppertunity to slap a 8.8 in there. if you research your products. ex. high steer, cv driveshaft, sye, etc. if you take your time and then when you are ready you can drop everything in. as far as the sye goes i just got a second tcase and built it. then when i finally did the soa it was a simple switch. as of now i am running a 6.5"drop pitman arm for the front until i get the money to finish my wj conversion. but it does fine for then. concerning the axle wrap i am fine on the road until i have to put the pedal down on start off. but normal driving its fine. i am also in the process of getting materials for a traction bar which will eliminate that issue. overall if you take your time with it and commit yourself to research every aspect you will really enjoy the soa. i am. you get a whole lot more bang for the buck too.
 
i have been SOA on my YJ for 8 years, theres a bit to it, but not too bad. i have redone mine (they guy who initially did it for me was a joke) and done it on another. i'm real familiar with it. there's a lot to explain, throw some questions/concerns out there and i'll answer them the best i can.

where in NC are you?

EDIT.... just reread my post then read my signature..... i won't BS you! haha
 
jds97Wrangler said:
Rocky Road offroad makes a pretty simple bolt on SOA kit for YJ's I used their SOA kit for my CJ5 and it was pretty nice. Also they send a Z bar for the steering correction but I would recommend getting a high steer setup. See link with High steer setup the kit is like $1050
http://www.rocky-road.com/yjspoa.html
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i wouldn't buy a kit..... no 2 spring over set-ups are the same..... plus you will come out cheaper piecing the lift together versus buying the "bolt-on" kit. and the "Z" bar should be a no-no..... weak link. if $$ is tight, either get the WJ knuckles or JB4x4.com makes a slick little bracket that mounts to the passenger side knuckle that raises the axle end of the drag link reducing and even eliminating bumpsteer.
 
jeepin1995 said:
i wouldn't buy a kit..... no 2 spring over set-ups are the same..... plus you will come out cheaper piecing the lift together versus buying the "bolt-on" kit. and the "Z" bar should be a no-no..... weak link. if $$ is tight, either get the WJ knuckles or JB4x4.com makes a slick little bracket that mounts to the passenger side knuckle that raises the axle end of the drag link reducing and even eliminating bumpsteer.
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I recommended the kit because I have seen a lot of the hack jobs people do when they pinch penny's trying to piece together a SOA. Yes even with the kit you have adjust pinion angles and make steering modifications. The same modifications you would have to made with a 5-6" spring lift. A SOA is no cheaper or harder to do then a comparable height spring lift when done properly. There is one exception and that’s the axle rap issue. But that is drastically reduced with the 8” wide spring perches that come with the kit.

There are advantages to a SOA over a comparable height spring lift though. The main one is ride quality, it is usually pretty close to stock since you are using stock springs Also typically a SOA will flex better than a comparable height spring lift.
 
jds97Wrangler said:
I have seen a lot of the hack jobs people do when they pinch penny's trying to piece together a SOA.
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piecing one together isn't necessarily pinching pennies..... it's more about getting the specific parts you need for your project. one plus of buying perches and all is you remove all perches and pieces below the axletube, less dragging.
now there are plenty of people that have put together thier own kit and it was a hack job, but with good research and attention to detail, a pieced together SOA is great.
 
id second that. and you can get some great deals. like my perches are 8 inches long and are made for durabilaty. i got both frnt and rear for about 60 bucks. reused stock front spring plates to mount sway bar. bought spring plates for the 8.8 for 20 bucks. got some good shocks for 65 bucks. strong shock mount tabs for 99c a pair. my 6.5"drop pitman arm was 50 bucks. and the sye/driveshaft was 400. like i said before all you need for the soa is some commitment and pacience. i can probably get the same deal for anyone else too if needed
 
jeepin1995 said:
piecing one together isn't necessarily pinching pennies..... it's more about getting the specific parts you need for your project.
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Bingo, we never buy kits, as stated before no two vehicles are going to be run exactly the same. Build it and get what you want/need.
Spring over on stock springs is the way to go.
 
So for the experts on SOA here,what is missing from this kit other than I guess shock tabs?I am getting Dangerously close to SOA on my YJ and trying to get best bang for the buck.Where do you get these 8 inch perches people are talking about?What did y'all do,or where can you get the drivehafts from?
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/SuspensionSystems/Product.aspx?part=RE5015
 
Yeah,I was mostly asking from a picture standpoint,like what else is needed?Why do high steer?Do WJ knuckles give you the opportunity to do high steer using your stock steering?I am mostly just trying to pick the brains of people who have done this before,so I don't take my Jeep apart and it sits for 2 months because there is something I wasn't ready for.
 
retroedaddy said:
Where do you get these 8 inch perches people are talking about?
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http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kit...451&t_pl=102879&t_pn=MRE98104&jeep-parts=true

or to keep it on the board:
http://www.barnes4wd.com/product_info.php?cPath=474&products_id=2236

they have them for just about all axles.

you need these for the front so your driver side spring will sit correctly. the perch is designed to "ride" over the edge of the axle housing to keep the springs the correct width at perches:
http://www.mountainoffroad.com/_e/L...af_Spring_Mounts_Fits_2_3_4_axle_diameter.htm

with the steering, i did the JB4x4.com bracket and a 3" drop pitman arm and the steering was PERFECT. zero bumpsteer.

PIC:
ai36.photobucket.com_albums_e50_jeepin1995_Miscstuff_100_0428.jpg




Retro..... when do you plan on doing this?
 
jeepin1995 said:
Retro..... when do you plan on doing this?
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I am trying to get the parts together right now.I am gonna go ahead and do an 8.8 when I have it all apart.Hopefully I will have all the parts in the next 2 weeks.
 
DO I have to measure it and tell him what I need or is there a relatively standard length?
 
you'll have to measure and give them a length. when i got my shaft from them, i called and talked to them about what i needed, 2 days later it was at my door. perfect fit. i think i paid around $250 for an all new CV shaft. i told them i wanted it as beefy as they could practically make it.

here is a pic of it next to my old shaft:
ai36.photobucket.com_albums_e50_jeepin1995_530973603_1875843134_0.jpg
 
retro, like jeepin said, best to measure. Depending on your springs, their condition, differences in rear axle housing, tcase skid height, etc, length can be quite a variable. Best to get one that meets your specs if you are going to the trouble of a SOA setup!
 
i used a company that advertised themselves on craigslist. they sold me a ruggid ridge sye kit and a HD cv driveshaft the length i needed for 400 bucks. i am very pleased with it. the driveshaft is very beefy too. if you need it i have a spair cv that i made from a xj front that works just fine
 
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