The idea of Metalcloak is to extract money from uninformed customers. I don't like that truth.
All businesses wanna make money. But they lie about their performance.
In your case, you need to better define your parameters and narrow down what you are wanting to achieve.
What I need is to stop breaking front axles.
What I want is to improve my departure angle, and potentially increase my suspension travel offroad.
The control arms are not creating a bumpy ride. That is a shock issue.
The control arms are not limiting your travel. That is a shock issue.
I can't tell you the exact shocks I have, but they are Old Man Emus. They are definitely the right length for my lift height. That said, I always heard they were a bit firm. I went that way because I was under the impression they were also stronger, and my Jeep is a bit heavier than a TJ, being an LJ with full steel bumpers, sliders, and a larger gas tank.
Would outboarding the shocks help? That's something I wanted to look into as well, depending on if the stretch was happening. Outboarding is for the rear, though. What can I do about the front? Anything?
Depending on what you are identifying as stability, that may be control arms and that is also a shock issue. Understanding which is doing what will help direct your plans on what problems you are trying to solve.
When with a pair of TJs with long arms on Hole in the Rock, they were able to traverse obstacles with less body roll than me. Also, I am not able to go as fast offroad because the ride isn't as smooth for me. Maybe going faster isn't a good thing, but I'm often left behind by people who don't bother to wait.
Your existing wheelbase is a nice amount for 37s. Think long and hard about why you would want to add more.
That's why I'm thinking I should keep my suspension setup and just swap axles and go to 37s. Depending on the axles, if they're good enough for 39s (BFG KM3s don't go past that) I can later regear and stretch, if I find I still want to do that. But that all depends on the axle size, WMS, and what not.
The only reason to go more is my departure angle. Scraping a skid isn't a big deal, but slamming down on my gas tank or my rear bumper is awful. Maybe some of that can be corrected by improving my driving. But that goes back to suspension a little, in that I don't always feel confident in coming off an obstacle sideways, I come off straight to not feel like I'm rolling.
Even if I must swap my gas tank to a smaller 26 gallon, my back end is still longer than a TJ. Yeah, 103" wheelbase is great, but the tub is a bit too long. I don't see how I can correct that without a stretch. Unless I'm just that bad of a driver.
Your belly height of 19" is a bit low for your wheelbase. But if you aren't routinely using the belly skid, then that isn't a significant problem to solve. And that also informs the realities of other performance concerns you may be thinking about, like wanting 40s.
I just measureed, it's just a hair under 19" at the skit, and about 20.5" at the frame. But that's with tires that aren't quite dead, but far from new. That's with a 4" lift, 35" tires, and a tummy tuck that claims 3.5" clearance. Not much more I can do short of more lift or more tire.
You have a real problem with the Dana 30 and your driving style on 35s. So far, that is the only clear problem that needs attention.
It is. But if I'm going to swap axles, I'd might as well make sure they're the ones I want to keep for a long time, and make other adjustments while I'm at it.
That’s a good point. If the front axle strength is the only real issue you’ve had, why not slap a Currie 44 in and keep going.
That's the main issue, but not the only issue. Departure angle kinda sucks.
Or some self reflecting on what we are doing to keep ruining Dana 30s pushing 35s
I bent the LP in Oregon, maybe on a rock garden in Tillamook. I was pretty new to wheeling. Or, it may have been because I exited a fast, curvy highway too quickly in the dark, and slammed into a pothole. Same trip, so I'm not sure.
The HP teeth were probably when I got stuck up to the frame in mud in Moab. Not a good time.
The HP bend was likely Pickle/3D or Metal Masher in Moab.
It's no secret the tubes are weak on TJs. I do my best to wheel appropriately. Maybe I just suck? Or maybe it's bad luck. Or I go on hard trails.
