Cool, thanks. I'm not sure which (if any) tummy tuck I'll end up going with, looking at GenRight and Savvy currently.
Cool, thanks. I'm not sure which (if any) tummy tuck I'll end up going with, looking at GenRight and Savvy currently.
The only thing about the Savvy that doesn't give me the warm fuzzy is:
Installation Instructions for this product are out of date. Please be aware that other resources like forum guides might need to be utilized.
I dunno, seems kinda weird that they wouldn't update their own instructions.
I just did a tummy tuck “light” by installing a Barnes skidplate. It lifts the transfer case 3/4 inch and increases the ground clearance an inch or more. It is not like the OEM shovel that seems to scoop up dirt. The increase in ground clearance isn’t much but the surface is flat so it should skid over things better. Even with just the 3/4 inch transfer case lift the driveline angles are noticeably steeper but with a 2 inch lift and single Cardan I still have no vibration.
I was leaning towards the Barnes skid plate as well. Hoping for a little extra clearance, a cleaner than stock look, and to keep the headaches to a minimum (preferably non existent). Are you happy with yours?
The only thing about the Savvy that doesn't give me the warm fuzzy is:
Installation Instructions for this product are out of date. Please be aware that other resources like forum guides might need to be utilized.
I dunno, seems kinda weird that they wouldn't update their own instructions.
When you enter the phase for a tummy tuck, you're bound to deviate from any sort of "plan" or "writeup". You should expect some sort of unexpectedness. In my experience with Savvy, my pinion was rotated so far up that the bilstien shock bodies were contacting the coils. In order to fix this, I had to cut the brackets off my axle and clock them to work with the tuck. I was a little upset over it. Nowhere had I seen this mentioned. Over time though I began to realize that this level of modification is not a simple bolt on process. You will have to get creative and possibly spend a bit more money. In the long run though, you will have a jeep that is more capable than most you will see running down hwy or the trail.
This should be the last of your worries. Outdated instructions are far better than no instructions.
Trust me on this one!
I'm trying to plan out my upcoming build on my '05 LJ; assuming I can fund it. And while I'm not planning on doing a tummy tuck at this point, it definitely is something I'd like to do in the future. Which is why I'd like to make sure that the first part of my build won't be wasteful in the future.
So the first is the transmission. I've got the 6 speed manual NSG370. It pops out of first gear if I don't hold it in place, seemed to start after my father got rear ended before I bought it from him. But, it sounds like a somewhat common thing to happen with those trannys too. Anyway, at some time, I'd like to get that fixed. Not high priority for me, though. I thought that you had to drop the transmission to do a tummy tuck, so I figured I'd do them together, to save labor cost. But after looking at it some more, it doesn't look like the tranny is involved at all. Is this true? That way, I can do them independently. Or rather, maybe you have to remove the transfer case to remove the transmission?
Second is the driveshaft. I was hoping to get away with not needing a new driveshaft even with a 4" short arm, being that I have an LJ, but I think I'll just go ahead and do it to be safe. And a SYE, of course. But I gotta wonder, if I do the tummy tuck later on, will the driveshaft I got for the 4" lift still work? I'm hoping so, especially with LJs seeming to be more forgiving in that area. Or, am I just over thinking it?
Thanks.
So, I don't have the space, skill, or tools to do this job. And it's my daily driver, so I gotta get it back as soon as I can. For that reason, I won't be doing the work, and I'll have to go to a shop. Running into these problems and not being able to tell a shop what to expect sounds problematic. But, it is what it is.
The only thing about the Savvy that doesn't give me the warm fuzzy is:
Installation Instructions for this product are out of date. Please be aware that other resources like forum guides might need to be utilized.
I dunno, seems kinda weird that they wouldn't update their own instructions.
First advise to you from an LJ'r that went true this storm.
Tummy tuck is not a simple and cheap project. As difference from the TJ the LJ break over angle and wheel base will require a flatter skid even when 33 to 35" tires are used.
Then,
Determine the tire size first. This will rule any else.
Are you sure 4" short arm lift kit will be enough for what the LJ will be used for?
If decide different then you TT skid maybe part of your new lift or you can get different system if that is the case.
It's no need to drop the transmission to do the TT but it is recommended to removed the TT to install the SYE.
Your current drive shaft will work with the 4" lift until you do the tummy tuck. Then the SYE, new drive shaft and the upper adjustable controls arms are need it.
I will think twice to do lockers at the same time TT is done. Many fellas has vibration issues after re gear, others after the TT and if your LJ end up with this issue then will be little hard to spot the vibes source.
No, you are not over thinking this, in fact it is good because you are getting outside the comfort zone, and you will be there until you ride the LJ back again after the TT is completed.
I had a shop install my Savvy TT. They were not happy about the lack of instructions but once I sent them a forum post and told them it was an easy install, they were able to get it done. If your shop can't roll with the punches and do a little bit of "figuring it out" then find a new shop. Shops that just bolt stuff on and do nothing custom are not the type of shop you want to drop your Jeep off at.
It's a non-issue. You aren't buying for the instructions. What you get is good enough. The forums will fill in the gaps. You are buying the Savvy kit because it is the best (mostly) bolt on option available. It is what it is.
At the end of the day, this is entering into the realm of advanced modifications. A tummy tuck is a modification where you just need to understand what needs to be done. It isn't for beginners. There are too many variables in play to be reasonably covered by a set of instructions. The good news is that Savvy has made most of the process pretty fool proof.
Long arms do not open up the possibilities for larger tires. That isn't what they for. And I'll hazard a guess today the longer arms you are seeing at the Jeep shows are not fulfilling the purposes of longer arms either....
I am a little confused though, that I see a lot of long arm lifts here in WA. At a Jeep show it looked like at least 3/4 of them were long arms. I feel like the consensus here is that short arms are better. But long arms aren't out of the question either; just more costly. And they open up more opportunities for larger tires if I do an axle swap, which I've considered in the far future. But, being my DD, I don't want my Jeep to be too tall.
You didn't have any issues with your drive shaft and 4" of lift? It sounded like it would be okay on the street, but offroad too much articulation it could fall out? Or is that not true?
...
If you are doing a body lift you will be able to lift the tranny, transfer case, motor that much more too and end up with a true flat plate for the skid. Most tummy tucks still leave the skid hanging down a bit.Body Lift
Long arms do not open up the possibilities for larger tires. That isn't what they for. And I'll hazard a guess today the longer arms you are seeing at the Jeep shows are not fulfilling the purposes of longer arms either.
If the coils are falling out, the shocks are too long and or the coils are too short.
If you are doing a body lift you will be able to lift the tranny, transfer case, motor that much more too and end up with a true flat plate for the skid. Most tummy tucks still leave the skid hanging down a bit.
You might look at threads where the owner did a custom transfer case support/skid.
The ultimate goal is to get everything flush with the frame rails.
If you have a plan, I'd do the Body Lift, MML, Tummy Tuck first. That only lifts the drive line 2"-3" and you can run the stock driveline until you do the suspension if this is your DD.A tummy tuck is a cascading project, that's for sure.
If you have a plan, I'd do the Body Lift, MML, Tummy Tuck first. That only lifts the drive line 2"-3" and you can run the stock driveline until you do the suspension if this is your DD.
If you have a plan, I'd do the Body Lift, MML, Tummy Tuck first. That only lifts the drive line 2"-3" and you can run the stock driveline until you do the suspension if this is your DD.