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Need a Little specific advice
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=70480
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Author:  tumanator [ Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Need a Little specific advice

So the bolt on SFA kit has me thinking... and that's not usually a good thing. I think I'm going to need a new steering rack soon (the whole bushing issue) and I need to regear and start adding some lockers, well why not do it all at once right?

I'll need to start off slow and easy and probably piece it together a bit at a time, the problem is I'm only a marginal mechanic at best and I can't weld so fabbing together my own project is out of the question. I also can't afford to drop 15k on an axle conversion so I'm not sure if the Rock Lizard kit will work for me.

Should I start looking for a Dana 30 to put in the front? Or should I just go for Dana 44's and replace both the front and the rear, keeping price in mind. Either way where should I be looking for them, meaning, what models of vehicles should I be looking at in the junk yard that'll be compatible. I know there'll be a ton more questions but this is a good start I suppose.

Author:  03CDKJ [ Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

I think everything you are asking is located in the SFA section and it looks like you found that ok... :D
There are only 5 Pages in the SFA section.... I'd go through just about every post in here if I were going to do a SFA.... It will help you pick what is best for what you plan on achieving.


"I also can't afford to drop 15k on an axle conversion so I'm not sure if the Rock Lizard kit will work for me."

The Rock Lizard kit does not include axles so I'm not sure what you mean by this.

I think JJ is running a hp30 up front, look at some of the stuff he's crawled over..... then ask yourself if you NEED a hp44...... :wink:

good luck

MONTANA RULES!

Author:  tumanator [ Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

Well i guess what I'm saying is I'd like to go for the Rock Lizard kit if it's possible for me to do myself (9k if I remember right plus i'm adding in the axle(s) and lockers for the 15k) I'll dig through all 5 pages before I ask anything else and I do remember a "list" being on here a couple years ago I was just hoping someone could give me a good idea for a vehicle to try to pull salvage from.

Author:  tommudd [ Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

A few ways to go , depending on if you want to go full width axles or stay with the narrow like the KJ has now
For example JJs has the standard width ones that the KJ came with. TJKJs has the full width so you may want to start from there those two and work your way out :wink:

Author:  tumanator [ Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

Well what do you think Tom? I've never seen a SFA liberty in action but keeping standard width scares me a bit, when you go as high as you have with a SFA I'm afraid it'll be top-heavy.

Author:  tjkj2002 [ Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

tumanator wrote:
Well what do you think Tom? I've never seen a SFA liberty in action but keeping standard width scares me a bit, when you go as high as you have with a SFA I'm afraid it'll be top-heavy.

I was very concerned with the higher CG,that's why I opted for full width axles.The stock width of a KJ is about 62" front and 60" rear and I'm running 67" front and 65" rear now.I actually feels better now offroad in offcamber then before with IFS but I have alot more flex also.Going with a HP30 also means coilovers have to be used and on a KJ and just don't have near the flex as seperate coil/shock setup like I'm running.I actually have to run limiting straps up front to control full droop so my pinion yoke does not hit the control arms.

Also knowing my KJ is alot heavier then most I opted to use stronger axles.The HP30's use a 1/4" walled axle tubes,the HP44 I'm using has 1/2" walled axle tubes.When ARBSeth still had his SFA KJ he did bend a HP30 with 35" tires.If wanting full width axles find a HP44 and 9" from a '75-'77.5 F100/F150 since the HP44 will have the weld on wedges,all others will have cast wedges forcing you to use the front raduis arm setup from the Ford pickup.Sure going to full widths cost more to start but the parts to maintain them are cheaper as just as easily found then a HP30.

Author:  JJsTJ [ Thu Aug 23, 2012 1:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

I've been more off camber since the SFA w/ "normal" width (actually a little wider front and rear w/ the south american D44 rear and WJ brake equipped front D30) and never felt unstable. IIRC, most of the SFA KJ's have been similarily equipped to mine and AFAIK nobody has flopped one doing some pretty fun and exciting trails and obstacles. That said, you really can't go wrong w/ full widths and they certainly should be more stable but just maybe not necessary for everyone. I have had tons of fun and excitement w/ my setup and it works well. Also, fwiw, allyrand's SFA still uses the 8.25 and no problems so far and it is wheeled often and beat on so that combined w/ a HPD30 out of an XJ is a viable combo.

Author:  JeepBumm68 [ Sat Nov 10, 2012 1:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

lots of different options on what to do. Just go with what fits the budget and what your going to be using it for. I have not updated my SFA thread in a long time, and nor will I till I get all the little things done.

I went FW's like Troy and the jeep even with no sway bars is a nice ride and never seems like its going to flop.

Make sure you have a lot of time and money left over if you are going to SFA your rig

Author:  USAFCOP [ Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

Well, as for the do it your self aspect, I built mine (Second prototype RL Bolt on kit) on a very good incline driveway with no problems.

As for the full or standard width? Up to you, I have ridden in Allyrands and it never felt unstable. Mine is Full width, and it has never felt unstable, but I have had a few pucker factor moments about endo risk as I pushed it out in Moab, and looking at the pictures my back tires did come off the ground :shock: , but I do not know if coilovers in front would have been better or worse.

BL, if you build it right, you will be stable either way. But I think allyrand's is so stable because of the Nth parts he used.

Just go for it, and be sure you have money left over, small things will come up...especially when using used parts. I tried to do mine on the cheap with used parts, but looking at it now, I probably would have been cheaper to buy new axles like Troy did... :banghead:

Author:  RED_KJ_666 [ Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

2 Factors that are commonly over looked are that if you stay with a D30HP up front like mine and a few others, you are going to have to use coilovers to get everything under there and lined up where it needs to be. Then there's #2 which is that if you go with a full width rear axle you will have to get a Dakota digital box to keep your factory speedo working (See TJKJ's Build for Dakota Digital info), both factors add a bit of Cha-Ching to the build tally that is commonly over looked. If you really spend some time (AKA dedicate every weekend to it) at it you can get it built really low too I am down to 5.5 inches of lift and running 35's (Considering dropping to a 33"x12.50 some days tho lol) with about 3" of up travel and the rest droop, I am not running swaybars yet but am working on getting one in place as it's pretty loose with my current spring combo and the narrow axles.

No matter how you look at it building a SAS Liberty isn't cheap or easy especially if you can't do at least some of the work yourself.

Author:  Anchorism [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Need a Little specific advice

RED_KJ_666 wrote:
2 Factors that are commonly over looked are that if you stay with a D30HP up front like mine and a few others, you are going to have to use coilovers to get everything under there and lined up where it needs to be. Then there's #2 which is that if you go with a full width rear axle you will have to get a Dakota digital box to keep your factory speedo working (See TJKJ's Build for Dakota Digital info), both factors add a bit of Cha-Ching to the build tally that is commonly over looked. If you really spend some time (AKA dedicate every weekend to it) at it you can get it built really low too I am down to 5.5 inches of lift and running 35's (Considering dropping to a 33"x12.50 some days tho lol) with about 3" of up travel and the rest droop, I am not running swaybars yet but am working on getting one in place as it's pretty loose with my current spring combo and the narrow axles.

No matter how you look at it building a SAS Liberty isn't cheap or easy especially if you can't do at least some of the work yourself.


Wow.... 5.5"?? That sounds fricken perfect for what im looking at doing!

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