New to the kj scene.

mangano · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 pm **Posts:** 41

I've had my KJ for a few years now and never thought of it as a wheeler. I have had plenty of xj's,a couple yj's and 1 tj and every one of them has been a mild mod project to a full out wallet draining monster! So i've been tossing the idea around of retiring the old kj as a daily driver and start "The build" I already went out and bought a full set of bf goodrich rugged trail 265/75/16 which most kj'ers seem afraid of.....not sure why but it always seems they go 245/75/16. I already trimmed and re-welded the pinch weld flat and fabbed up a plastic cover and it looks good as new(just flat). I know i can get 3/4" out of the clevis, and a simple 2 1/2" daystar kit should be fine. I saw a guy running 265/75/16 on a stock 2002 kj with just the pinch weld "hammered" and he barely rubbed unless turning sharp but then again he didnt wheel his kj. Well all the help and extra ideas you guys can throw at me would be appreciated especially seeing how this is my first ifs build besides an old ranger i lifted 6"susp,3"body but i have not seen the bracket lift for the kj yet....wonder why?

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:53 pm

Its not that people are afraid of 265-75s, but be ready for no power and never using overdrive until you re-gear to 4.10s
Plus with the stock springs you are going to need more than a spacer lift, go for a full OME spring lift with new OME or Bilstein shocks and a couple of tricks to get some extra height
Bracket lift for a KJ?
Do some reading and then come back around with lift questions and what works and doesn't. Trust me no matter what you want to try some one has already done it and know if it works or not :wink:

Also maybe throw on here what year you have, how many miles, where you are would be nice as well

mangano · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 pm **Posts:** 41

Its a 2002 liberty sport (pre-lower ed) with 146,000. I Installed a large trans cooler a long time ago and always ran Lucas in engine and trans because I tow a boat a few times in the summer. It's in perfect condition but I don't care about hacking away at the bumper and fender since this will just be a wheeling toy. So if I run just a 2 1/2 daystar and 1/2" clevis for now and trim I should be okay. I don't want to throw away money on a coil lift seeing how I want to do a sfa conversion this spring. But I do want to test durability before that as well. I'm picking up daystar from summit racing today (yeah I live a few miles from summit racing) and some washers for the clevis. I did a test fit with the 265/75/16 yesterday and they just rubbed a little bit on front inner fender lining and sway bar at full turn....and that's without lift or spacers. I'll post pics when I'm done. I'm fabbing up a front bumper and skids as well,I think you guys will be impressed.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:45 pm

Well since you already know it
Good luck
But its not worth wasting money on a Daystar on a 02 and sagged suspension
You have to remember what happens when you actually drive it down the road and over curbs/ bumps/ holes / hills etc it will rub

mangano · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 pm **Posts:** 41

Actually it hasn't sagged at all and its all factory suspension it still 19.5" front and 20.5" in back measuring from center of wheel to fender. Don't worry if you saw my previous vehicles and my garage (every tool under the sun,torch,welder,more air then id ever need) you would know that I'm no rookie and will make anything out of what I have available. I'll make it right and make it custom if need be, I have more ingenuity in my left ear lobe then most people have in their entire lineage! When someone tells me something isn't possible I make it happen.

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:28 pm

Well first of all welcome to lost and welcome to Tom Mudd he is highly experienced but alittle edgy when it come to the KJ world. And if your palnning on and SFA in spring as long as you don't wheel it to break it the spacer should be fine. Yes it will ride alittle rough but if that doesn't then go for it. But i will tell you one thing spacers really aren't built to be wheeled because they give less then stock and give less droop then stock. Also pictures or it didn't happen goes here there it is simple to post them there is a whole thread explaining how to do it. Also maybe a few pictures of your last few rigs would help up Tom's confidence in you and we all like MODFICATIONS on any Jeep.

mangano · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 pm **Posts:** 41

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ywhWYl ... ata_player

this is a short vid that someone took of me. In the vid I had a 6" Skyjacker with 4" body lift and 38" tsl's factory 4.0 v6 with oil cooler auto trans with b&m shift kit and b&m torque converter (I had trans shop do at second rebuild) trans cooler with dual fan over both coolers. 4.10 gears with lockrights front and rear,roll bar in bed. this was about 75% done. Later in build I went with 2" body and.36's. this is one of my builds that I did 100% of the work besides trans work I. had for two years and was my first ifs . before this I had some Cherokee's and I'll have to dig in my laptop for some pics of those but they weren't that big...4" lifts and 33's 32's something like that. I've had a lot of off road toys and the more I do the more I learn. I'm not afraid to do things out of the box I like being the guy that tries to make the things that don't work.....work. So let me make my own errors Mr mudd and I'll let you remain perfect. Don't condemn others ideas just use a little constructive criticism and you won't be as abrasive sir. I will post pics but I usually use my phone for internet sooo I'll have to figure it out.

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:33 pm

Well depending on the phone photobucket makes and app i use mine all the time. For this exact purpose because I don't own a good camera or time to download the pictures to the computer.

mochodurazo · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:00 pm

mangano wrote:

38" tsl's factory 4.0 v6 with oil cooler auto trans with b&m shift kit and b&m torque converter (I had trans shop do at second rebuild) trans cooler with dual fan over both coolers. 4.10 gears with lockrights front and rear,roll bar in bed.

Welcome.

38's on 4.10 gear?

mangano · **Joined:** Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 pm **Posts:** 41

Yeah 4.10's . I was rolling with factory gearset for awhile till I killed my first trans then opted for turf4.10's.....it was a nice happy medium.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:44 pm

Thanks for the PM, :wink:

berryna · **Joined:** Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:25 am **Posts:** 4

I think you guys will be impressed.

New to the kj scene.

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