What's Stopping a 6" Lift?

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

I have zero issues with doing a cradle drop. Sure that section won't be getting any further off the ground but everything else will be. What exactly is stopping/preventing a cradle drop?

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2014 5:38 pm

NAMoulton1 wrote:

I have zero issues with doing a cradle drop. Sure that section won't be getting any further off the ground but everything else will be. What exactly is stopping/preventing a cradle drop?

I think the biggest obstacles were the steering and a-arms connecting to the knuckles which we have "solved" lol

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Why not do that same UCA-knuckle fix as the outer tie rod to knuckle fix. We'd need to elongate the bottom so that it can clear the rim but otherwise why can't that work?

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

NAMoulton1 wrote:

What exactly is stopping/preventing a cradle drop?

You not doing it......

Bmxer524 wrote:

I think the biggest obstacles were the steering and a-arms connecting to the knuckles which we have "solved" lol

I like how you put "solved".....made me chuckle a little bit

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:10 pm

NAMoulton1 wrote:

Why not do that same UCA-knuckle fix as the outer tie rod to knuckle fix. We'd need to elongate the bottom so that it can clear the rim but otherwise why can't that work?

Im not sure how safe that would be. The bent tie rod might be stronger and easier to make.

4x4kayak2112 wrote:

I like how you put "solved".....made me chuckle a little bit

Well theoretically we did lol. The problems come down to how feasible, how legal, and how safe it will be. The spacer solves the uca issues, cradle drop helps the CV angles, and bent, elongated tie rods correct steering angles.

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

Bmxer524 wrote:

Well theoretically we did lol. The problems come down to how feasible, how legal, and how safe it will be. The spacer solves the uca issues, cradle drop helps the CV angles, and bent, elongated tie rods correct steering angles.

Basically copy JBA 6" lift (other than the steering)

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Don't see why not since it'll be JBA 4-6" adjustable strut that would be theblift haha.

I agree that a bent inner tie rods would be ideal, but that angle would also be pretty severe for the outer tie rods' ball joint...so the outers would need to be bent to accommodate that too haha.

dac44444 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:22 pm

http://proforged.com/catalog/2014/Ford/Mustang

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2014 7:50 pm

dac44444 wrote:

http://proforged.com/catalog/2014/Ford/Mustang

Something like that could work as well as tubing bent to help steering angles.

4x4kayak2112 wrote:

Bmxer524 wrote:

Well theoretically we did lol. The problems come down to how feasible, how legal, and how safe it will be. The spacer solves the uca issues, cradle drop helps the CV angles, and bent, elongated tie rods correct steering angles.

Basically copy JBA 6" lift (other than the steering)

There's only so many ways to do something lol. We can make it different by making the cradle drop say "LOST" on it :jester:

But seriously, most cradle drops will end up being similar. It's just a matter of how the company goes about the spacers and materials used.

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Could use those ball joints like how a heim joint for the knuckle side but is it legal to keep the heim joint on the rack and pinion side? If not what is necessary for that side? Is it possible to keep the normal inner tie rod set up but have a tube come off in an offset bend to maximize angles and minimize stress?

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Managed to find these

Here: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Chromoly-Bent-Tie-Rod-Assembly-1978-Up-Metric-Inner-Tie-Rod,66166.html?utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=CSEGoogle&utm_campaign=CSEGOOGLE&CAWELAID=1652795600&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=530009170000091967&cadevice=c&gclid=COOOk-ylv8ICFaFr7AodnwMALQ

If we manage to get the brackets like the GM website and then hopefully these can measure it out just fine with enough bend to fit!

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

Un-charted territory

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

4x4kayak2112 wrote:

Un-charted territory

Ain't that the fun in this? Haha

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

NAMoulton1 wrote:

4x4kayak2112 wrote:

Un-charted territory

Ain't that the fun in this? Haha

Fun but expensive

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:11 pm

Comes down to how much are you willing to pay to have 1/2 to maybe 3/4 inches more ground clearance
Is it worth 2-3000 ?

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:17 pm

Bmxer524 wrote:

RCVs will only do so much. You'd hve to test them to see where their limits are. Why bother with a 6" lift when that 6" mark is where they start to bind? You'll have no droop.

Might be easier to do a 1-1.5" cradle drop. I know the driveshaft won't really give too many problems, you might just need a longer one. I honestly don't really know.

After that you can throw in RCVs for the added durability and height. Then bend longer tie rod ends to help alleviate steering problems.

Now the next worry is alignment. 3.5" is the limit for normal shops, ~4" for good shops that will take the time to get it in. If it's a trail rig, positive camber isn't a big worry, but if you want a DD then you'll start eating tires. Idk about you guys but I not like the tuners that just want to be "hella flush" eating through tires every few months lol.

You sure won't give too many problems ?

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

For the cradle drop you would have to drop the tranny cross member by the same amount in order to keep your pinion angle correct.

And Tom is right. Even with 6" lift you will be able to fit 33s, maybe strong maybe 34s with alot of work.

carlosburitica · **Joined:** Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:07 pm **Posts:** 309

I said it 100 times

You don't need to go bigger to have and off-road capable vehicle . Trust Me that a twin locked kk on 32", 4.51 gears, 4" lift wig property adjusted track bars and links and the right tire can take you were some jku running 35's and looking mad a big won't.

Just I know most of the people just want to look big and sure their rigs barely see an off road trail.

Many things to be done on a kk before thinking on 6" lift and 35's

Just start by re gearing and installing longer track bar and and sway bar links that 90% of the listed kk's haven't done and then talk about expending 3k just to get an extra 1/2" clearance

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

My KJ is at 4" of lift with 32.2s, not locked, and i keep up with the JKs on 35s. Many many days on the trails with my KJ and i have a small list of what i need to be done to it, mainly get the diffs locked.

I dont need any bigger. I have a means to fabricate the knuckle extension and the cradle drop, but i dont need to do it. Heck i can even fab up a new knuckle with a cnc machine out of solid steel. But the cost out weigh the benefit of a inch more of clearance.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Dec 13, 2014 2:38 pm

carlosburitica wrote:

I said it 100 times

You don't need to go bigger to have and off-road capable vehicle . Trust Me that a twin locked kk on 32", 4.51 gears, 4" lift wig property adjusted track bars and links and the right tire can take you were some jku running 35's and looking mad a big won't.

Just I know most of the people just want to look big and sure their rigs barely see an off road trail.

Many things to be done on a kk before thinking on 6" lift and 35's

Just start by re gearing and installing longer track bar and and sway bar links that 90% of the listed kk's haven't done and then talk about expending 3k just to get an extra 1/2" clearance

^^^^^
Yes so right
Plus would need more tha 6 inches of lift to run 35s, THEN of course different front and rear diffs since 4.88s would be marginal even if you did see anyway to run 35s
For every action there is a reaction, with lifts the higher you go, for every inch there are two or three other things that it affects

What's Stopping a 6" Lift?

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