Cv shaft angles after lift.

[blown327chevy]

New guy here with some questions I'm hoping some of the guys who've been around can help with. Great site btw. Lots of great info.

Guess a little background about what I have/what I aim to do with it would be appropriate. I have an 06 that I bought as a junk car due to a fairly minor front end collision. It ran great and 4x4 worked so I decided to keep it as a cheap trail rig. I welded the rear diff, removed the sway bars, fabbed some skid plates and a snorkle and beat it all summer long with zero problems. Little beast was surprisingly capable but suffered in the ground clearance department badly. For the last time out I decided to install a crappy ebay type bolt on lift (1.75" front spacer, 1.5" rear) that I had removed from another and some 255/75/17 mud terrains I had laying around on the otherwise stock 130k suspension. It was much more capable and ran around all day until the front driveshaft left the chat and ended my day. However things were not happy. Lots of banging around from the rear shocks which I expected but quite a bit of noise up front as well.

Now that it's getting nice again I pulled it out the other day and stuck a new front driveshaft in it. Upon doing so I noticed the cv shafts bind pretty good when the suspension is unloaded, enough so that the front axle bounces with the wheels pointed straight. I have decided to properly lift it and will be going with 790 fronts (will have an 85 pound winch and around 150 or so pounds of bumper) 948 rears and 4600s on all 4 corners. My main question is will my cv shafts be happy under off-road conditions with this setup? I want them to live for more than one trip...lol. Unfortunately I don't have current height info because it currently has no front fenders or flares but I plan on reinstalling them this weekend for a reference measurement. Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance!

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[klc]

Your CV’s will be happier with a spring lift and those spacers gone.

 

[duderz7]

The spacers were allowing the front to droop far beyond their design. Your future setup will work much better. Oh yeah, you're not winning any blue ribbons with that pig, but it seems you're having fun, carry on. Does it run hot with the cooling system covered?

 

[blown327chevy]

The spacers were allowing the front to droop far beyond their design. Your future setup will work much better. Oh yeah, you're not winning any blue ribbons with that pig, but it seems you're having fun, carry on. Does it run hot with the cooling system covered?

Yes I'd agree that it's not going to win best of show but it is fun. One of the parks I wheel at is in a fairly well off part of town and attracts alot of yuppies with their brand new jeeps/broncos with the best equipment money can buy that will never be used to its potential. The looks I get when I roll in with mine are priceless...lol. I have a show quality dirt toy and truthfully it's a pain in the ass. There is definitely something to be said about just enjoying it and not spending half your life keeping it pretty.

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I figured that the added length from that spacer lift was to blame for my cv issue. From reading it looks like I could go with about 3.5" of lift before the axles start hating life. I'm pretty happy with it height wise now so I figure matching it should be attainable with new springs. As I said I don't have a current lift height but I'd imagine I'm well below that threshold accounting for the sag in my stock suspension. I will get that info before removing what I have for reference.

Believe it or not it doesn't run hot at all. The purpose of that plexiglass is to shield the radiator/trans cooler from mud which was a problematic issue with my last one. Looks like hell but serves its purpose. Had it out on a 90 degree day last year and it ran right at temp all day even at very slow speeds.

 

[tommudd]

Adding extras to get 3.5 inches of lift will not be good.Thats even with JBA UCAs
That said stay at 3 inches or so, at 3.5 you will have spring/ UCA contact on bumps etc

 

[duderz7]

Adding extras to get 3.5 inches of lift will not be good.Thats even with JBA UCAs
That said stay at 3 inches or so, at 3.5 you will have spring/ UCA contact on bumps etc

I can confirm uca spring contact at that height. I've since lowered it a bit and now it doesn't sound like there's someone hiding under the fender notifying me with a gong every time the suspension unloads. I'll possibly be lowering the rear a bit too, just waiting to see what it looks like with the bike rack and 6 bikes after the recent suspension refresh.

 

[Aceofspades]

Trust me. Washing the sand mud slurry mix after my few mud bog runs was hell. It dries like cement in the radiators.
I love what you did. I’d totally do the same thing when one of mine comes off road permanently

 

[WheelNut]

Love the factory airbox relocation! Haha! The proportions of the thing in the side shot are really cool actually. Super short overhangs front and rear and mega tire showing. What are you planning to do for fenders once you get a bumper rigged up?

 

[blown327chevy]

Love the factory airbox relocation! Haha! The proportions of the thing in the side shot are really cool actually. Super short overhangs front and rear and mega tire showing. What are you planning to do for fenders once you get a bumper rigged up?

Honestly the snorkle is one of my favorite "modifications" thus far...lol. I've pushed water over the hood on a couple occasions with zero issues. Why buy the proper equipment when you can use junk that you already have?

I think it looks pretty mean without bumpers as well. The approach/departure angles are pretty awesome without them. I'll probably just reinstall the front fenders after I get the bumper and winch installed as it seems I'll still have plenty of room with 32s. Might put the flares back on also. It really throws the mud and makes wheeling with the windows down an experience.