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Story by Dave "Rock Wizard" Baker

Readers Rides Showcase
September, 2000

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Joseph Greenway's '87 YJ

A wise man once told me, "Never walk before you can crawl, never run before you can walk, and never run too fast." When it comes to building a trail rig that can handle whatever you can throw at it - this old saying yields true.

Last summer, a young man named Joseph entered my shop. He wanted a trail rig that could get him into and out of places he shouldn't be. I smiled and said, "son, you came to the right place!" Outside the bay door sat a 1987 YJ with a mild bolt-on lift, 33" Boggers, and Dana 44's front and rear. Further inspection revealed a NP435 / Dana 300 combo, numerous trail goodies, and best of all - a Howell fuel injection system installed on top of the stock 4.2 inline six. Now we're talking! This Jeep had the benefit of a strong foundation in which to build upon, and it was now my job to turn Joseph's dreams of an articulate trail rig capable of putting the power to the ground into reality.

We started with conversation. Joseph explained exactly what he wanted out of his Jeep. He rode with customers on trail rides to experience the suspensions on their vehicles, while taking a mental note of likes and dislikes. By taking the time to investigate the various types of custom suspensions available, Joseph and I were able to better plan for his own. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan!

Next we ordered parts. Money was somewhat of an issue, so this had to be carried out very carefully. See, most people fail to understand that while a custom spring-over suspension alone may cost nearly $1600.00, there is more money involved. For example, bigger tires, stronger axles, beefed up drivetrain and much more. Therefore, when we're talking about custom suspensions, it's very important to understand the depth that is involved. Planning is crucial! Joseph decided on a Dana 60 rear-end and a Dana 44 front. 38.5x14.5x15 Super Swamper TSL SX's, steel wheels, 4.11 gears, and Detroit lockers. This made for acceptable running gear. (I wanted him to get a 60 front end.).

The axles were disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. The new gears and lockers were installed and plans for the rear suspension were in order. The axles, however, needed new wheel bearings, seals and brakes. That's another couple of hundred dollars we weren't counting on! Joseph decided on a rear quarter elliptic set-up. Because the suspension will no longer tie-in to the back of the vehicle, weight being an issue, and much needed clearance, Joseph chose to install a fuel cell therefore eliminating the hideous drag can and freeing up precious space. To further this, we designed a custom sub-frame to accentuate the freakiness. The original frame was cut and removed utilizing a plasma cutter towards the center of the vehicle right behind the main floor pan. A tube frame was run along the rear tub to strengthen and reinforce the back end. Later, we would tie in the cage to the rear tube frame and run tubing around the bottom edge of the fenders.

Next, the quarter elliptic springs were made utilizing three types of springs. The main leaf pack is YJ 4" lift springs with an additional stock YJ main leaf. This allowed us to run only three springs instead of the normal many in a quarter elliptic spring pack. We then added a full Chevy main leaf to the top of the pack (cut to length, of course.) Although this looks quite odd, the Chevy leaf is relatively non-weight bearing. It only comes into play when excessive force is maintained by that leaf pack, therefore stabilizing the vehicle in off-camber situations. Custom three-way shackles were designed for the rear of the springs, while the front would connect to the frame with an eyelet bushing. This would allow the springs to literally drop out of the vehicle while the three-way shackles let the springs maintain their natural form with out binding or twisting. "More" articulation was important. "Better" articulation was essential!

The rear springs were installed, the rear axle was trussed and ready, and the links for the four-link were created. For the links, we used 1.25" 1/4 wall seamless tubing and 3/4" heims. The bottom links were sleeved with 1/8" tubing to help prevent permanent bending. The four-link set-up has many advantages. It is able to adapt and conform to many different angles, including pinion angles. Strength and reliability are its strong points. After installation, the angles were set and the links were pre-loaded.

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