Rear pinion angle info?

[Headbarcode]

Final parts just showed up and tomorrow is surgery day. I'm pulling out the 2" Dynatrac lift and am replacing it with the 3.5" Metalcloak springs, shocks, shock relocation brackets, front drive shaft, and rear sway bar links.

What is the preferred rear pinion angle on a JLUR on a 3.5" lift? Also, what are the downsides and affects of the pinion being too high or too low?

Thanks a bunch!

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[Roky]

Final parts just showed up and tomorrow is surgery day. I'm pulling out the 2" Dynatrac lift and am replacing it with the 3.5" Metalcloak springs, shocks, shock relocation brackets, front drive shaft, and rear sway bar links.

What is the preferred rear pinion angle on a JLUR on a 3.5" lift? Also, what are the downsides and affects of the pinion being too high or too low?

Thanks a bunch!

I like it about 2 ish degrees below the driveshaft. That puts it almost in perfect alignment when you mash the gas.

 

[Headbarcode]

I like it about 2 ish degrees below the driveshaft. That puts it almost in perfect alignment when you mash the gas.

Thanks man! I've got a shop with resources and now all parts needed for the switch, just thinking about any holes in my knowledge. Shop is 50 miles away and this can't spill past a 1 day affair.

Your chiming in is very much appreciated!

 

[Roky]

Thanks man! I've got a shop with resources and now all parts needed for the switch, just thinking about any holes in my knowledge. Shop is 50 miles away and this can't spill past a 1 day affair.

Your chiming in is very much appreciated!

No worries brother, you’re gonna love it...

 

[Headbarcode]

No worries brother, you’re gonna love it...

I'm thinking it will ride a little firmer than the Dynatrac, but I don't mind that at all. A couple weeks worth of groceries in the cargo area is enough to make my headlights offensive to oncoming traffic, and I can feel the bumpstops on anything more than light drop offs.

Only part I haven't gotten is bump stop spacers. Figured I'd wait until it was together and see exactly what she wants. I'll also see how heavy handed i need to get with a cut off wheel and the pinch seam.

 

[Roky]

I'm thinking it will ride a little firmer than the Dynatrac, but I don't mind that at all. A couple weeks worth of groceries in the cargo area is enough to make my headlights offensive to oncoming traffic, and I can feel the bumpstops on anything more than light drop offs.

Only part I haven't gotten is bump stop spacers. Figured I'd wait until it was together and see exactly what she wants. I'll also see how heavy handed i need to get with a cut off wheel and the pinch seam.

Are you having shop do it for you, or are you just using shop and doing it yourself?

 

[Headbarcode]

Are you having shop do it for you, or are you just using shop and doing it yourself?

I'm the type of guy that throws warranty to the breeze, to avoid the high risk of a nitwit touching my stuff. Not to say there isn't talent to be found out there, I'm just not interested in searching for it.

I was raised in my father's business of truck and heavy equipment repair from about 6 years old to my mid thirties. Along with turning wrenches, we developed both an in house machine shop and a steal fabrication area. I was the primary on the former and my younger brother handled the latter. I did a lot of pin and bushing work, line boring buckets and payloader center sections, and tool and fixture prototyping. I was pretty damn good at all phases of repair, assorted heavy equipment operating, and machining but i never had a love of it and got burnt out and beaten up after 30 years of it. I parted ways with it 5 years ago to run an unrelated and successful business owned by a great guy I've known for years who is very hands off with it. I visit the old man about once a month at the shop and it's always open for my own personal use.

Wow, didn't mean to babble that much. The shorter version is that I have plenty of mechanic experience, and a tooled up shop that only lacks indoor space to work and a lift, but I'm only 18 months into ownership of my first jeep and first passenger vehicle I've ever modified from fully stock parameters.

 

[Roky]

I'm the type of guy that throws warranty to the breeze, to avoid the high risk of a nitwit touching my stuff. Not to say there isn't talent to be found out there, I'm just not interested in searching for it.

I was raised in my father's business of truck and heavy equipment repair from about 6 years old to my mid thirties. Along with turning wrenches, we developed both an in house machine shop and a steal fabrication area. I was the primary on the former and my younger brother handled the latter. I did a lot of pin and bushing work, line boring buckets and payloader center sections, and tool and fixture prototyping. I was pretty damn good at all phases of repair, assorted heavy equipment operating, and machining but i never had a love of it and got burnt out and beaten up after 30 years of it. I parted ways with it 5 years ago to run an unrelated and successful business owned by a great guy I've known for years who is very hands off with it. I visit the old man about once a month at the shop and it's always open for my own personal use.

Wow, didn't mean to babble that much. The shorter version is that I have plenty of mechanic experience, and a tooled up shop that only lacks indoor space to work and a lift, but I'm only 18 months into ownership of my first jeep and first passenger vehicle I've ever modified from fully stock parameters.

Sounds good brother, anything I can do, just holler........

 

[D60]

I like it about 2 ish degrees below the driveshaft. That puts it almost in perfect alignment when you mash the gas.

I do this w leafs but is there really any wrap w links/control arms?

Regardless, 2 degrees probably ain't enough to cause a problem, although you could probably get away w less w links like our JL's

If you're still running the factory rzeppa (sp?) I'm not sure it much matters at all. If you go to a "real" driveshaft it DEFINITELY matters. On my MC I just set the arm lengths per instructions and forgot it

 

[Roky]

I do this w leafs but is there really any wrap w links/control arms?

Regardless, 2 degrees probably ain't enough to cause a problem, although you could probably get away w less w links like our JL's

If you're still running the factory rzeppa (sp?) I'm not sure it much matters at all. If you go to a "real" driveshaft it DEFINITELY matters. On my MC I just set the arm lengths per instructions and forgot it

I don’t know dude.. that’s how I did mine, no issues. Good point about the links though. I know I had mine dead straight when I put my lift on, and didn’t like the way rear coils looked, had to much of a bow, so cranked it down 2 degrees, coils look a lot straighter , and as you said, with factory driveshaft, which I’m still running, there’s no problem. When I go with Adams ds, I’ll probably let the vibration dictate where I run it.

 

[Headbarcode]

Sounds good brother, anything I can do, just holler........

I pulled an all nighter under the Jeep last night, so I didn't get to wind down on the forum like I originally planned. Just saw your offer. Very much appreciated!

 

[Headbarcode]

I don’t know dude.. that’s how I did mine, no issues. Good point about the links though. I know I had mine dead straight when I put my lift on, and didn’t like the way rear coils looked, had to much of a bow, so cranked it down 2 degrees, coils look a lot straighter , and as you said, with factory driveshaft, which I’m still running, there’s no problem. When I go with Adams ds, I’ll probably let the vibration dictate where I run it.

I went with your 2° recommendation, so if my AC stops working I'll have you to blame. Lol

When doing the first lift, I noticed the same as you did. The rear springs were bowed rearward. I noticed it more, after centering the rear axle in the well. Am I safe in assuming that you also ignored Metalcloak's suggested CA lengths? Their numbers leave the axles further away from the bumpers. I prefer centered axles and if the only cost is a but of pinch seam, so be it.

 

[Roky]

I went with your 2° recommendation, so if my AC stops working I'll have you to blame. Lol

When doing the first lift, I noticed the same as you did. The rear springs were bowed rearward. I noticed it more, after centering the rear axle in the well. Am I safe in assuming that you also ignored Metalcloak's suggested CA lengths? Their numbers leave the axles further away from the bumpers. I prefer centered axles and if the only cost is a but of pinch seam, so be it.

Yeah..... copy that.......I’m sure they error on the side of not cutting any sheetmetal . But sounds like you’re on top f it. I cut my pinches because mr. ocd would not budge on the wheel not centered. Not a big deal for me though lol ...

 

[Roky]

I went with your 2° recommendation, so if my AC stops working I'll have you to blame. Lol

When doing the first lift, I noticed the same as you did. The rear springs were bowed rearward. I noticed it more, after centering the rear axle in the well. Am I safe in assuming that you also ignored Metalcloak's suggested CA lengths? Their numbers leave the axles further away from the bumpers. I prefer centered axles and if the only cost is a but of pinch seam, so be it.

Check out @jlewissystem and @BbyGrlJJ rigs, J did a lot nicer job trimming their pinches than I did. More subtle, I just cut the corner off, lol.

 

[Roky]

I pulled an all nighter under the Jeep last night, so I didn't get to wind down on the forum like I originally planned. Just saw your offer. Very much appreciated!

Did I miss the unveiling.....................

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