Topic: tire with soa question

[mad mike]

what is the biggest tires i can fit on my 93 tj with a soa kit and what gears will i need to put in my d30/35's

[kamikaze124]

Mike.. You said 93TJ... Its a YJ... As for tire size.. Depends on how much fenderwell you want to cut out, and what kind of springs you want to run..
I am spring over and running waggy springs.. I have comp cut my rear fenders, and I am running 39.5 Iroks. I am also running 513 gears with my 4 cyclinder.. Really could stand to go with 589 gears..  I think the lowest gears you will want to go with running the stock axles will be 488's
Also, the axles are not gonna let you run that big of a tire.
I ran 35" SSRs on my stock axles, But I also broke a few axles as well.
Me personally, I would run 33" tall tires. I ahve several friends who are running this setup, and they have been very successful with it. Very little breakage at all.
33's and 488's will be perfect.. Great on the Highway, and really great on the trail.
If you go springover and only run 33" tall tires, its probaby gonna look alittle goofy.
Anyway, I hope this helps you with some of your question...

Good luck..

[kamikaze124]

Oh yeah... If your willing to cut your rig up, you could put 44" tall TSLs under it.. But the axles would explode  :shock:

[jagular7]

I would suggest that you refrain from doing SOA on the stock axles, get a reputable SUA lift springs, and run 31-33s. Even going to 31's requires a gear change in the axles. 33's you bet it does.
Going to SOA should really require a change in axles for the purpose of using larger tires. Once you get axles that'll handle the tires, then regear and lock (not really necessary but since you are going large for a purpose) to match the engine/trans to the new tire size.
In terms of cost, $1200-1500 for wheels/tires (35" or higher), $3-500 for lift springstrack bar, $500 for SOA setup (steering, brackets, brake lines), $1200 (new gears/lockers/install) and that's if there is no maintenance to do. About the only thing that would be cheap would be the new axles you can get from a run down POS someone wants to sell. Look for late 70's Ford trucks. F250 would be best, but you could work with a Bronco/F150 axles. You can also sell off the rest of the hardware from the truck and get most to all your money back.

[kamikaze124]

You can also run waggy axles , and they are not that expensive... I have ran the waggy axles in mine front and rear.. Now I just have the front waggy in mine with a Dana 60 out back.. As for trac bars take them off... I drive mine pretty often.. No problems.. Leans a bit, but I will take that any day with the added flex. Just find a traction bar you like, and have someone build you one like it.. Got mine done for less than 100.00.. Been running it for 3 yrs... Finally bent the fire out of it on the last wheelin trip.. Will be having a new one built ASAP..  Plus this one will sit up alot higher and out of the way a bit more.

Its like I said in my first post, and what jagular7 said as well.. You can do the 35's with a 3 1/2" lift to a 4 inch lift..  A 2" body lift does not hurt to have either..  

Here are pic of mine with 35's and a 3 1/2" lift and a 2" body lift.


Now, here is a shot of it with lift springs and 35" tall tires..  Way to tall, and very high center of gravity.


Here is what happens when you have a to high of a center of gravity.


Here it is as she sits now.. Waggy springs and a 2" body lift and a wheel base of 105" and 39.5" Iroks.   Much better...

[jagular7]

kamikaze124, when you go that far like you have, you had to relocate the gas tank, remove the back seat, have a lot more cost into the suspension, axles, exterior and interior, get a trailer and truck to tow, etc? So my WAG would be near an extra $25k to get all that together?

(Not that its wrong, but giving someone else an idea based on running much larger tires.)

[kamikaze124]

Depends on how much of the work you can do yourself... I do not have that much in mine.. As for a trailer.... I drive mine almost daily..  But.. I do trailer it to the trail..
Yes, the gas tank has been relocated but the rear seat stays in mine for so the whole family can go along., and the suspension is just a springover.. I did do a shackle reversal on it and have extened the frame.. As for interior.. Mine is stock except for the cage..

But... Mike asked what was the largest tire he could run with a SOA... I explained it to him...  I also mentioned that he would need to go with bigger axles if he was gonna go with larger tires..
I think I covered most of the bases... I also showed him what mine looked like with just 35" tires and Spring Under..

I would suggest that if your gonna spend 25,000 on a jeep, go buy a used Buggy with a V8 and Dana 60's front and rear..

If you are looking for someone to do most of the work for you... Then yes, you can addd up that kind of money real quick.. But if you have some minor skills, you can do alot of it yourself..

 Mine has an atlas II and I have also put an auto trannie in it, and other things you have did not mention, and I still do not have the much invested in mine..  Just gotta shop around, and do what work you can by yourself or with some buddies.. I have some good friends who really have helped me on this thing.


 Now if you want to go for the truck and trailer.. Yeah, You gonna have to go alot more than that.. I went and got a Powerstroke, and a gooseneck..
So now your way out of the 25,000.00 mark..

But before all that.. I drove it to the trail on 35's and like I said .. I still drive it around town and all.. Not afraid at all.. Heck, If my other vehicles were broke.. I would not hesitate to drive my jeep on a 300 or 400 mile trip at all...

No need to blow it out of preportion.. Just like I said.. If I was gonna run 35's... I would stay springunder, or if I decided to go SOA, I would run waggy springs and keep it low...

[kamikaze124]

Oh yeah... The SOA.... That was pretty cheap.. Now if your gonna go shackle reversal and all, Yes, that will start to add up.. But a SOA like I had at first... Cheap... The gas tank is a fuel cell that mounts behind my rear seat... No prob... Cell cost... 100.00...  Custom built Dana 60 rear axle.. Gears and spool and 35 splind shafts  2200.00   Front waggy axle.. Dana 44.. Got mine for 500.00....   Then gears and locker.
You can go one step futher like I did, and put CTM's in it, and warn shafts, and that adds up... But with 35" tall tires.. dana 44 will be fine with the 4 banger..   Got my 35 SSR's for 800.00 MTR beadlocks.. 400.00...
Springs.. 100.00 ... I think you can buy all the gussests and all the mounts to do the SOA for maybe 200.00 .. Then you will need to weld it yourself, or you will have to pay someone..
Shock towers.. Were not expensive at all...  

So see, it depends on if you wanna shop around for deals, or if you want to go buy bolt on things.. The beadlocks were used. The tires were new. The fuel cell was new. The SOA was new. the dana44 was used. the Dana 60 was custom built.. So take your time, and you will be susprised at what you can get for alot less if you shop around.

[jagular7]

kamikaze124
Thanks for the reply and costs. This is exactly what I was hoping to see. I think when a lot of people who are gathering information for large lifts for large tires and really don't know the after effect in doing such work- the amount of money, time and self effort.
Yah, I've shopped myself and think I have a decent wheeler, but not up to the heights as yours. Mine has bolt-ons with a little weld work. The 8.8 had to get the brackets welded on. But removing the axle in the driveway by myself is the type of things I think you are referring to. A lot of my doing was done in the driveway using jack stands, highlift and floor jack. I also had the gears/lockers installed with the axles out.
And Yes, I do have wheeling friends that do sidework. That's the best kind, not only at home but also on the trail.

We should hook up for Disney sometime. I'll let you know when my club is planning to head there. It would be great to see your layout.

[YJmechanic]

it is all in what you want is what it comes down to.  i've my jeep for about 7 years and it grows and changes constantly but i just plan out what all is intailed in changing to a new setup.  i think 35 and sua with the stockers if good for most people and some just need more.  


by the way i need to know how you chopped that thing cause i want to go simular and not sure where to start.

[kamikaze124]

jagular7  That would be great to get to wheel with you.. I think we will be going to Clayton at the end of October or the first of November.. Maybe we could hook up there. I went to Disney earlier this yr.. Was my third time.. I love it..

I know what you mean about the garage thing... I had two jeeps in my garage at one time, and it is a small garage.. 2 car... I was taking the Dana 44's out of one and putting it under mine.. Mostly by myself.. Took my axles out, and his axles out, then put his under mine. The later, I took the Trannie out by myself, and trust me.. No trannie jack would reach my trannie, so I hadd to wrestle it out by myself.. It fell on me, and my wife heard it, and came out to check on me, and was like... Where are all your friends at when you need help ??  Then, I stabbed the Automatic by myself as well.. I am a very determined person..  Actually took a cut off wheel, and started cutting on the rear wheel wells in the garage, and took it from there...  
This is just a labor of love for me.. But don't get me wrong... I have also had some great help like you mentioned from a few really good buddies that could weld and do other fab work.. With out them.. It would have cost me out the rear..

Here are a couple of pic of it at Disney on little Blue and the water falls at the Big Meat Run..







Yjmechanic.. I need you to be a bit more specific as to what your talking about when you say Choppin..  I will help you as much as I can..


Madmike.. I hope I have helped you a bit.. If not, and there is something else that I can help you with, please feel free to ask..

[jagular7]

Oops, sorry about that MadMike. Taking over and all. Where abouts are you? Please fill in the location in the profile that way we could also direct to some local Jeepers we may know in the area.