In the March '10 issue, we squeezed some Dick Cepek 35s on the front of our XJ with a BDS 41/2-inch long-arm lift. Of course, this wouldn't have been possible without our budget bumpstop tricks and the front wheelwell trimming tips. In this issue, we'll show you details of the rear BDS suspension and how we trimmed up the back end of our XJ.
The best way to fit bigger tires and to open up the small rear wheelwells of an XJ is to use the cut-and-fold method. You not only free up more space, but the rounded edge of the wheelwell will keep your tire from getting shredded if it rubs.
How's It Work
After pounding our Patriot Blue XJ both on- and off-road over the past few thousand miles, it's clear that the BDS 41/2-inch long-arm kit with our addition of large bump stops and sheetmetal trimming is just about perfect for 35-inch tires. The Jeep is very stable on- and off-road, even while flat-towing another Jeep. The Prothane coil inserts and long-arm front suspension make blasting down Arizona desert trails enjoyable. Both the front and rear BDS springs are on the firmer side in our experience, and together with the BDS gas-charged shocks the ride unloaded is a touch on the harsh side. We have also never really had the front or rear sway bar connected and the Jeep does not seem to need them. We have noticed very minimal tire rubbing while totally crossed up off-road, but not enough to worry about damaging the tires or body. We originally swapped out the longer BDS greaseable shackles for some stock-length shackles just because the Jeep looked a bit too rear-high for our liking. Now that the suspension has broken in and settled, we may return to the BDS shackles in hopes that they will help smooth out the ride a little. Other things that we would like to play with are some larger bypass shocks that would better help the BDS suspension soak up the bumps when going fast. We may also shorten the front Prothane coil inserts an inch or so now that the suspension is broken in. The Dick Cepek tires have proven to be a good all around tire with good on-road wear and decent traction off-road, although we have noticed some minor chunking after creeping over sharp rocky Arizona trails.
Lifting the rear of an XJ...
Lifting the rear of an XJ is pretty straightforward. The BDS kit includes full leaf spring packs, shackles, shocks and hardware, but we have some tips for adding bump stops that will help our relatively low suspension work with the 35-inch tires. We added these large bumpstops from Daystar (PN DYS-KU09016BK) to the pseudo framerails with self-tapping bolts.
We then welded some 3/8-inch-thick...
We then welded some 3/8-inch-thick steel strap to the stock U-bolt plates to give the bumpstops something to contact with. The holes in the 3/8-inch plate just below the bumpstops will allow us to easily add spacers if necessary to tune the amount of uptravel.
If you live in an area where...
If you live in an area where roads are salted in the winter, then you know how hard it is to remove the stock rear leaf spring bolts. We like to use lots of antiseize when we reinstall these bolts. It makes future removal much easier.
Grease the urethane BDS bushings...
Grease the urethane BDS bushings before installing the leaf springs. Cinch the U-bolts and spring hardware. Once the Jeep is on the ground you can torque the hardware to spec and trim off the excess U-bolts with an angle grinder, cut-off wheel, reciprocating saw, or even a hack saw if you have the time.
The BDS tailshaft conversion...
The BDS tailshaft conversion (PN 124020) is a pretty easy in-Jeep driveway install if you have a good pair of snap-ring pliers. Follow the directions and make sure the fluid pickup line is properly engaged in the pump during reassembly. Once the tailshaft conversion was complete, we found a junkyard XJ front driveshaft that was just the right length for the rear of our XJ.
Make relief cuts up through...
Make relief cuts up through the sheetmetal perpendicular to the rough-cut edge. Make several small relief cuts near the curves of the wheelwell.
Use locking pliers with a...
Use locking pliers with a wide mouth to bend the sheetmetal flat between the relief cuts.
Then use a hammer to pound...
Then use a hammer to pound the sheetmetal flush with the wheelwell. A flap wheel on a 41/2-inch angle grinder works perfectly for removing any burrs. This leaves a smooth surface for the tire to rub on when the Jeep is flexed out. The remaining mini-flare was masked and painted with Rustoleum Hammered spray paint to clean up the final look of the Jeep.
We fit a set of 35x12.50R17...
We fit a set of 35x12.50R17 Dick Cepek Mud Country tires mounted on 17x8 inch Dick Cepek DC-1 black wheels. These tires have worked well in Southeastern Ohio mud, North Carolina rocks, and Arizona desert trails, not to mention all the road miles in between.