The short YJ drive shaft is marginal and you don't know until you try it. Carl said "should". There is no such thing as off road modfications on a budget. Heh.
You really need to address the body mounts before you consider lifting. If they are all rotted, you might want to find a different Jeep to modify.
The YJ (yuppie Jeep) has soft cushy springs to start with, so an add a leaf isn't a bad way to go. You can go to a real truck spring shop where they don't use gold plated tools and think they are selling platinum springs like some 4x4 shops do and get your current pack re-arched, then add or replace one leaf with the pre-tempered and arched add a leaf.
I had this done on the old front springs of my CJ7 in 2000 to match the new arched spring pack I had to put in the back due to busted leafs. In the back they took a stock new CJ spring pack, arched them for 2 1/2" of lift and replaced the first spring down with a generic 'keeper spring' or 'add a leaf' already the correct size and arch.
I have done some serious off roading with a warn HS9000i up front and my spring have held perfectly even for these last 7 years. I also run fully loaded off road to get 'way' back into the bush for a base camp.
Including parts, the new back pack and the keepers, I believe it all cost less than $500.00. That did not include shocks.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06
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