There are several manufacturers offering complete kits for your Jeep that are easy to install. You'll need one that provides a full 4" lift to run 33's. Visit your local 4x4 shop for all the available kits and prices.

TJ's will take up to a 31x10.50R15 without a lift kit.

Whether a body or suspension lift is better depends on why you want to lift your Jeep. If you just want larger tires, a body lift will do the job. If you want the opportunity for improved articulation and travel, as well as greater frame to ground clearance, a suspension lift is the way to go.

If your gears are the originals, they're not 4.10's. You could only get 4.10 gears with a 4 cylinder/5 speed combination. The only gears available for a 5 speed I6 were 3.07's. To verify this, jack up both rear wheels, place a chalk mark on both the tire and the driveshaft, then count how many revolutions the tire makes for one revolution of the driveshaft. If you have 3.07's, the tires will turn just a tad over 3 times.

In my opinion, 3.07's shouldn't be in any 4x4 that's actually used off road. A 4.10 gear swap is a good idea regardless whether you install larger tires. The 4.10's will work fine up to a 31" tire, beyond that, go with 4.56 gears.

You can run 30x9.50R15 tires on your stock rims and suspension. You may encounter some slight rub on the leaf springs during very sharp turns. 235/75R15's are about a half inch shorter and are nearly identical in width with the 30" tires, but you won't have any rubbing problems.

I'd recommend a suspension lift if the type of off road driving you do requires it. If your Jeep takes you everywhere you want to go in stock form then a lift is basically pointless.

You could probably do some minor trimming on the back edge of the rear fenders to clear the 35's. This is the cheapest route and it won't necessitate any more suspension mods. That option is entirely up to you though. Once that sheetmetal is cut, you can't put it back. The best option would be a 1" body lift, contact JB Conversions for a kit. The 1" body lift with your 3.5" suspension lift should clear the 35's ithout rubbing.

There's not much lift to be gained with longer shackles, and there are plenty of drawbacks. If you buy shackles one inch longer than stock, you'll only gain 1/2" of lift. For that half inch of lift, you've reduced approach and departure angles, changed the driveshaft angles (rotated the pinion upward on both axles), changed the caster on the front end, and added more stress to the frame due to the added leverage of the longer shackle. Use lift shackles as a last resort and not more than 1/2-3/4" longer than stock.

If you have the factory "Up Country" suspension then 30" tires will fit. If not, 235/75R15's are as tall as you can go.

Sorry, 31x10.50 is as large as you can go without a lift.

I've said before I'm pretty partial to the BFGoodrich All Terrains. I think they deliver much better traction off road than the average AT tire, but you still get exceptional tread wear and low noise levels on pavement. The fact that the BFG's construction is superior to nearly all other radials is added piece of mind whether you're on or off road. Also, a little tip for better traction and even treadwear, don't run your tires at the max inflation pressure listed on the sidewall. Probably 25-30 psi front and 15-20 psi rear will be about right on your TJ. To check this, use a grease pencil to make a mark across the width of the tire. Drive around the block. If the pencil mark is still on the outer edges of the tread, lower your air pressure. The difference in traction will be immediately noticeable.

Generally 2-2.5 inch suspension lifts offer a better ride and greater flexibility than 4 inch kits. Regardless of the height you choose, be sure to get "Softride" or "Superride" (or whatever other catchy name the manufacturer came up with) springs. The point is, avoid the "heavy duty" springs, they are way too stiff.

A replacement carburetor? I'd rather dump the money into an aftermarket EFI kit. The performance, driveability, and efficiency of the EFI should far exceed the capabilities of even the best tuned carb. Holley's Pro-Jection kit is a simple throttle body setup and is a relatively affordable way to get rid of your carburetor troubles for good. The price is around $700. Of course, you could go the high dollar route with the Mopar EFI kit, this basically turns your engine into a newer 4.0L. The asking price reflects the complexity of the kit, around $1800 dollars.

I can't give you a cost estimate on used stock springs, you'll have to call some salvage yards and/or post an ad in our "Want Ads" section. I did find new stock height replacement springs for about $350, but with a little shopping I'd imagine you could get a set for a whole lot less, maybe half that much. Your current shocks will be too long after you install the stock spring packs, they'll have to be replaced. If your CJ has a "dropped" steering arm, it will need to be replaced with the stock unit as well. The good news is you can probably sell all of the lift pieces to offset the cost of the new stock parts.

As far as labor, it's a very simple job. With hand tools and the usual battle with a few stubborn bolts, it will eat up the majority of your saturday. If you've got a friend with huge arms, you might want to invite him to the leaf spring swapping party. There's nothing like like removing and then installing eight U-bolts to make you appreciate air tools.

A 2" spring lift will clear 33's, barely. If you go with the narrow tire on a stock offset wheel, you shouldn't make any fender contact. Going with the smaller lift will generally result in a better ride too.

The shackle lift will change the pinion angle. If you have some vibration problems with the shackles then you'll either have to remove the spring wedges or replace them with ones that aren't as steep. How much affect the shackles have on the pinion angle depends on how much longer they are than stock. I'd consider shackles an inch longer than stock (resulting in half an inch of lift) the absolute max.

Your tire choice is somewhat dependent on your rim width. The TJ's were available with 6",7", and 8" (only with 30" tire package) rim widths. Since your Jeep has 225's, we can rule out the 8" rim. For optimum tread wear on a 6" rim, you'll need to run a fairly narrow tire, such as a 235/75/R15. You could use a 30x9.50R15 on a 6" rim but you'll need to run low air pressure to get even tread wear. On a 7" rim, 30x9.50R15s will work great, 31x10.50R15's on the same rim would again require low air pressure. The largest tire you can use on a stock TJ is a 31x10.50R15.

Superlift makes 6 and 8 inch lifts for your Blazer, Rancho only makes a 4 inch. Skyjacker is the only company I found that makes a 2-2.5 inch lift (what's in a name?). Rocky Mountain Suspension Products (800-521-4908) carries Skyjacker products, they're selling the kit for $275

I was curious if you had noticed this or if you might some recommendations."

Compared to a YJ, the TJ's suspension is very soft. The softer coil springs translate into a better on road ride and better articulation off pavement. If you find the movement of the jeep excessive during acceleration or braking, it could be greatly diminished with a quality set of aftermarket shocks with only minimal loss in ride quality.

I bought a set of Con-Ferr shackles and would hate to have to replace them when I put my lift kit on."

The use of longer shackles does create some adverse affects, but they absolutely do not straighten and ruin the springs. Keep your shackles.

I haven't seen this conversion done on a CJ yet, most people prefer the greater travel potential of the solid axle design. On road handling and ride comfort should be significantly better after the swap though. You might try contacting TSM (303) 688-6882, they build 9" IFS setups as well and may be more willing to help.

Either a 235/75R15 or a 30x9.50R15. They are almost exactly the same width, but the 30" is about half an inch taller.

Yes, replacing the stock springs can help, provided you don't replace them with even stiffer springs. Choose your new springs carefully. Your "heavy duty gas shocks" could also be partly to blame, if they are too stiff, they may not allow the springs to flex enough to absorb bumps. You might consider an adjustable shock instead.

Could the body be rocking on the frame and causing the steering to be affected?"

Sounds like some loose front wheel bearings, you might want to recheck them.

To ensure that absolutely no driveshaft vibration exists, you'll have to lower the transfer case about an inch and rotate the axle pinion upward a few degrees. If you didn't want to lower the transfer case, then you could install a CV style rear driveshaft intead. The affect on steering will be noticeable, you will have some bumpsteer, but it's liveable and you quickly get used to it. Since there are no panhard rod drop brackets included with an add a leaf kit, the rods will pull the axles to the side after the lift is installed, offsetting them slightly. After installing another leaf in the spring pack, you'll have to buy new U bolts and spring center bolts as the old ones won't be long enough. You'll of course need longer shocks too. Most of these things can be fixed, but the real problem is your Jeep is going to ride like a tank, add-a-leaf lifts do not make for smooth riding vehicles. I think you may find it's a lot easier to buy and install a complete 2.5" spring lift then it would be to piece together an add-a-leaf setup.

Body lifts are by far the cheapest, but the difficulty of installation outweighs the cost of a suspension lift. Frankly, since your suspension design is so simple, all the aftermarket suspension lifts are very similar and all very easy to install. Most will consist of new front springs and a lift block for the rear. You'll have to buy longer shocks with the lift, and you should buy a "dropped" steering arm to correct the steering geometry if you intend to lift your Blazer 4" or more. You could easily do all this for less than $500.

I'd go with a small shackle lift just because it's easier to install (and later remove if you want) than a body lift. The only problem with shackles is that you are only moving one end of the spring, which will rotate the pinion up slightly and might cause some driveshaft vibration at higher speeds. If you use a modest lift shackle like 3/8" or 1/2", I doubt there will be a problem.

The only thing the body lift will do is give you enough clearance to add the 31's. There is no other benefit. I realize there's a significant difference in price, but a good 2.5" suspension lift would be a better investment for off road performance.

If the performance of your 4 cyl. with 30" tires is satisfactory for you now, then 31's won't make much difference. If you go any taller than a 31" tire, I'd recommend swapping your stock 4.10 gears for a set of 4.56's to offset the increased tire size.

My main concern is the suspension as I will be increasing it's top speed and want fairly good road holding."

Forget putting an automatic in a CJ2A, the short wheelbase would result in an incredibly short rear driveshaft. Go with a 4 speed manual instead. The suspension won't be the major problem in high speed handling, however, the stock steering would be not only dangerous but just plain scary. Swap out the entire stock setup for a later model power steering unit. Advance Adapters sells a complete kit for the swap.

If I wanted to add room for 36's, could I get away with a spring-over conversion or should I go with a suspension lift, etc? Your knowledge and insights are appreciated!"

I'd recommend contacting Dynatrac (www.dynatrac.com) for your Dana 44. The prices are really fairly reasonable for the incredible amount of labor involved in building a custom axle assembly. I'm unaware of any front Dana 44 assembly that would require only minimal modification to bolt in.

Thirty six inch tires are a bit much on a CJ5, but if that's what you want than go with a 4" suspension lift combined with a body lift; the fabrication, tools, and knowledge involved in properly executing a spring-over are tremendous.

Four Wheel PaAnd rts Wholesalers is advertising the lift you want for 400 with shocks, a dropped steering arm should be added as it is not included with the kit. You can run up to 33" tires with this lift and keep your Currie shackles. An 8000 lb. winch should get you out of any trouble you encounter without any problem. Light bars are fine if you like them, watch out for those low tree branches though.

If you have installed aftermarket one piece axles in your model 20 than you already have a stronger rearend than a Dana 44. The ring and pinion gears in the model 20 are actually larger than that of a Dana 44. The model 20 has developed a bad reputation due to a terrible two piece axle design, once the axles are replaced it's plenty strong for CJ use.

Replacing your front Dana 30 with a 44 would be a nice upgrade. I'd recommend calling one of the numerous custom axle manufacturers, tell them you have a front 44 from a 78 scout, and ask how much they would charge to do the appropriate modifications to fit your CJ5, this stuff should be left to the pros. It may be more attractive to purchase a brand new Dana 44 custom built for your CJ5 than to modify the scout unit.

How much am I looking at for the shackle reversal kit? What are your thoughts on this situation? Oh, I forgot to mention that I have CURRIE greasable shackles on it too. I can still use them with the reversal kit can't I?"

I really don't believe what little benefit is gained in a shackle reversal is worth the cost of the kits on road and especially off road. There may be some handling improvement at highway speeds but nothing drastic. Besides the cost, the other problem with a shackle reversal is that now as your suspension compresses the tire will be moving toward the rear of the vehicle as it moves up, bringing it closer to the fenders rather than pushing towards the front with the stock shackle arrangement.

If you want to soften the ride in your CJ, have a set of custom springs made with the same (or less) lift than your current springs. The expense far outweighs the difficulty in properly executing a spring-over swap.

Your problem is a lot easier to fix than you think. Skyjacker (318) 388-0816 sells replacement coils for your truck that will raise the front end 1.5-2 inches, this should leave you plenty of room for 31's. The coils sell for $115 and are easy to install. You will need to realign your truck afterwards.

Go with 30" tires instead. The 31's with no lift will rub so much as to do more harm than good off road.

The biggest problem in doing a spring-over is the amount of labor and specialized skills involved. You have to be a competent welder and be able to determine exactly where the new spring pads are located so as not to adversely affect caster and driveshaft angles. You are also more likely to experience "axle wrap" with a spring-over as it is placing more leverage on the springs.

The advantage to doing a spring-over is that you don't have to replace your stock springs with usually stiffer aftermarket ones and there is very little materials cost. You will still have to buy longer shocks and a dropped pitman arm as you would with a normal spring lift.

A true mud tire is loud, period. I would guess the Wrangler MT would be a little quieter on dry pavement and resist hydroplaning better than the BFG. Off road I believe the BFG would be superior in all conditions except sand. Which tire you choose depends on your priorities.

"Thanks for your help"

Purchasing new rims is the best way to solve your problem and keep your tires. Buying 15x8 rims with the same offset as the stock rims will help slightly but probably not enough to stop the rubbing. You will need 15x8 rims with greater offset than stock to run these tires. I'd suggest keeping your stock rims and buying a narrower tire.

I feel that BF Goodrich makes the only true all-terrain tire. Most other brands do not have an aggressive enough tread pattern for any true off-road performance. I know from personal experience that these tires perform beautifully in all areas with the exception of extremely deep mud. That's what the BFG mud terrain is for.

A big selling point for me was the construction of the BFG All Terrain and Mud Terrain. Most radial tires on the market have 4 plys in the tread and 2 ply sidewalls. The BFG Mud and All Terrain have 5 plys in the tread and 3 ply sidewalls. I like the idea of some extra protection when I rub a sidewall against a sharp rock.

The all terrain also behaves well on pavement. It is not loud, and I have managed to get 40K+ miles on a set. These tires are extremely popular and for good reason.

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