As some may know I am taking the 6" SPOA lift off my Samurai and doing a Jeep YJ spring conversion w/ "missing links" f/r on it. A lot of the things I need I already have so I only had to order a couple of things. Also I am going from the 5.14 t-case gears to a set of 6.5 gears. Also going from a set of 31'' LTBs to a set of 34" LTBs.

I had ordered my parts the Fri. before Easter. Expecting them to get to my door they finally got here!

Well on the 14th I came home from a busy day and found a box on the porch! My parts are in!!!

Brought it into the house and checked it all out.


All's good!


Through the paint booth! Hahahaa!


All painted and ready to go!




Now that the parts are in time to put them on and in the mean time order the t-case gears! Then I'm back in business!!!

 

In the mean time waiting on parts I picked up a set of 34x10.5x15s to put on the Sami when it's together. They'll go on my 15x8" steel wheels. They will work fer now anyway!

Picked them up from a friend! Barely worn at all. Couldn't pass them up!

 

Started on the build process this past Sun. at a friends house! Hopefully its going to be together before to long. Time is he biggest issue for now.

Before pics....



Took the rear shackles off, disconnected the brake lines, disconnected the shocks, removed the springs from the front spring hangers...



Thennn removed the rear axle.


After removing the rear axle we took the stock rear shackles off and hung the new "Missing Link" Shackles. Also mounted the rear front spring hangers.
Stock rear shackle beside the Missing Link setup.


Missing Links hung on the rear and the front spring hangers mounted.



Rear front spring hanger.


Pulled the Sami springs off the rear axle.


The YJ springs I will be using. The fronts are 4 leaves and the rears are 5 leaves.
Rear spring on top and the fronts on the bottom.


Stock Samurai rear leaf spring beside a rear YJ spring. Sami spring on top.


So after fighting with pulling the stock bushings out of all the shackle sides of the YJ springs (the spring hanger sides need to be cut out and boy is that a damn fight.) We replaced the bushings in one spring and went to hang it and found out I put the wrong sleeve in the bushings. I had the damn things backwards. (One sleeve is longer than the other.) So being tired, we called it a day.

All that's left to finish the rear is swap out the bushing sleeves that I had backwards, put the bushings in the other spring, put the sleeves in the right way, cut off old spring perches on the axle, weld on new ones then hang the axle back in place!

I think it was a nice, pretty, productive day being it was a last minute "Hey, wanna start on the Samurai?" kinda thing!

More will be done when time is available. Thanks for looking!

 

Let's race.

 

If I can pick the track!

 

Makes me want to work on mine. You're going to want to relocate shock mounts with the YJ setup. Also watch those rear bumper mount bolts, they might get in the way of the missing links sitting flat on that part of the frame.

 

that low range yj kit looks just like the sky kit... hmm.

looking good, and now that you have the bolts holding the springs to the body for fronts and rears out, and when you finish whatever you plan to do for bushings, the hard work will be done. do you have stock gearing in your axles?

 

Already relocating the shock mounts, just not pictured. Have the Ford shock towers for that.
As far as the rear, I've got a set of bumpstops that will bolt between the bolts and cushion the ML when it hits.
Thanks!

 

It is the SKY kit. I just ordered it through LowRange along with a few extra things.
Yeah, I think getting the damn stock bushings out the YJ leaves is the hardest part of the whole setup.
Yes the axle gears are stock for now. They are locked f/r.
Thanks!

 

I miss my tintop!