I'm doing all my homework on how to go about putting a lift on my zj. Some kits talk about having a T-case drop kit included to eliminate spending the extra $ on new drive shafts. Im planning on going with a 4 inch kit and either way im going to need to do something about my shafts being to short. Is this the proper way to do it? Not sure if its just ok for a zj, or do i need to save for the shafts? Im not looking for a monster rock crawler just getting muddy and some fun in the trails... this is what the add on ebay says word for word.

"Also included in our system is a transfer case drop kit. This is necessary for any lift over about 2" to help avoid purchasing custom driveshafts. While new driveshafts are never a bad idea when you start playing hard.... most folks cringe at the thought of having to spend an extra $700-1000 just for driveshafts when a simple drop kit such as ours will take care of the job just as well."
and this is the link- http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep...yZ33585QQihZ010QQitemZ200108845901QQrdZ1

First of all, I would never advise anyone to install a transfer case lowering kit to fix vibration that resulted from installing a lift kit. It just doesn't make sense to me. You're installing a lift kit so you can run bigger tires so ou can have more ground clearance, and then you're going to negate some of that ground clearance by lowering the transfer case? Can't see it.

First, install the lift kit and see how much vibration you have, if any. Make sure that the front driveshaft isn't rotating, so you know that any vibration is coming from the rear shaft. (The front drive shaft is less likely to vibrate anyway because it's longer and has shallower angles.)

Second, assuming that you have a live (solid) axle in the rear, try a mild set of shims between the spring packs and the spring perches to tilt the rear pig up a little, and see if that corrects the problem.

Third, if the shims don't help, hen spend he money getting a CV joint installed on the front end of the rear driveshaft. If you have one of those t-cases with a slip yoke on the rear tailshaft, then you should insstall a SYE kit first -- that will give you a driveshaft length about 4 inches longer.

Fourth, the other observation I would make is that I have never heard of anyone having to spend $700 to $1000 on a driveshaft for a regular trail vehicle. When I had a CV joint installed on the rear driveshaft of my CJ7, it cost me about $130. That incluyded shortening the shaft a little (the CV joint is longer than a regular U-joint), the cost of the CV joint, the installation of the CV joint, and balancing the completed driveshaft. On mine, the rear U-joint was fine, so that end didn't cost me anything.

Your choice -- cobble it or do it right. If you're short on cash, I'd wait until you've saved a little more and get it done right.

You definately want to stay away from T-Case drop "kits". With a 4.5" lift you will not need it, hell I'm running a 5" lift and get NO vibes until I hit 85MPH+ and even then they are VERY minimum and are probably due to knocking wheel weights off when I go wheeling <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />. The only way I can tell that it vibes is because when I look in the rear view mirror I see the vibes in the images ever so slightly. Also I'm not sure if you're aware of this but the already crappy OEM T-Case linkage on your jeep has attachment points on both the T-Case AND the jeeps body, SO if you lower the T-Case the 1 inch given with one of these "drop kits" you will sevearly bind the already crappy T-case linkage because the attachment point on the body is FIXED and cannot be moved. Try shifting into 4LO with one of these "drop kits" installed and you'll see what I mean. The 4.5" kit they are selling is what is considered a "Front to rear swap" in which you put lift springs in the front and take your OEM front springs an replace your rears with them giving you about 3" inches of lift in the rear, that is why they also throw in the spacers for the rear to make up the difference. You will not get adjustable control arms with this "kit" and those will do more for you with regards to eliminating vibrations than ANY t-case drop because adjustable arms allow you to set the pinion angle on your axles to minimize/eliminate vibrations and will allow you to adjust your axles in the wheel wells to minimize rubbing on the fenders if you're planning on running tires bigger than the stock ones. I would say get a full kit and do it right the first time cause you'll probably spend as much $$$$ if not more going this route <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> ...

HTH,
Fred R.

I just noticed that you might be afraid of having your driveshafts be too short after the lift, I'm running stock shafts front and rear and have never lost the shaft on the trail. I've got plenty of flex and have lost the rear springs a few times but never had the shaft come out of the t-case, I know a guy running ~7 inches of lift on his ZJ with long arms and stock shafts, so you'll be fine.

Fred R.

Thank you for the input. I kinda figured it sounded like cheap sales gimic. I think im going to just wait a little longer and get the kit from Rubicon exp. Little more money but ill be happy in the long run. Thanks