peep

Gain 2" + below your rear axle lower shock mounts.
My stock shocks were max extended with frankenlift limiting my down travel. Ride quality sucked and shock failure or mount damage was in my future. Use this method for clearance if it suits your lift hardware and applications.
USE JACKSTANDS.
Remove your tires, you will need the clearance when welding.
Remove your shocks from lower mount, tie them back if needed.
Mark each side equally. By zip wheel cutting (you could use sawzall or hack saw) the lower mount midway you have removed the mount bolt section.
Cut back the removed stem section walls by 1/2 to 5/8". They do not need to stick out full lenght of the U-section. Clean mating surfaces free of all rust, paint, dirt, you want to see bright metal for good welds.
Insure your battery is disconnected prior to welding. Get a good ground, I used a clamp and attached the ground there.
This is suspension, you want a quality weld with good penetration. This was done with Lincoln 180, .025 wire, migmix ArCo2 gas on med-hi heat and wire feed. If you are not confident insure someone who can weld is available prior to strarting this project.
Tack weld the U section with mount stem up and onto the bracket still attached to axle. If you are happy with the position weld complete both exterior vertical seams. You can do a little interior at top as there is some clearance for the welder nozzle.
Let cool and rust paint complete.
Some antiseize on the pins / threads and the shocks back onto the lower mount pins, nuts tight. You may have to use your jack to assist the shock to pin alignment.
Wheels back on, TORQUE those wheel nuts, 100 ftlb will be good. Check your fronts while your at it.
A view from the rear shows a cleaner passway below your axle, less to drag on those rut walls or rocks.

Copytech

You are going to get reamed for those lift blocks.

SirLasVegas

was my first thought

peep

Thanks guys, yes I know there are the anti lift block puritans who will point out all the downfalls of the blocks. The blocks are in the photos, and I did expect to see some fallout on those. I did state the lift is of Frankenlift nature. The thread gideline is on the shock relocation. Hi my name is Pete and I am a blockaholic. Admitting my problem is the 1st step to a corrected lift system. I use blocks, I am doomed. I do understand all the pitfalls of the blocks, geometry, torsion, leverage, axle / spring wrap, etc. I have replaced the pinion seal and universals couple times, prior to the wedge blocks. I don't think of the bearing change as a big deal job. Those aluminum blocks are 3 deg, corrects the driveline angle, of course that's when my axle is not trying to do a predicted 360 rotation, lololol. The wedge block is 13/16 thk at midpoint and I offset the bolt head and pin hole 5/8 to shift my axle forward to shove the slip yoke back in a little as driveshaft length remains unchanged from stock. The blocks are 1/4wall x 2.5 x 2.5L I use 5/16 shcs fasteners, the head size is appropriate to the requirments of the locate pin application. The end result of the shock mount adjustment is the Peep is now a sweet ride. The harshness of ineffective shocks is gone, and I have more below axle clearance to boot. I don't have the remote mount camera to create a pinion movement video; but I have had my daughter do a brake stand (realy giviner too)and I observed outside, my pinion (wrap) had minimal rotation, minimal! I've built drag, circle track, and road race cars, I understand the possibilities. So there we have it. We have now talked about blociks, the blocks have been specd for all to see. I have done my homework on the blocks and the net effects on my rig. To each his own. Thanks for the heads up, I probably should have photo shopped the blocks to protect the innocent but what the hey. Lets see what comes up. In spite of the blocks the shock mount relocate can be beneficial to wheelers and that is why I put that up. It's one of those feedom of choice things. I hope discussing the pitfalls will let those who are unblocked make and informed choice. I take no offense on it.

peep

Lol, I was just thinking, once we get past the lift block issue we could pursue the pro's and con's of the wheel spacers.

brookhart63

So what about when your blocks fall out or fail going down the highway and kill a bus full of orphans? Have you researched that? Hell welding coils together for a mud truck is cheap and easy but Im not driving that pos death trap on the highway. Do it right or not at all on a dd.

peep

The Fab Post is for shock mount clearance, not blocks.
I will now state for the record, to all viewers, do not do block lifts.
PS: Ever break a leaf, pop a coil spring, drop a driveshaft? I've had all those items happen over the years. Lost no orphans along the way.

Agent_Oragnge

Hi i'm Pete, and I'm a blockaholic... HAHAH

minus the dead burning orphan babies on the side of the road that is a great way to get an extra couple inches out of stock shocks. i had a shock mount break off at the bolt. o drilled a hole threw it and welded in a grade 8 bolt to replece the old one. works great.

brookhart63

can i still flame you for the wheel spacers?Over all i like the idea for raised shock mounts. I did mine but welded it to the axle tube. This seems like a good way being as i still need to cut my old mounts off

nitro450exp

Hello,

Nice, I would close the bottom.
It will act like a skid and be smooth, also add side to side rigidity.
One good side load and it will fold like a house of cards.

Nitro

Agent_Oragnge

excellent point. box it in and gusset it. great looking out NITRO

peep

Thanks guys for All the feeback, yes flame on me for the spacers.
Some great ideas for upgrade, gussets, (perhaps I could mod further this weekend)- closed for skids, etc, good you used Gr8 fasteners when mount bolt broke off, need that strength.
If you can weld to the axle that would really get some clearance. I was doing this mod with the axle still in the rig. I was unsure of the exact position of my inner lip seal and was hesitant to put too much heat into the axle and possibly damage the seal. If I preping a spare outside of the jeep I will certainly consider applying your approach to get the max clearace.
PS If you see someone wanting to weld coils together let them know the coils will become brittle and will break.
Perhaps I could do a block fab as a seperate thread and see what discussions that generates?

d50

is there any cons to going even higher with that shock stud? like maybe the center of the axle tube so it doesnt hang lower then the axle?

LongArmXJ

nice little mod. . as for the blocks.... im not sure if the issue is that they are alum or just blocks in general? to each their own but blocks are not bad if used in the right aplication and with the right part to correct wrap etc.. stock vehicles come with blocks lol. ive had 2 inch blocks on my jeep for a llllloooooonnnnng tim and wheel very hard. but i have steel blocks and they are welded to the axle! lol.

beepjeep575

great mod, wont say nothin bout the blocks but ur mount mods are an awsome cure for the shocks. i would do that befor trying to put mini blocks on the top of the shock.