t_long

After spending ever free minute I've had in the past week working on this 8.8 swap, I'm finally at the point of putting it all back together and of course, more trouble on the horizon.

First, if you plan on doing this, don't be dumb like me and weld the brake line brackets without the axle in the car. I ran into interferences with the U bolts and the soft brake lines.

My bigger problem is the shock tabs. I read and read and thought I had it right but didn't. I welded them just inside the U bolts parallel to the tubes. Seems like no big deal right? Wrong. The shock is meeting the axle at probably a 30 degree angle. Which means I can barely hammer the shock eye into the tab and when I do it's impossible to put a bolt through.

Anyone have experience with this and can offer some advice?

mr white

Cut off and reweld

RoyalXJ

Always weld in shock mounts after the axle is in to get the right angle. It's the fail safe method.

t_long

I had a feeling this was going to be the case. Why do I see al these write ups where the shock tabs are parallel to the tubes then?

RoyalXJ

No idea. Out of the 10 or so times I've done it the axle was always in place so I could get the angle right. This also helps for placement to set the right up and down travel.

Fred/N0AZZ

Guess these are just a few of the reasons "This Dumbazz" kept my Chy 8.25

t_long

To each his own I guess. I felt like I got a pretty dang good deal on my 8.8. Bought it with all new ruff stuff install kit, new (uninstalled) brakes, and it was freshly geared. Isnt the journey is the destination? Haha I won't make this mistake again. Lesson learned.

Fred/N0AZZ

In my post I was only referring to myself and not being a welder or needing a 8.8. No offence meant.

axekick

I just got mine in. I haven't gotten to drive it yet but I also got the RuffStuff Kit. I couldn't find any way to make that shock mount work with the stock shock setup. I bought the Zone mounts. They strattle the U-bolt nicely and mount the shock just like stock except higher. Did your U-bolts seem a little small? Mine did.

t_long

Fred, none taken but thanks for clearing the air!

@axekick

What do your ruffstuff shock brackets look like? Mine were a kind of C shape. I think they will work once I get them at the right angle. My U-Bolts were about right. They fit the way I think the ones on my 8,25 should have if it didn't have rust build up. lol The things I had poroblems with fitment wise were the spring perches (wouldn't hug the axle because of the liffle bumps at the end) and the U Bolt plates (center hole too small for my leaves).

t_long

Alright guys, I have the follow-on to this post. I've got the shock tabs cut off... What is the best way to weld them back on? There's a pic of the tabs that I have below.

I was initially thinking I could weld them where they were, just inside the U Bolts, but clock them at the correct angle to align with the hole, but I'm not sure if they'll work correctly like that. Then I'm thinking I could weld them straight below the shock, but then they will be too long and much further inside the axle. Please help!

Thanks.

tom0826

Those are not the correct ones for XJ's although I've seen them used by welding at an angle. You want
the mounting bolt to be positioned fore-aft like stock.

When I did my 8.8 swap I made shock mounts by cutting a spring perch in half. Then drill out for a shock mounting bolt. I needed to make spacers (washers work too) because the shock body was interfering with the axle tubes. Hope that was descriptive enough.

t_long

Ah so I can still use them how they are. Thanks for the insight! Im planning on keeping them for now since I already have them and have driven the jeep for 2 days without shocks. It sucks. Thanks!

Anyone else have insight on this?

axekick

Sorry for the late reply. Those are the same shock mounts I got in my kit. They seem to be designed so that the shock bolt is parallel to the axle so it would need to be modified to work. I think that the shock bolt should be perpendicular to the axle like stock. That'swhy I went with the ones from Zone. Also, my shock wants to be right where the U-bolt is and the Zone mounts strattle the U-bolt and let the shock mount there. I'll try to get a pic when I'm back out there in a couple days.



I also had to grind the nibs off of the perches but I liked them there because they left a little gap to fill with weld.

marlin65

I ended up buying two pairs and neither was right so ended up joining them together. So you just might have to fab up something that will work.
I just joined the forum, but if you want i can take a picture of mine.