I'm considering swapping to the 8.25, just looking for some input from others who have done it. What I'm wondering is if I could leave the spring perches over axle and get some lift out of it while I'm swapping them.

 

All 8.25" axles are already SOA.

 

Yes. But I'm wondering if I'd be able to leave the perches over and be able to mount everything up.

 

No additional lift by installing an 8.25" axle. It's already set up the same way your D35 is.

 

parking brake cable is different from the D35 in my 89 to the 8.25 that I installed. The cable is the same I guess, but the end is different, so I have to replace the cable to get the correct ends to have a parking break again. Took me about an hour and a half to do the work entirely by myself.

 

Oh. I thought it might considering the d35 in my comanche is spring under axle. Thank you for the information.

 

I suppose I should state that its in a 1990 jeep comanche

 

I believe the spring perches are narrower on the Comanche. Xj leafs are outside the frame. Mj under frame.

 

That's the sort of info that should've been in your first post!
You'll gain about 4".

 

Haha yeah kinda spaced it since I was posting in the Comanche tech section

 

Always thought the comanches were narrower

 

Yup. Also the shock mounts on the Mj are part of the u-bolt mounting plates.

 

i know of a couple MJ buddies out there that have just made the leaf springs fit to the oppposite application (MJ leaf setup to stock XJ perch's AND ive seen XJ setup to MJ perchs). Not really hearing any big complaints but i will tell you after doing it recently with a junk MJ rear axle to roll an XJ outta my hair... the leaf spring bushings do not look like they would like to be that way for a long period of time. I don't think i'd do it for a DD, but a trail jeep that your trying to be really cheap on? Go with what you feel.

 

FWIW I just worked on a 92 MJ and the guy had an 8.25 and he left the XJ perches. Has wheeled it for 3 years like that. Not sure how he got the pins but I imagine it wasn't all that hard

 

Either do it right or don't do it at all. Members safety is not worth cutting corners. Weld the right perches where they belong. If you can't do the work or are too "cheap" to have someone do it, you're better off staying with your stock axle. In anything automotive, if you want quality upgrades, its going to cost or you have to be good at fabrication yourself. Drivetrains is one of those things you don't want to be cheap on.