Silver_Truck

So I drove my truck today for the first time since I put the BJ spacers in. I drove it for a total of maybe 20 mins and during that period of time I blew out both inner CV boots and the drivers side outer . I was wondering since seeing that Chris (ToferUOP) blew out both of his right away if this is a constant trend with the BJ spacers...Kevin I'm looking towards you and the others with BJ spacers who have personal experience. It doesn't bother me too much as they have a lifetime warranty on em and as long as I take em in 1 at a time I don't get in trouble for it but its still a pain if I'm gonna have to change em all the time.

yotaman

Get a set of WARN hubs or if you can find them some AISIN.

EDIT: Never mind! I see you have some AISIN.

EDIT 2: I've got BJ Spacers and don't have a problem.

Tofer

time to subscribe to this thread yeah i made the mistake of taking both blowen CVs in and had to buy another one. oh well it was only 70 bucks. i got the new ones sitting in my back seat, just waiting to get aisin hubs.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

One option is to install a front differential drop kit. I've done a few for the early IFS diffs, lowers the diff about 1" to reduce the CV joint angles. Also have a drop kit for the sway bar brkts. If you run a sway bar, it needs to drop to give clearance for the lowered front driveshaft:



Would probably not fit if you are running a rear IFS crossmember or skid plate under the front diff.

Tofer

i got rid of my sway bars a long time ago...do you make the front diff drop kits? and if so how much?

Silver_Truck

I got rid of mine too...how much for the diff drop and how does it work for our trucks Roger?

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Product info and pricing is now available on the 4Crawler Offroad web page:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/ForSale/...shtml#Ordering

sschaefer3

When you put on these ball joint spacers, you are cranking the truck back down to the hight you started with, right.

I put them on this 91 Mini with 350000 miles and the original boots are still doing fine.

We even took it to the Hammers and ran Aftershock. CV angles are stock with BJ spacers and a Procomp 4", all the lift is from the Pro Comp and not from the ball joint spacers.

rocket

iTrader: (1)

Could you elaborate a little more on that Steve?
If i know what your saying, BJ spacers (installed) add no lift because the torsion bars apply downward pressure from the increased control arm distance? What if you were to uncrank the bars a little...would that add any lift from the BJ spacers? Im not looking for gaining any lift from them but more so im just curious if its possible.

Im still trying to figure out why some people are against using them if a diff drop can solve the CV issues.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

It all depnds on what you do to the torsion bars after installing the ball joint spacers. Some folks crank the bars back to retain the same ride height as before with a softer, more compliant ride and more suspension travel. Others essentially leave the t-cars alone (at stock pre-load) and end up with ~1.5" of lift. Others go beyond that and have the bars cranked up more to get additional lift beyond the 1.5" tall spacer.

Up until recently, there was no IFS diff drop kit available, so that was not an option.

KevyWevy

i've had my bj spacers for over a year now and my aisin hubs for probably a year and a half. i've had to replace one cv boot because there was a 1" long tear in it, this was before i put the bj spacers on though. i haven't had a single problem with my cv's so far..... knock on wood. i pretty much have my torsion bars cranked all the way to even it up with my cruiser coils, but there is still a little rake to it.

PAhydrohead

When I installed my BJ spacers I had 190,000 miles on the original CV boots with no problems (still had the ADD hubs). About 50 miles after the BJ spacers, tore one of the outer CV boots. Switched to Aisins the next week and no additional problems with the CV boots so far. My torsion bars are still at their stock setting.

sschaefer3

If you put the spacers on and then lower the truck back down to the high before the spacers, your not going to have any problems.

If you want a lift, but a drop bracket lift kit, if you want to soften up a truly horrid front end, use the ball joint spacers.

If you want to kick it up a notch, use the closs linked air-shocks with the BJ spacers.

I really think the true sue for them is to soften the front end, not to provide lift. With so many 3" to 6" drop bracket kits out there for these trucks, cranking the t-bars is not the way to do it.

Flygtenstein

These are not for lift, Steve is spot on. I installed them, loosened the bars until there was no more thread out and can actually hit bumpstops now.

You must shim out the front bumpstops for extension. It will pull joints apart otherwise. I think that is likely why you inners failed since they are tripod and not CV joints.

I have broken, in some cases catastrophically, every major steering component and several joints in the front of my truck since I installed the spacers on every trip the truck has been on.

Silver_Truck

I have the T-bars at stock height and am a little reluctatn to go any lower because of almost 2" of rake already...this may change as I rework my shackles so I'll probably just wait until then to deal with my T-bars.
Flygtenstein-do you have to shim the stock bump stops? I thought you only had to shim em if they were low pro or cut?

Marc P

I blew both of my inner boots first time out with BJ spacers. I had installed reman axles, and the boots are cheap. I have now gone on at least a dozen trips with OE boots with no problems at all. I do have Aisin hubs, and have relaxed the torsion bars. Contrary to what Adrian and Steve said I did get about an inch of lift over stock. If I add a winch and bumper I will be back to stock height for sure.

Tofer

AHHHHHHHH i was under my truck today trying to find out where my rear diff leak is coming from and i noticed that my pass, diff side boot is torn AGAIN!!! it has less then 200 miles on it, and NO offroad time. i am defently getting manual locking hubs next week, and probably time for a diff drop.

rocket

iTrader: (1)

I think a differential drop for a 2nd gen is a BAD idea.

If you look under there and see how low the diff already is, dropping it 1" would be making it a full on rock target. At factory height, it's at least protected from the front IFS frame brace but if you drop it an inch, your gonna have that much of your differential exposed to the ground w/ no protection.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

The center of the diff will not be dropped a full inch, since the spacers are somewhat rear of the centerline of the diff assembly. And yes, it is a compromise, you are trading off a slightly lower diff for lessened CV joint angles. The diff housing is pretty stout. If you look at a solid axle truck, or even your rear axle, the diff is fully exposed and is the lowest part of the axle. And the idea is generally to put the tires on the rocks and not the diff. Granted, on IFS, if you lift one front tire up and over a rock, the diff may not rise up as much as on a solid axle would, but it should come up some.

rocket

iTrader: (1)

I dont disagree but dropping the diff at all, even a 1/4" would still expose it beyond the the ifs brace. The trade off is'nt worth it IMO. My brace has plenty of small gouges that i perfer being there rather than on the differentail. And in many situations, you can't always keep your diff from hitting a rock or scraping some ground which the brace does a good job of helping (works like a skid plate) whereas if it was your diff getting hit, who knows how long it would be untill.... I just thought people should be aware of this before getting a drop kit.
I'd rather replace CV axels for free like someone mentioned ealier.