1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Suspension Build - A Grand Conversion

7. I figured out how to increase the length of the wheelbase with some minor adjustments and trimming. This was due to the Hanson rear bumper and the ARB front bumper which opened up the wheelwells, allowing better fitment of larger tires. After figuring out what the ride height was going to be, I trimmed the factory gas-tank skid to clear the rear axle's differential.

8. The rear axle required a lot of welding. If you can't weld, don't attempt this. Safety is a major factor with any axle swap. If your axle falls apart at high speed on the freeway, you could die. Have a professional weld up your junk or take a welding class at the local community college.

9. The M.O.R.E. hanger kit worked perfectly. Very little sanding and grinding was needed before welding the bracketry in place. After welding the lower coil mount to the axle, I notched it and then welded in a piece of 1/2-inch steel tubing to hold the coil spring in place. I also drilled a hole in the mount to bolt the factory spring retaining clip in place for additional support. I used the rear factory JK track bar because it fit well and was longer. The longer the track bar the less side-to-side movement the vehicle will have, giving the vehicle more stability. A custom-fabricated double-shear, lower track-bar bracket was used to accommodate the longer track bar.

10. The new front axle's hangers and control-arm mounts lined up almost perfectly with the ZJ. The only major fabrication was moving the upper coil-spring mounts on the ZJ's body. I had to cut them off for the ACOS Pro bumpstops, so I fabricated new upper mounts out of 1/4-inch steel plate and moved the mounting points outward 11/2 inches.

11. The more parallel the track bar is to the drag link, the less bumpsteer the vehicle will have. Using the JKS adjustable front track bar really helped due to the way it's angled. I fabricated an upper drag-link mount similar to a TJ, and made the drag link out of DOM steel tubing. At each end of the drag link I welded threaded bungs. At the knuckle side of the drag link I used the factory rod end from a JK drag link, while the pitman-arm side is a rod end from a TJ. The tie rod came from a two-wheel-drive Sahara JK Wrangler.

12. I used 2-inch-lift Old Man Emu front Jeep JK shocks on the front (PN N196). These OME springs are about 2 inches taller than the factory ZJ spring (PN OME930). Because of the ACOS Pro adjustable spring mounts I couldn't use too tall a spring, otherwise a level ride height from front to rear of the ZJ couldn't have been achieved.

13. I used the factory ZJ brake line on the rear axle after drilling out the banjo holes to fit the new JK banjo bolts. I had to slightly trim (arrow) 1/4 inch of material off the two ridges of metal on the caliper to accept the ZJ brake lines. To hold the line in place on the driver side of the axle I drilled a hole in the track-bar mount and tacked on a nut. I also welded a nut on the lower spring mount of the passenger side. I replaced the front brake lines with extended JK lines.

14. Getting the JK locker to actuate is a two-wire hookup. This is about as easy as it gets. The other two-wire plug can be used for indicator lights for the switches that show whether the locker is on or off.

15. The switch wiring to actuate the lockers is a simple two-wire hookup. I mounted the switches on the side of the transmission's shifter for easy reach. I thought about mounting them in the overhead console but I would have had to run 8 more feet of wire, which wouldn't have been worth the hassle. Mel Wade at Off Road Evolution helped by letting me use his shop, and his technical advice greatly helped me complete this axle swap.

16. Tom Wood's supplied the custom double-cardan driveshafts for this conversion. These are the 1310 series of driveshafts which have proven to be extremely durable over the years. Since I am not running these driveshafts over the rocks day after day, with proper maintenance they should last for years. These shafts came with a stronger pinion flange for the differentials and were balanced, polished, and clearcoated

17. The Grand now has a very comfortable luxury-vehicle performance ride, and I am extremely happy with the JKS and ARB suspension components. The track width on the ZJ went from approximately 58.5 inches to 62.5 inches. I used the factory Wrangler JK wheels and the backspacing is 53/4 inches, which brings the wheels and tires back under the vehicle. The tires protrude only about 11/2 inches beyond the wheelwells. The wheelbase is now 108 inches, compared to the factory 105.9, and I can definitely notice better stability.