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LONGHAIR · 06-20-2008, 09:16 AM

Clocking the axles upward sounds simple...and it is on the rear axle. But, there are issues with that too. It changes the angle of the entire driveshaft, but doing so changes the lower u-joint more than the upper. This can cause vibrations. Most of the ones I have seen have the axle tilted to the point where the lower u-joint is actually straight....that is even worse.

The front not only has the same driveline issues, it is significantly more involved to do it. You can't just cut the spring perches off and weld them back after tilting a few degrees. Rotating the entire housing tilts the ball-joints forward, giving you negative caster....bad deal. The housing has to be cut apart and reassembled with only the center section rotated. It still has the same driveline and 'joint angle difference issue.

All of that^^^ is why I recommended the body lift and cut-out flares. They will give you tire clearance w/o the angularity problems. Hi suspension lifts and short wheel-base vehicles are a tough combination. Adding large tires, high horsepower and aggressive driving make all of this worse.

I would ditch the 208 in favor of a 205 rather than spend money on a conversion kit.

06-20-2008, 09:16 AM	#10
LONGHAIR just can't cover up my redneck Join Date: May 2004 Location: Columbus OH Posts: 11,414	Re: Question about lift kits? Clocking the axles upward sounds simple...and it is on the rear axle. But, there are issues with that too. It changes the angle of the entire driveshaft, but doing so changes the lower u-joint more than the upper. This can cause vibrations. Most of the ones I have seen have the axle tilted to the point where the lower u-joint is actually straight....that is even worse. The front not only has the same driveline issues, it is significantly more involved to do it. You can't just cut the spring perches off and weld them back after tilting a few degrees. Rotating the entire housing tilts the ball-joints forward, giving you negative caster....bad deal. The housing has to be cut apart and reassembled with only the center section rotated. It still has the same driveline and 'joint angle difference issue. All of that^^^ is why I recommended the body lift and cut-out flares. They will give you tire clearance w/o the angularity problems. Hi suspension lifts and short wheel-base vehicles are a tough combination. Adding large tires, high horsepower and aggressive driving make all of this worse. I would ditch the 208 in favor of a 205 rather than spend money on a conversion kit. Last edited by LONGHAIR; 06-20-2008 at 09:18 AM.