63 inch Chevy leafs on an MJ

[hackedxj]

Any body done this or heard of it. I working on an 8.8 SOA on my MJ. I know axle wrap can be a problem with SOAs. I started fabbing up some brackets for a traction bar but have concerns about too much antisquat caused by the traction bar, especially since I'm not running a bed making the rear light. I know alot of the Yota guys like the chevy leafs, just wondering if they will offer less wrap and better flex than the short MJ pack?
It looks the be an easy swap from my measurements. Looks like I can just basically move the front spring mounts foward the extra distance needed for the chevy pack, while allowing the axle to move foward 1 inch, the distance my driveshaft is short from the axle swap. It looks like by doing this rear spring mount will be perfect where it is. Anybody have any thought on this?

 

[BrettM]

they are good leafs, but the MJ ones are hardly short or bad themselves. I think the 63s will work better, but not significant enough to make the swap worthwhile. You could move the MJ leafs forward an inch pretty easily by just redrilling the front hangar.

 

[slowrider]

Longer leaves are probably more suseptable to axle wrap than shorter ones but if the weight is right they should flex a bit better. Another thing to consider is that MJ springs have a full military wrap ends that some other springs don't; I don't know if the ford springs have it or why the guys a Deaver spring think military wrap is so much better but it's something to consider.

 

[BrettM]

Longer leaves are probably more suseptable to axle wrap than shorter ones but if the weight is right they should flex a bit better. Another thing to consider is that MJ springs have a full military wrap ends that some other springs don't; I don't know if the ford springs have it or why the guys a Deaver spring think military wrap is so much better but it's something to consider.

I've seen probably 20-30 MJ spring packs, and not a single one is military wrapped.

Are you talking about the english eye?

 

[davidt]

The chevy spring swap is easy, just make or buy a new hanger (budbuilt has nice ones) and weld it on. I would not bother, MJ springs are only 5" shorter and are plenty flexy....

 

[hackedxj]

I'm mainly concerned with wrap, not soo much the flex, a little more would be nice though. Maybe I'm just worrying to much, just got to digging in old threads and got a little scared of my traction bar plan. I 've noticed the Chevys are longer but they're a bit thicker and I'm using the longer 7 in. axle perches. I'm going to try to go as light as posible, similiar to BrettM's truck. Getting leafs flexy enough for a light rear end and avoiding wrap is going to be hard. Maybe the chevys with a good traction bar?

 

[davidt]

Just run the mj leaves, if you don't like them, it will be easy enough to switch over to the chevy leaves. I have been running them for over 6 months and wrap has not been a problem.