Fix XJ flat leaf springs without lift?

[oktology]

Hey y'all, first post so bear with me

I recently acquired a '93 Cherokee Sport (2-door 2WD, 4.0HO, AX-15, stock everything) in amazing shape for the price--which was $0. ^_^

The rear leafs are flat, totally horizontal, and it's pretty darn jouncy on the spectacular potholes we have here in Houston. I have read about building a bastard pack with leafs from an S-10 or a Dakota, but all the writeups I've found are for lifts, and I'm keeping this one stock height. I live and work right near downtown, so this is going to be a strictly "urban all-terrain" build--4WD and underbody skids, but no lift or knobbies as it's going to spend most of its life on pavement or gravel and the biggest rock it's ever going to crawl is a tall curb.

Does anyone have any advice for fixing flat leafs without adding lift?


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[PhotoJared]

Buy stock replacement HD leaf springs.

 

[josh870]

you probably need shocks. i just replaced my leafs because the old one were bending upwards, the new ones are almost flat straight across, and the ride is actually worse. the saggy old springs kinda made up for the shocks. the new stiff springs make it really obvious that the shocks are crap. just my $.02

 

[Tim_MN]

New stock leaf springs and new shocks should cure it.

 

[westvirginia24976]

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...PA-Load-Adjuster-Rear/_/R-NS_58594_0484317811

I bought these for my '95 years ago. Still going strong. Fixed the problem you describe and was great for towing. Might be an option for you.

 

[md21722]

XJ springs do not have much arch to them to begin with. I put Dorman 929-301 on my stock 01 XJ last summer. They are about $100/ea shipped from Amazon. The spring eye bolts tend to rust to the bushings. Spray with penetrant in advance and be ready to cut the old spring eyes off as needed.

 

[Matthew Currie]

This subject has come up many times in the past, and one of the solutions is to add a leaf, which will stiffen the rear suspension a bit and remove some of the sag without significant lift.

Look at the stock springs, and you will see that there is a big step between the second and third leaf (counting from the top). If you cut a leaf to split that difference, you add only a small amount of stack height, increase the stiffness a small amount, and remove a good bit of the reverse curve in the top spring.

I've done this twice and it was pretty easy, since you do not have to undo the top mounts and shackles. The U-bolts on the axle are just long enough to reuse with one added leaf. You will have to replace the center bolt in the spring pack, and the clamps that hold the pack together. If you have access to automotive scrap, it happens that the allen head universal joint bolts for a very large range of VW's dating from the 1968 bus to at least 90's era front drives, is a perfect fit for the center bolt.

For some reason, the image is not coming through. My host for images sucks.

https://app.box.com/s/04o25f6js1asrcnadjgqyr1op7h4q2oj

 

[oktology]

Thanks for all the help, y'all. I'll probably add a junkyard leaf for now as cash is a little tight, and put aside some money for new HD leafs.

I definitely need new shocks all around, it's got some good vertical resonance after big both-side deflections and it bottoms haaard if I take a speed bump at much more than 5MPH.

 

[xcm]

Thanks for all the help, y'all. I'll probably add a junkyard leaf for now as cash is a little tight, and put aside some money for new HD leafs.

I definitely need new shocks all around, it's got some good vertical resonance after big both-side deflections and it bottoms haaard if I take a speed bump at much more than 5MPH.

Rear bumpstops are probably worn down to nubs and are no longer hitting.

 

[oktology]

Sure are. Rear bump stops are crumbly dust, front bump stops are completely AWOL.