front leaf springs on an XJ

[DraVen]

ok i have an 85 cherokee chief and i was thinking of putting leaf on the front... i know i will have to modify the unibody.. but is this practical?

i mean i have built my Samurai and i have made the frame longer on that.. so it should be about the same right?

 

[HTeK]

Search.

Best post on the subject HERE

Yes, its practical and I have done it. Its a decent option depending on what your looking for... But a rather unpopular topic around here.

-jm

 

[twisted_ed]

I have said it before and I will say it again, my dad who is a heavy duty mechanic and welder/fabricator once told me what his University proffessor once said "when you start fabricating and making your own suspension products to then take on the responsibilites and liabilitys of the manufactuer." which means, you can have your ass sued for somthing like this, so be warned.

 

[JamesD]

Try this. Fairly helpful. http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Leafspring_conversion/leafs.htm

 

[CRASH]

But a rather unpopular topic around here.

-jm

It's not that it's an unpopular topic, its really a rather amusing one. :spin1:

The debate is always what you are gaining by the front leaf mod. Personally, I think you lose performance in pursuit of simplicity. For some that's a valid trade-off. In the end, I don't think it's any less work to execute than a custom coil suspension, especially if you take the time to do it correctly (I think you've done one of the nicest jobs around, HTek.)

 

[HTeK]

In the end, I don't think it's any less work to execute than a custom coil suspension, especially if you take the time to do it correctly

Looking back, I agree... I had two reasons for doing leafs: cost and simplicity.

In hindsight, the additional work to do coils would have been minor. And, the Rubicon Express Extreme Duty leafs aren't exactly cheap. So, in the end I did end up saving a little in terms of both cost and simplicity - but really not much.

I dont really regret going the way I did because it was a huge learning experience.

I have said it before and I will say it again, my dad who is a heavy duty mechanic and welder/fabricator once told me what his University proffessor once said "when you start fabricating and making your own suspension products to then take on the responsibilites and liabilitys of the manufactuer." which means, you can have your ass sued for somthing like this, so be warned.

Are you new?

This is the advanced fab forum right? Is there ANYONE here that doesn't have custom suspension?


-jm

 

[rocklandxjer]

im pretty sure for daily drivers that he is right, if you drive around town with a suspension youve made yourself, its possible that they could sue you, although depending on their lawyer you may or may not lose, theyll have to prove it was your suspension that caused the accident.

at least thats what i would assume

 

[mattyg]

I have said it before and I will say it again, my dad who is a heavy duty mechanic and welder/fabricator once told me what his University proffessor once said "when you start fabricating and making your own suspension products to then take on the responsibilites and liabilitys of the manufactuer." which means, you can have your ass sued for somthing like this, so be warned.

well what about all the home grown 4links and ford radius cut and paste jobs i see here and else where, seen alot of scary link setups and leaf setups, for critical parts i like a good reliable name aftermarket company like RE. But for bumpers and other stuff like that, out comes the angle grinder and welder

 

[FarmerMatt]

Anybody can sue anybody for anything. If you don't want to get sued than live in a hole.

 

[twisted_ed]

yep, lots of custom stuff, for sure, I was only letting him know, if he wasent already aware, that anything custom not build by a company can be bad if there is an accedent

 

[hadfield4wd]

yep, lots of custom stuff, for sure, I was only letting him know, if he wasent already aware, that anything custom not build by a company can be bad if there is an accedent

Thank you good citizen.

You can still be sued like Farmermatt said. Who's to say he torques the bolts properly and retorgued them per specs. This country is run by lawyers you can get sued for anything anytime.

OK back to the leaf springs.

 

[ashmanjeepxj]

I did leafs shackle in front, ran good for years till I got 42in tires on beadlocks, it was so soft I went faster and faster, feals fine right... but it killed the leafs. one main leaf bent per trip. Shackle in back would hold up alot better but dosent fit easily on the XJ.

I now have a double triangulated 4 link and 2.5in body 16in coilovers. its $1700 in materials, doing all the work myself (2.5 months) the leafs were free, quick and easy. No way 4 years ago could I have done the front 4link correct, The front has alot of clearance issues for long travel links and big tires.

I went through afew Mainleafs and like the toyota minitruck milwraped main leafs. just wish I did shackel in back.

http://www.wheelingarizona.com/forums/download.php?id=6477

 

[gregmondro]

I have said it before and I will say it again, my dad who is a heavy duty mechanic and welder/fabricator once told me what his University proffessor once said "when you start fabricating and making your own suspension products to then take on the responsibilites and liabilitys of the manufactuer." which means, you can have your ass sued for somthing like this, so be warned.

/que waterboy

"well momma said alligators are honrey cuz they got all them teeth and no toothbrush!"

 

[twisted_ed]

Thank you good citizen.

You can still be sued like Farmermatt said. Who's to say he torques the bolts properly and retorgued them per specs. This country is run by lawyers you can get sued for anything anytime.

OK back to the leaf springs.

well its alot easier to prove that an accident was the cause of a suspension that is not engineered for that vehicle than to prove one bolt was not torqued tight enought, not exaclty a solid point. Yes lawyers can do anything, but thats what defense lawyers are for, and a defense lawyer will have a far better chance of winning a case if its a stock style suspension or a bolt not torques enough, rather than an obviously all custom suspension build in the home. I had a friend that lost his Jeep, home and life savings becuase in an accident the lawyer proved that it was a coil spacer that caused the proiblem because the lift company said that that spacer was not part of the kit nor engineered to work with the kit, and would therefore not back him up. So all I am doing if trying to help a guy out should it not be a trail rig. If mine wer a trail rig I would swap to leaf springs in a heartbeat.

 

[Starboard M]

I had a friend that lost his Jeep, home and life savings becuase in an accident the lawyer proved that it was a coil spacer that caused the proiblem because the lift company said that that spacer was not part of the kit nor engineered to work with the kit, and would therefore not back him up. So all I am doing if trying to help a guy out should it not be a trail rig. If mine wer a trail rig I would swap to leaf springs in a heartbeat.

Id like to know how a coil spacer cause an accident.

 

[twisted_ed]

It doesnt but the plaintiffs lawyer decided to use the fact that it wasent part of the engineered suspention system and it was the overall suspension system not performing as it should which caused the accident which was the defendents fault because he moddified it with coil spacers among other thing if I remember it correctly.

 

[vetteboy]

If that's really how it went down, that case was lost by a poor defense.

For what it's worth, just because a lift kit is 'bought' vs. fabricated doesn't really mean crap. No aftermarket suspension companies that I know of stand behind their products being used on the road, and I can think of more than a few that have disclaimers all over saying "for off-road use only".

 

[hadfield4wd]

If that's really how it went down, that case was lost by a poor defense.

I agree. Always hire a rich lawyer.

 

[CRASH]

The great thing about URF products are that they are designed to work with almost all other mods, at any lift height.

We have a rather extensive liability policy, we'll be right there for you in front of the jury if you ever need us.

 

[twisted_ed]

The great thing about URF products are that they are designed to work with almost all other mods, at any lift height.

We have a rather extensive liability policy, we'll be right there for you in front of the jury if you ever need us.

Which is good because the lift company who I won't say, only comment to the case was if I recall the letter said that after getting pictures from the insurance company or whoever sent them in said that their product would not have caused the accident by itself but since the components were moddfied from orginal they would not say that it was the reason or not the reason but that it would not have perfromed as designed (which the prosecution used to say that it was designed as an engineered kit to operate safely within the vehicles capabilites on and off road, which the lift company confirmed) this allowed the prosecution prove without a doubt that the suspesnion was not acting within the guidelines that it was designed and could have contributed to the problem, and since there were no other legitimate, logical reasons for the accident in question it was deemed a moddified suspension, or basically a simple coil spacer. \\

Had the spacer and lift block in the back not been there the lift company would have confimed that the lift was working within engineered specifications and would have backed up their product leaving the prosecution with only driver error for this situation and his insurance would have covered it.

Thats the basic story. Murphys law, what can happen will happen.