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Question about Prothane install...

Andy in Pa.

NAXJA Member #180
Location
Downingtown, Pa.
I know a few of you guys are running them inside your front coils, how did you locate them so they stay centered in the coils? I am thinking of welding a small piece of tube approx. 2" high to the center of the coil spring pad, then slipping the prothane over that. Then doing the same for the top with a small piece of tube that will slip inside (again), with a round flat piece close to the size of the OD of the prothane (1/2" or so smaller) for the bumpstop to hit.

Is this what you guys have done? Seems like it would work to me, but just wanted some input from other locals...

Is it worth putting a pin (1/4" gr 8 bolt or similar) through the prothane/through the tube to keep it from coming off the tubes on either end? It seems that the pin would help more than hurt... thoughts on that?

Thanks!!
A.
 
I didnt do a damn thing other than making a plate where the stock bump used to go. Its not like the prothane can go anywhere
 
I didnt do a damn thing other than making a plate where the stock bump used to go. Its not like the prothane can go anywhere

Seems like it would be better to make an insert for the top of the prothane that has a round plate, to give the factory bump somewhere to contact. Do your coil springs get caught on the plate?
 
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IMG_0591.jpg
 
i tried exactly what you are describing. didn't work.

when flexing, and having the prothane mounted rigidly, it would just grab the coil and make boingy noises and on a couple occasions pulled my coil out.

the people that have the best results with them seem to just leave them floating in there and make the bump pad where the stock bumpstop used to be.
 

i tried exactly what you are describing. didn't work.

when flexing, and having the prothane mounted rigidly, it would just grab the coil and make boingy noises and on a couple occasions pulled my coil out.

the people that have the best results with them seem to just leave them floating in there and make the bump pad where the stock bumpstop used to be.

Like the above pic? Makes sense... the prothane can move side-to-side with the coil then too. It seems like a few others recently put these in as well. Ross/Stefan maybe? Can't remember now...

Souske--
Have you done any serious rock crawling with them? Impressions?
 
I have mine just sitting in the coil. I used a hockey puck as an upper pad.

I have noticed the one on the drivers side gets turned sideways and stuck in between the coils once in a while. but it always pops just back up.
 
Done some rockcrawling with them: the rubicon, clawhammer, big bear
i love em. I think roughly 1 1/4" of air gap is ideal, since i reworked my frontend, the air gap is about 3_4" now, and they dont work as well.
the bump plates do rub the spring occasionally, hasnt been a big deal.
they also get caught in the coils occasionally as rockclimber mentioned, i think getting back to the smaller air gap would prevent that.
playing jeepspeed is where they really shine.
 
Done some rockcrawling with them: the rubicon, clawhammer, big bear
i love em. I think roughly 1 1/4" of air gap is ideal, since i reworked my frontend, the air gap is about 3_4" now, and they dont work as well.
the bump plates do rub the spring occasionally, hasnt been a big deal.
they also get caught in the coils occasionally as rockclimber mentioned, i think getting back to the smaller air gap would prevent that.
playing jeepspeed is where they really shine.

I'll have to look at my bumpstops, but I don't think mine unscrew like the older style (I have a 96 XJ). What diameter did you make the bump plates? Think the bump plate could be made a little smaller in diameter and have less chance of rubbing the springs?
 
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Thats about all I did. they just float in there. with that plate on the top. I didn't have the rubber on the end of my stock bumps so they clank a bit.
 
I was actually just looking at my setup, and it looks like I need a bigger plate.

what are you guys using to cut the circle?
 
I've had mine free floating for 3 years without problem. They don't really clang around even on the fast stuff. I used a flat, cut-down poly bump stop in the factory location as the upper contact point. Next time, I'll install a flat plate in the same spot or try something like chedisme.
 
mine are floating in the coil with a metal strike pad like the rest of the socal guys are saying to mount em. they work great that way.

Is the metal strike pad like Cheds or did you cut off the factory bump stop/cup and drill/tap it like Souskes above? Your XJ is a later model that has the welded on bump stop cups like mine right? This seems like the easiest thing to do, and you can always screw on an earlier style bump stop back in place if it doesn't work.
 
Is the metal strike pad like Cheds or did you cut off the factory bump stop/cup and drill/tap it like Souskes above? Your XJ is a later model that has the welded on bump stop cups like mine right? This seems like the easiest thing to do, and you can always screw on an earlier style bump stop back in place if it doesn't work.

I pulled the factory rubber piece out and welded a plate there instead. And yes, welded cup things. Drilling and tapping is probably a better idea but I didn't feel like it lol
 
I used the hole saw i had for notching my 60 brakets. So its 3¹/⁴ i believe.

I thought about putting the plate on the bump tower. But i was afraid the coil would hang up on it.
 
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