Slippery leafpacks

[woody]

Well after suffering a long time with spent/sagged leafs on my 88, I finally swapped in a fresher set. My goal was 3" - 4", and I think I got it.

I was given a set of stock XJ 5 leaf packs in good shape... maybe factory Up-Country I am not sure. They had an odd shaped leaf in the #2 (right under the main leaf) that was almost as long as the main leaf. It was odd in that it has squared off ends, where all the other leafs had more rounded/tapered ends.

After dissasembly, I straightened out the three retainers, and sanded them down really well. I ordered up a roll of 2.5" x 0.093" PTFE (Teflon) and a pair of Rusty's full length +2" AALs. With a good scrubbing and solvent-wash, I sprayed them with several good coats of EZ-Slide graphite paint and let them dry for a few days. Once they cured, I measured & cut the Teflon liners to fit, drilled holes for the pins, then put them all together. Putting slippery leafs together is a handful. A couple helpers and some clamps is a plus.

Anyway got them installed yesterday with a set of factory MJ shackles, and am really pleased with the results. I took it to the nearest likely spot and flexed it up... very smooth and tons of travel. I just slapped a set of old 'Brand X' 10" travel (25"/15") gas-charged shox on there, and with those, I can get one wheel off the ground with the other well stuffed...at approx 1.5" of up-travel left. The packs may allow more droop than these shox allow... I still have to so work on the front susp, so will hold off on final tuning/measuring for new shox until that's set. The YJ rubber brakeline will be plenty long for any additional droop, but the factory XJ brake cables were way too short.

The axle is a XJ D44 Track-Lok... I kinda just freshened it up with new lube, pinion seal, and brake rehab. I wasn't sure if I would need to shim it any, and the plan is to swap in another 44 I have with regear & a locker, plus add raised shock mounts & maybe a truss. So consider this present setup a "mock up" that will tide me over until regear time. At least I can 'wheel this season without worrying over that dang 35.

Here's some more pix:

Fun times!

 

[cassio]

JnJ told me about the whole teflon and the glide coating to put on the leafs
sounds like good idea...
i would do it if i built my own packs but i bought mine so im too lazy

but i wanna see how it flex!!!

need some proof of the method

 

[tealcherokee]

you need an sye BAAAADD

 

[woody]

you need an sye BAAAADD

I won't entirely disagree with you about the SYE, but on the test-ride, I went up through 70 and back to zero mph with not a hint of vibes (as best one can tell with roaring mud tires)

I wonder what you are seeing that I am not?

The pinion & slip yokes are not binding up, not vibing, and there is plenty of yoke left on the output shaft with both rear sides jacked way up... (not completely both wheels off the ground, but as close as I want to get it without unpacking the hi-lift and calling in a spotter.)

In all the pix, the Jeep is parked on a slight slope with the rear end lower, but as it sits, the pinion is pointing 5.5* up, the output shaft is pointing 4.5* down. I know that "in a perfect world" the angles would match - 0.5* or so on the pinion... keep in mind that this setup IS a mock-up of sorts. That it works now with no vibes is an unanticipated plus. I'd think that as the springs settle in, the pinion angle will get a bit closer to correct.

Edit: the pix below are all with the hind end jacked up... not at static height.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

very nice work on the leaf pack woody. so pretty

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Where did you pick up the graphite paint?

-Kevin
cyberbackpacker

 

[woody]

very nice work on the leaf pack woody. so pretty

They are pretty for now... Just like a great big homebrew stack of Oreo Cookies. It won't be long and they will match all the other junky, rough-looking spots.

I am a bit concerned with the dimentional stability of the Teflon liner leafs. 0.092" x 5 = almost a half inch of junk that can & likely will compress/degrade. I'll keep an eye on it, and pull down on the U-bolts/center pin until I feel it's quit squishing.

My other concern is how I clamped them (cheap U-bend-em clamps on the front) I left all the factory clamps a ittle wider open than straight and stuck the u-b-e clamps between the front pairs. I figure the straightened ones are beefy 1/8" and will act as 'guides' to let the rear of the packs freely open up and hopefully funnel them back into place.

:dunno:

 

[tealcherokee]

im a firm beleiver in a budget boost needs an sye..... even if you dont feel the vibes, its bad for the case

 

[woody]

Where did you pick up the graphite paint?

-Kevin
cyberbackpacker

Got it in aerosol cans at Tractor Supply Company (apprx $4.50/can and I used almost 4). Hindsight is I would have bought a gallon can of liquid and had it around for a long time. Aerosol is EZ-SLIDE RB9512 dry film lubricant, UPC# 8209551201.

 

[Goatman]

im a firm beleiver in a budget boost needs an sye..... even if you dont feel the vibes, its bad for the case

Based on what?

SPOBI.

Don't think so.......at all.

 

[Goatman]

They are pretty for now... Just like a great big homebrew stack of Oreo Cookies. It won't be long and they will match all the other junky, rough-looking spots.

I am a bit concerned with the dimentional stability of the Teflon liner leafs. 0.092" x 5 = almost a half inch of junk that can & likely will compress/degrade. I'll keep an eye on it, and pull down on the U-bolts/center pin until I feel it's quit squishing.

My other concern is how I clamped them (cheap U-bend-em clamps on the front) I left all the factory clamps a ittle wider open than straight and stuck the u-b-e clamps between the front pairs. I figure the straightened ones are beefy 1/8" and will act as 'guides' to let the rear of the packs freely open up and hopefully funnel them back into place.

:dunno:

Looks good, Woody. You probably don't need the wrap around clamp in between the other two, it looks like the two should get the job done. Did you say there are no clamps on the rear of the pack? I had a little trouble with the liner sliding sideways out of the leaves if there wasn't a clamp close enough to hold it it. The stuff you're using for liner is thicker than the black stuff I use, so it may be rigid enough to not be a problem, but it's something to watch. I used the black stuff with an edge (I beam) on the top and bottom leaves where the clamp didn't get them and it works fine.

 

[woody]

Those wrap around clamps are the only ones that are 'clamped'... the factory ones are all bent like \_/ (not that far -or that evenly but not wrapping over the top of the top leaf at all)

I figured those wrap arounds will shift front <-> rear some, and those front two OEM clamps will keep them from going far. The rear ones are merely a funnel.

And if this is all butchery/buggery, it's not that hard to regroup & refit

 

[tealcherokee]

ive seen a few posts of cracked cases from people with 2-4" of lift, i was running 4.5", very mild vibes from 40-45 mph, until my tail cone split open....

SYE's should be used when lifting a jeep IMO

 

[ajeeperwannabe]

Woody, how you like this set up so far? Had a chance to test them out yet?

 

[Kittrell]

Is that a random axle tube..................:dunce:

 

[ILLXJ]

I believe the odd shaped #2 leaf is another main with the eyes cut off. Thats what I did on the 92. JIM.

 

[XJLaredo]

Those leaf packs look good.

But, Holly crap those jacks look unsafe as hell! hahaha

 

[Harlee&Tahoe]

Dead thread horse beaters back off!!

Woody, how are the slippery packs holding up?
Still running them?
I'm about to do the same or something similar.
I've been researching as much as possible and haven't found much about leaf spring preperation, and ways to keep them quiet.

I tried to find EZ-Slide paint locally, No GO (Oregon and Utah closest) I'll have to order.

How is the spacing between leafs with poly liners & paint?
Did they break down? Require a lot of retightining?

Thanks,
Harlee