• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

fanned out rear spring

4

4LVLFWD

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Vegas
RE 1462, 4.5", leafs fan out every time i go out wheelin. never got really bad until this time. I noticed the rear end making a clicking/popping noise so i got out of the jeep and saw this.

DSC00038.jpg


DSC00039.jpg


DSC00041.jpg


DSC00043.jpg


So i got a bfh and wacked it back in line to put these on from a local auto parts store.

DSC00003.jpg


DSC00004-1.jpg


DSC00005-1.jpg


Does it look installed correctly? Or should i make it more like the RE clamps, where there is a gap on the upper part of the clamp and spring? but to do that i'd need a welder. suggestions?
 
4LVLFWD,

Wow! I cannot understand this but your solution looks okay to me. However, I think you are obligated to:

1) Contact the dealer you purchased your springs/lift from regarding this. You will know rapidly if they are competent people or not. I can highly recommend Dirk at DPG Offroad; he is competent.

2) Contact RE as well.

RE is some of the best hardware in the business; I currently own a RE6030 and have never observed this but use the capability it provides little.

The discussions you have with these people (i.e., particularly RE) will help you ensure all is okay.

The clamps on the RE springs are Hendrick's clamps. These allow the springs to expand vertically under extreme needs. I would not expect the leafs to separate at the locations you added your clamps (Where did you get them?).

Good luck!

Rick
 
Ya, it has happened to my RE springs before, and I've heard of others having this experience before as well. Mine started hitting the tire too, since I had a lot of backspacing and there was barely a gap between my leafs and inner side wall, good thing you caught yours before it wore the tire much.

If you are worried about your clamps not letting the leafs fan out, you can always move them down so they are closer to the spring perch. My leafs stopped fanning out when I got bigger u-bolts, and they don't allow the springs to move around anymore.
 
Begster said:
My leafs stopped fanning out when I got bigger u-bolts, and they don't allow the springs to move around anymore.
Click to expand...

X2 on this one!
 
Haha I have used your solution before, the only thing goofy about those spring clamps is they can slide back and forth a little, but I have a mixed leaf pack so I needed something like that too keep the differetly arched springs to stay together.
 
I think it would be a good idea to remove the spring plates/bump stop plates and chamfer the edges at the front and rear that make contact with the springs. Because the plate is flat it is concentrating the force on a small section at the front and rear of the leafs under the plate. Chamfering the edges will spread out the force and hold the leafs better.
 
Just curious as to what your u-bolts are torqued at.
I think I read that the spec is only around 50-55 ft.lbs.
Does that sound correct.
If that spec is right, it seems too low to me.
My local 4x4 shop puts 90ft. lbs on them.

And I really like those bumpstop extensions.
I took a simpler approach, and hose clamped a 3" block of (hockey-puck-like) hard rubber to the axle. So far so good.
 
Last edited:
420BlackXJ said:
Just curious as to what your u-bolts are torqued at.
I think I read that the spec is only around 50-55 ft.lbs.
Does that sound correct.
If that spec is right, it seems too low to me.
My local 4x4 shop puts 90ft. lbs on them.

And I really like those bumpstop extensions.
I took a simpler approach, and hose clamped a 3" block of (hockey-puck-like) hard rubber to the axle. So far so good.
Click to expand...


x2.. I had this issue with my RE springs and I had to end up retorquing my Ubolts.. All is fine!!:wierd:
 
Your new hardware looks like it will restrict droop. If it isn't actually an issue or doesn't bother you, then I think those will keep your leafs in place. You may want to crank down on the u-bolts just to be sure they're tight...
 
MrShaft696 said:
Haha I have used your solution before, the only thing goofy about those spring clamps is they can slide back and forth a little, but I have a mixed leaf pack so I needed something like that too keep the differetly arched springs to stay together.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of getting the lower part of the bolt tack welded to the spring in a couple of spots to hold the clamp in place.

420BlackXJ said:
Just curious as to what your u-bolts are torqued at.
I think I read that the spec is only around 50-55 ft.lbs.
Does that sound correct.
If that spec is right, it seems too low to me.
My local 4x4 shop puts 90ft. lbs on them.

And I really like those bumpstop extensions.
I took a simpler approach, and hose clamped a 3" block of (hockey-puck-like) hard rubber to the axle. So far so good.
Click to expand...

I went to retorque the u bolts and they were all loose (first time retorquing since lift was installed 1500 miles ago). FSM calls for 52 ft/lbs and i went ahead and torqued them down to 65 ft/lbs so well see how they hold up. Thanks everyone.
 
Did your lift kit come with new u-bolts?Did you buy new u-bolts when you installed the lift?
 
88-98 Chevy pickups have a 1/8" shim between the main leaves and overload with little fingers pointing both up and down to keep the leaves aligned with each other. It would be a cheap fix that wouldn't affect ride quality like those clamps can...
 
The chamfer and retorque the u bolts are good suggestions. Your spring clips will work well, with one exception. They will work their way up the spring eventually. To keep them from going too far, run a weld across the very end of the bottom leaf so it cannot pass that point. This will not damage the rest of the leaf. Then you will have it all.
 
On top of what was already mentioned, your u-bolts aren't seated tight against the spring perch either, giving a little wiggle room. You could always buy another set of clamps from a local spring shop, but yours will probably be ok. My leafs came with four clamps per spring pack, they work fine.
 
Tighten the center pin on your spring. The bolt in the center of your u-bolt plate. When you do any work to a spring pack or install a new pack your supposed to tighten it and drive it for a while(500 to 800mi). Then loosen the u bolts but dont take them off. Crank down on the pin and you will get a couple of good turns out of a bolt you swore was tight when you installed the lift. Actually just had to retorque a buddy's spring pack last weekend from a lift we installed. Just my .02
 
horner21 said:
Tighten the center pin on your spring. The bolt in the center of your u-bolt plate. When you do any work to a spring pack or install a new pack your supposed to tighten it and drive it for a while(500 to 800mi). Then loosen the u bolts but dont take them off. Crank down on the pin and you will get a couple of good turns out of a bolt you swore was tight when you installed the lift. Actually just had to retorque a buddy's spring pack last weekend from a lift we installed. Just my .02
Click to expand...

How did you go about tightening the center pin??? I think if i try to tighten the center pin, i'd have to drop the rear axle so that i have room to hold the pin with a pair of vise grips.
 
In my experience most manufacturers include somewhat weak center pins with their spring packs. I fixed that by drilling the holes in the springs out to 1/2" (I had to use a carbide burr in a drill press to accomplish this because the springs are made of hard netal) and I installed a grade 8 socket head cap screw. You will also have to drill out the hole in the spring perch to accomodate the head of the capscrew. This allowed me to apply plenty of torque to hold the spring pack together.
 
4LVLFWD said:
How did you go about tightening the center pin??? I think if i try to tighten the center pin, i'd have to drop the rear axle so that i have room to hold the pin with a pair of vise grips.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly how you do it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
Routing ARB Air Lines to Rear Axle
Replies
10
Views
3K
XJlimitedx99
X
X
being ready for the expected unexpected (hardware for broken/rusted susp components)
2
Replies
24
Views
7K
Xjin85
X
S
96 XJ rear axle ratio
Replies
3
Views
1K
RCP Phx
R
Goose_XJ88
XJ Rear armor for the cut n fold
2
Replies
22
Views
6K
75SV1
7
M
Test fitting RC 4.5" long arm on 2000 XJ
Replies
10
Views
4K
RCP Phx
R
Back
Top