MJ Leaf springs

The MJ is possibly going to become huge and i am trying to figure out what i am going to do under the back end. It will have a dana 60 full width, but i am not sure if there is any one making any different leafs for that back of that thing, who knows, maybe just shorten the wheelbase and use xj springs, i don't know,

thanks, gene MJ

I wouldn't go to the shorter XJ springs, the 5" longer MJ springs are an advantage.....I use them on my XJ. If you do a spring over, the stock springs will get you five inches. You can use blocks and get another inch or two, still with the stock springs. A one inch block is a no brainer, and you can add a leaf or two to the stock leaf pack. I think seven or eight inches of lift with the stock leaves would be very easy to do. I ran eight inches of lift on my XJ for a long time by adding leaves and blocks to the stock leaf pack. Because you can get an easy five inches just with the spring over, I'd never worry about finding a set of aftermarket springs.

I'll gladly 2nd what Goat said.

I have 8" of lift in my MJ with the stock mains (SOA) and a whole bunch of other leaves mixed under that, I don't even remember what they are, but it's mostly MJ and Waggy. from there I would use a longer shackle to get another inch if I wanted it. then if I still wanted more, it would be time for a 3-link, though I may do that anyway....

XJ leaves are for grocery getters.

Having owned both, if you apply XJ leaves to an MJ in the stock locations, you'll lose 3" of lift, not to mention that they're too short to offer any flex at all.
The only real thing to do here is to add custom hangers that are longer than the stock hangers locations. I just added blocks (hey....they work and I didn't suffer from any more wrap because I added 1" thick plate overloads over top of them)and adjusted the pinion angle afterwards. I currently run 10" all around.
The front was the hard part.

How much are you looking for?

STRYKER said:

The only real thing to do here is to add custom hangers that are longer than the stock hangers locations. I just added blocks (hey....they work and I didn't suffer from any more wrap because I added 1" thick plate overloads over top of them)and adjusted the pinion angle afterwards. I currently run 10" all around.
The front was the hard part.

How much are you looking for?

Click to expand...

Oh goody, I get to point out to someone that lowering the spring hangers reduces ground clearance......sort of like long arms do.

Talk about reducing flex, how about those 1" thick plate overloads. I've seen some MJ's with a thick overload spring and some without, don't know the application for each, maybe long and short bed. It probably isn't much of an issue since the MJ springs have so much arch that they probably don't need to bend backwards, like the much flatter XJ springs need to do to get good up travel.

All four shortbed MJs here have the overload leaf. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing an MJ that didn't have it. I think if it's not there, it was removed by a previous owner.

Going spring-over nets around 5" of lift, so the additional 3" should be achievable with a combination of AALs and/or shackles. Or measure the total length of the main leaf along the arch, shop the junk yards for something a tad longer, and take to to a spring shop for re-arching. Prices around me are very high for re-arching, but folks in other areas have found it to be very inexpensive.

whoops, i wasn't clear

sorry guys, i wasn't clear about the MJ, its allready about 6 inches up on 33's, locked, geared, and junk, but i just got a new tranny, and t case, i got a free deal on a full width d60, and and i have another possible good deal available to me on a front d44. I am wanting to do something drastic.

i just read on the earlier post on conservation of these rare MJ's and really that is about what i am doin, mine has been wheeled fairly hard and is starting to show its wounds, i would like to do a narrow flat bed and some custom suspension work. I am just trying to figure out the direction i would like to go. i think just goin up would be the best bet, that way it doesnt take me forever, just going up would mean doin just what it takes to get the big axles under it and some 37's geared and locked, then work around that, but i also wonder about just being out of comission for almost a year and doing something radical.

Gene MJ

And now an XJ owner as of last month, 4.5 RE lift on 32 A'T's and stock street truck from there.

Goatman said:

Oh goody, I get to point out to someone that lowering the spring hangers reduces ground clearance......sort of like long arms do.

Talk about reducing flex, how about those 1" thick plate overloads. I've seen some MJ's with a thick overload spring and some without, don't know the application for each, maybe long and short bed. It probably isn't much of an issue since the MJ springs have so much arch that they probably don't need to bend backwards, like the much flatter XJ springs need to do to get good up travel.

Click to expand...

The bars are a mere 12" long, but thick. I just wanted something to stop the natural inclination of the axle to twist when it is pushed away from the spring pack.

Hey, if the lowered spring hangers ( front hanger, naturally) are lowered enough to catch terrain, you've gone too far.

If it's rock that interferes , build in a steel ramp in front of them under the frame to slide up and over 'em.

Gotta get more of you eastern boys out here to our western rock gardens.

We don't put anything under our rigs lower unless we absolutely don't have a choice, and even then we may decide to just not do it. Our frames are totally beat up from sliding down rocks, and the rear spring hanger is in a very vulnerable place to catch rocks.

But that's just a westerners perspective.....

:wave1:

I hear you. And believe it or not...I've seen a few of those rocks up close. The one's in NM anyway.
Always wanted to make the trip out to the Hammers while I was out that way. Never made it.