Front leaf conversion question

Eddie G. · Oct 2, 2004

Just how rough would the XJ ride with front YJ stock leaf packs with spring-over conversion (as compared to the XJ stock coil springs)? How about with FSJ front leaf packs?

Thanx...Eddie

XJ_ranger · Oct 2, 2004

brettM uses yj leaves in the front IIRC pm him

Ramsey · Oct 2, 2004

completely off topic, but what does iirc mean

JeepFreak21 · Oct 2, 2004

Ramsey said:
completely off topic, but what does iirc mean

if I remember correctly

BrettM · Oct 2, 2004

BDS 3.5" YJ front springs done SOA for about 7" of lift. It rides WAY WAY better than 5" lift with shortarms and coils, but I still need to get some Bilstein 5100s and get rid of my $25 procomp shocks.

7 leaf Waggy springs would be pretty similar but net 1-2" less lift. One way to really get a Caddy ride out of leafs is to use long ones, I know a guy who did a solid axle swap on his Chevy pickup using 63" springs up front. It rides like a Caddy, but with leafs that long a panhard (trackbar) is essential.

Be sure to get your caster set right (I use 6 deg) and your draglink as flat as possible (or use a panhard), get some good shocks, and it will be a pretty good ride.

click the link in my sig for my buildup thread

Eddie G. · Oct 2, 2004

Thank you much Brett. The pictures were very helpful - I decided on front leaf conversion after seeing them last week. Am hoping to stay at about 6" of lift with 33s or 32s, perhaps with stock YJ springs that I will re-arch about 1"-2".

Picking up my expensive YJ leaf-over axle in a few hours (with ARB & 4.56). Am planning on using my 1/4"-thick rock bumper as landing points for front shackles and possibly going with WJ knuckles. Can I use my LCA mounts to land the rear spring eyes? Don't have much welding skill.

Where is a good online place to get a pair of BDS packs without having to buy the whole kit?

Eddie

BrettM · Oct 2, 2004

I would call BDS directly and try to do it that way. If they won't do it direct, they have a retail store (along with snowmobiles,etc) that is just down the street from their factory in Michigan. I picked mine up for sixty-some dollars each, but shipping might hurt your deal.

Big Red · Dec 13, 2004

I'm planning on using XJ leaf packs with aal in them for about 6-7" lift with my hp 44 conversion up front. Then I can get rid of the 2" block I have in the back as well on 35's. Now my 7-8" is a bit tall for 35's, might keep it if I go to 37's.
Troy

BrettM · Dec 13, 2004

i hope you don't mean XJ packs up front.

Ashman tried this, I tried with MJ packs. Now he has Toyota packs and I have YJ packs. XJ/MJ rear springs are too long for a front application unless you use a trackbar/panhard.

XJ_ranger · Dec 13, 2004

Eddie G. said:
Can I use my LCA mounts to land the rear spring eyes? Don't have much welding skill.

It makes sense that you could, but i would beef them up, add some plates that go along the 'framerail' and bolt to it with sleves as well(inside the rail to keep it fron crusing its self and not doing you a damn thing) - if you dont just want to sleve the rails at that point...

I think the bumper (if attached correctly) would work, but i have never done this nor thought about it any more than my vaugely distant thoughts of doing a front leaf convertion when i drop the waggy 6 on 5.5 D44's in my rig front and rear...

now all i need is about 3000 more $ and my rig is complete, for hte next 10 minutes...

Eddie G. · Dec 13, 2004

I took some measurements and it seems like the YJ packs are too wide to fit inside the LCA mounts. Do the CJ-7 or CJ-5 leaf packs ride pretty harsh?

Eddie

xj_punk · Dec 13, 2004

my procomp 4" soa with shackle reversal rides super nice. my old coil 3" with shortarms was alot rougher and unstable.
leafs are where its at

Eddie G. · Dec 13, 2004

Can you post some pix of how the front and rear of the springs are attached to the body?

Thanx...Eddie

onetallmj · Dec 13, 2004

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Leafspring_conversion/leafs.htm

try some ideas from Billavista on Pirate.

As far as the LCA mounts, I plan on cutting them off and plating/making new mount for the leaf spring. The LCA mounts on my MJ are angled inside anyway, not sure about an XJ.

Eddie G. · Dec 13, 2004

But here's what I don't see. How is he installing a 2.25"-wide YJ front spring inside a 1.75"-opening of the XJ factory LCA mount? I might be off with the numbers a bit, but YJ leaf springs look too wide for the LCA mounts.

ashmanjeepxj · Dec 13, 2004

Big Red said:
I'm planning on using XJ leaf packs with aal in them for about 6-7" lift with my hp 44 conversion up front. Then I can get rid of the 2" block I have in the back as well on 35's. Now my 7-8" is a bit tall for 35's, might keep it if I go to 37's.
Troy

The XJ leafs on front are a bad pic. I bent 4 main leafs in one season. too much axle wrap, flexed, but who cares I was broke alot! The main leafs are not made to handle that kinda weight..

Lift.. mix an match, the main leafs are the importan choice. you are sutck with them unless you make new frame and shackle mounts.

All the local hardcore guys run toyota rear stock main leafs, and typically jeep 2-3in lift leafs under it. The mil wraped leaf really helps support the weight. I also really like the stock toyota rear over load leaf, it helps prevent axle wrap, negative arch, and comes with a spring clap that has worked well for me, spring clamp failures and main leaf bends were very common for me last season.

The toyota rear with the pin off set will also give you better approach angle.

Another thing I change is my front shackle, It use to be just two piece of plate, but now I welded a piece of tube between the plates. It reduces my front axles left to right sway by alot. It really helped the steering..

Here is my second config of leafs.

Tac-welded box tube mount.

How do you like that "up-stop"

OlyWaXJ · Dec 13, 2004

The YJ springs are not too wide to fit into the LCA mounts.XJ LCA bushings are 2 5/8ths wide and the LCA mount is 2 7/8ths.I had a set in mine before I decided to cut the uniframe out and build a XJ trudgy.
OlyWa

mississippi_xj · Feb 21, 2005

anyone just use a set of stock toyota pickup leaves? I am seriously considering doing this with a waggy 44..... I do want to keep my lift to around 5 or less....

also. if I was to run polly bushings on the front end, would i be able to go without a track bar and still not be all over the place? never had a front leaf spring vehicle before.

thanks

scotty

BrettM · Feb 21, 2005

mine with poly bushings is plenty rigid to not get death wobble. even when I used to have 57" MJ leafs with rubber bushings it was fine at speed, but going slow the axle would shift a bit.

i find that sometimes the axle shifts enough going slow that i lose full steering because my pitman arm has just barely enough throw if the axle stays still. now though I have hydro-assist and it's perfect.

stock YJ springs mounted as high as reasonably possible, SOA, should give a little under 5" lift. stock YJ springs are very soft though, so I would recommend adding a few very flat leafs to stiffen it up without adding much height. I have no idea on the Toyota springs, but you can always use the top Toy leafs and mix and match the rest to suit what you want.

mississippi_xj · Feb 21, 2005

BrettM said:
mine with poly bushings is plenty rigid to not get death wobble. even when I used to have 57" MJ leafs with rubber bushings it was fine at speed, but going slow the axle would shift a bit.

i find that sometimes the axle shifts enough going slow that i lose full steering because my pitman arm has just barely enough throw if the axle stays still. now though I have hydro-assist and it's perfect.

I was looking @ your build on pirate. Do you think that you could get away with the stock pitman arm if you went with a longer high steer arm? That would put more leverage on the knuckle. Also, this is still my DD. Is the steering, on leaf springs, vague at all?

BrettM said:
stock YJ springs mounted as high as reasonably possible, SOA, should give a little under 5" lift. stock YJ springs are very soft though, so I would recommend adding a few very flat leafs to stiffen it up without adding much height. I have no idea on the Toyota springs, but you can always use the top Toy leafs and mix and match the rest to suit what you want.

I got about half of a 96 blazer pack laying around that would probably help to stiffen it up fine.

Thanks for the help

scotty

Front leaf conversion question

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