99 xj spring sag

i have a 99 xj with 120k on it and i was wondering is rear leaf sag common and is it cheeper to put a 3" lift buy, new stock springs or get used ones from a junk yard?? and the springs are all pretty much the same from 84-01 right??

All years will interchange, but not all are "the same." Some years offered optional heavy duty springs, which have a higher spring rate. Later years offered the Up Country option, with springs that are higher rate than stock and ride 1" higher than "stock."

Whether you want used springs, new stock springs, or a 3" lift depends on you and how you plan to use the Jeep. If you want to be able to run 31" tires, go for the 3" lift. If you want to stay on stock tires and just restore the stock ride height, the simplest route is probably the "home-brew" add-a-leaf (AAL) using another pair of XJ main leaves with the eyes cut off. There's a write-up for that floating around. You can probably find it by searching the modified forum. The link has something to do with "rockliz" but I don't have it bookmarked.

There is a "home-brew" AAL and it is done by Rock Lizard Fabrications. Here is the link:http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm.

BigRed said:

There is a "home-brew" AAL and it is done by Rock Lizard Fabrications. Here is the link:http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm.

Click to expand...

That's the link I was thinking of. IMHO it's the best way to go if you just want to correct for sagging springs.

FWIW, I have done this and I know other people who have done it, and I don't know of anyone who has obtained as much lift as the guy in the article. I did it on an '88 using '88 or '89 main leaves as the AALs, and I grossed 1-1/4" (net 3/4" higher than "stock" due to the pre-existing sag). One of the guys in the NAC who did it on a 2000 XJ (I don't know what year his donor leaves came from) grossed 1-1/2".

Ride quality is not at all harsh. I think it's better than stock. I have commented before that the one I did was for an ex-GF in Montana. I drove it across the country after doing the repairs and the ride was very comfortable. She has had the vehicle for more than a year and half, and she is very happy with it. She is not a "Jeep person."

I went through the saggy rear thing on my 96 and it turned out to be the two bottom leaves on the right spring pack were broken. It seems the power of the I6 4.0L causes the right rear spring to flex quite a lot. I went to a yard and got all the leaves except the main one for $10 and replaced the broken ones. I didn't even try to remove the whole pack as it's too easy to mess up the captive nut inside the frame member when the bolt is frozen to the collar in the spring bushing.

JoBo

I carry a lot of gear in my cherokees. Note I have had more than one. and all have the ass-sag issue with all the weight i keep in them. I have found that a set of helper springs from Autozone work very nice. Its not the full lenght kind because of the fact that cherokees have under the axle mounting. Its the half spring. I mount them using hole A in the spring for the rivit and it stiffens the rear back up to factory. It takes about a month of driving and you cannt tell the diffference any more between stock and add a leaf stiffness. and for 19 bucks you cannt go wrong. It will give you about 2 inches of lift if you place it in hole B. But the ride suffers and the rivit will not last long. I had mine in that hole and wore them out in 8-12 months.

which one is hole A and which one is hole B.
Did you have to remove the rear leaf spring to install the helper spring?

bustednutz said:

which one is hole A and which one is hole B.
Did you have to remove the rear leaf spring to install the helper spring?

Click to expand...

Its all in the instructions. But A is nearest the axle and B is closer to the back bumper. No you dont remove anything thats why i like using them. Just bolt it on. The part next to axle should sit flush with the hanger bracket.

I have the same thing in my 99 cherokee, back lower than front. I blame the fact that I have moved a lot in the last few years. (air force) I carried lots of my belongings and a boat in the back. Are the springs in a lift any stronger than stock? Or will they eventually sag?