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Has anyone had their RE leaf do this?

wrecked

NAXJA Forum User
jeep2.jpg


I'm not quite sure how it happened. I noticed it while I was out and it only stuck out a couple of inches. Then I got home and it's sticking out the 2 1/2 feet.

I ordered another set of Rubicon Express leafs to replace those and they should be here by Wednesday. I don't really want to put them on if its a common problem. I'd rather put something else on.

Heres how she sits now. Haha, a tiny bit of articulation...on flat ground.
jeep1.jpg
 
holy crap!! ive never seen a set of leafs do that...

so im guessing your center pin broke! :twak:
 
Cann't you warrenty those springs through RE. That should count as a defect in the product know matter how old they are. Also the pin that holds them together should have prevented that from happening. I don't if it is common I have AAL's on my rig.
 
cherokeefun said:
Cann't you warrenty those springs through RE. That should count as a defect in the product know matter how old they are. Also the pin that holds them together should have prevented that from happening. I don't if it is common I have AAL's on my rig.

Pins break...which is why they're sold as replacements. How/when they break depends on conditions and use. Most often they break because people don't re-torque their u-bolts after wheeling...if EVER. I doubt they'd warranty them based on that. Replacement pins are about $5 for a pair.

This is why you should inspect and retorque your junk after every trip. Takes less than 10 minutes and saves headaches.
 
Been wheeling XJ's for 10 yrs.....that's a first for me, or for anybody's rig for that matter. If properly installed and torqued, one really doesn't need to retorque everything after at trip offroad......maybe after the first trip following install. Seems like you could just pull the pack and install a new center pin.....did you use new U-bolts when the RE springs were installed? And what's with the strap on the end of the leaf sticking furthest out the back? BTW, do you run blocks with the leaves?
 
XJEEPER said:
If properly installed and torqued, one really doesn't need to retorque everything after at trip offroad......maybe after the first trip following install.

In my experiences, between work and play, this isn't entirely true. Bolts stretch and vibrations work nuts loose over time...even with proper torque. It's not all torque and forget. ;) There are so many factors involved though that it's pointless to dwell on this point, lol.
 
XJEEPER said:
Been wheeling XJ's for 10 yrs.....that's a first for me, or for anybody's rig for that matter. If properly installed and torqued, one really doesn't need to retorque everything after at trip offroad......maybe after the first trip following install. Seems like you could just pull the pack and install a new center pin.....did you use new U-bolts when the RE springs were installed? And what's with the strap on the end of the leaf sticking furthest out the back? BTW, do you run blocks with the leaves?

Theres no strap. I think what you see is just these little tabs that are some flexy material, I dont know what. I didnt do the install. I am picking up some new u-bolts for the installation of the new leafs when they get here. And nope, no blocks.

ECKSJAY said:
In my experiences, between work and play, this isn't entirely true. Bolts stretch and vibrations work nuts loose over time...even with proper torque. It's not all torque and forget. ;) There are so many factors involved though that it's pointless to dwell on this point, lol.

Yeah, I believe that could be what happened. I know that whenever we check bikes in for repair at the shop, we always check chain stretch because under stress metal stretches, alot. However, sometime constantly tightening things can do more damage than good. One guy I know tightens his bolts on his bike before everyride. Alot of his stuff is warped and bent all goofy now because he tightened it way beyond torque spec.

I'll be sure to keep a watchful eye on things now though.
 
broken center pin and loose u-bolts is the only way I can see that happening, you said it was sticking out 2" when you noticed it, at that point you should have tried to fix rather than drive it home to find it sticking out that far, scares the hell out of me
 
Your center pins head might not be long enough if u are running shims. If so than it would be barely sticking into the hole in the leaf perch. Make sure when u get your new pins that the head goes at least a half inch into the leaf perch.
 
a side note, loose u-bolts will allow the center pin to break due to the shifting back and forth of the leaf pack
 
I'm glad I found this thread. Yesterday, I had a bottom leaf FALL OUT :wow: near Tip-Over-Challenge on Hells Revenge. I tightened the u-bolts and nursed it home. The center bolts were sheared on both sides and from the look of them I'd been driving that way for sometime. :doh: I'm definately going to be checking the U-bolts on a regular basis from now on. I also painted a stripe on the inside of the leaf pack so I tell if the leafs start to shift agian.

Atch
 
Atch said:
I'm definately going to be checking the U-bolts on a regular basis from now on.
Check the center pins regularly as well - since Colorado has such a fascination with spraying Magnesium Chloride (MgCl) whenever it snows, I've found that it will eat the crap outta my center pins...
 
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