Leaf spring conversion on a cherokee write up [Archive] - NAXJA Forums -::- North American XJ Association

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xj_man_646

March 8th, 2007, 11:11

I did this a long time ago, but I figured I'd post it if someone is interested.
Well, I thought I'd post up a write up on my swap. Vehicle is a 1991 Jeep Cherokee, the leaf springs are stock 2.5" CJ rear springs. Front axle is a 1981 Jeep Wagoneer LP Dana 44. I bought the Jeep with an ultra jank shackle reversal, so I had to re-do the whole thing. Here we go.

This is how the suspension on the Jeep came when I bought it. Talk about jank. the angle is all wrong, then the guy just rotated the entire housing to correct the pinion angle. This put caster at about 20* forward, with the pinion at a straight line to the t-case. This caused the stock front drive shaft to not fit, along with the fact that the entire spring was set back a couple inches (if i were going to do a shackle reversal, I would use an offset centering pin, so the axle stays either further forward, or in the stock axle location.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/JeepPics012-1.jpg

So, I got to work. Took a very sketchy ride and pulled it into the garage at my dad's house and got to work.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics001.jpg

Pulled shocks, ubolts, steering, and calipers. Literally 20 minutes, and I had this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics002.jpg
and this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics003.jpg

Ground the welds on, and bashed off the old spring perches, and cleaned up the tubes/housing with a flap disk:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics007.jpg

I got a set of stock lower control arm brackets from a junkyard, which I welded some 1/8" metal to either side of the brackets. After this, I filled in the old holes from the inside with weld, and drilled new holes as far back in as I could for the leaf springs. Tacked them on back into the stock locations, and mocked up a spring.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics008.jpg

The front shackle mount is a piece of 1/4" angle iron welded behind where the bumper mounts. I had the welds re-done when I had the brackets welded onto the unibody and axle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/JeepPics007.jpg

After mocking in the first spring, I repeated the process for the second.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics012.jpg

Put the axle under the springs, with the new spring perches just sitting on it. Got the perches under the springs, and then positioned the axle so it was centered.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics013.jpg

xj_man_646

March 8th, 2007, 11:14

New leaf angle. I since added a set of shackles that are about 2.5" longer than the ones in the picture. They made the leaf angle even better.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics014-1.jpg

Then, since I had little welding experience out of the highschool welding shop at the time, had a guy I knew come out to weld the brackets for me. For the driverside spring perch, he had to use Ni55 welding rod, because the driver side spring perch was getting welded to the cast housing. Proper welding method for welding mild steel to cast is to pre-heat the cast hot enough to melt a crayon, weld the brackets in 1-2" stitch welds, while peening the welds after they are burned on. Once all the welds are done, slow cooling should be done to keep the welds from cracking.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics015.jpg

The passenger side spring perch burned on with your standard MIG.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics016.jpg

Lower control arm brackets fully welded to the unibody
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics017.jpg

Axle all welded, with a fresh coat of spray paint
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics018.jpg

All done!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics020.jpg

Since the build, I installed a set of Chevy flat top knuckles, and a passenger side high steer arm. I then got a couple chunks of 1.5x.25" DOM tubing, some TRE's from Napa (PN ES2010R and 2010L if I remember right), some 7/8" x 18 thread tubing inserts and jam nuts from Poison Spyder, and made new steering consisting of a high draglink (utilizing previously stated high steer arm) and a tie rod in the stock chevy location.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/DSC00337.jpg

HTeK

March 12th, 2007, 15:54

Looks pretty good.

You should post in the "Front Leaf Spring Thread" and link to this post...

-Justin

xrayjeeper83

March 12th, 2007, 16:16

So you were about to use the stock DS correct?

Andrew

xj9140

March 13th, 2007, 06:44

Looks good. What size are those swampers?

NfSALD

March 14th, 2007, 21:28

I dig it! Good writeup.

ttocsnekia

March 15th, 2007, 06:08

They are 36's. do you run any steering stablilizers Pigeon?

Tommy_Harrell

March 15th, 2007, 09:44

I remember when the Travis (previous owner) PAID A SHOP to do that swap. The funniest part was the pitman arm welded to the knuckle.

Tommy

P.S. it looked good in Crawl.

xj_man_646

April 1st, 2007, 14:10

I remember when the Travis (previous owner) PAID A SHOP to do that swap. The funniest part was the pitman arm welded to the knuckle.

Tommy

P.S. it looked good in Crawl.
wow. I've never run into a person who knew him before. yeah...the pitman arm welded to the knuckle was bad.

thanks for the compliment

xj_man_646

April 1st, 2007, 14:10

They are 36's. do you run any steering stablilizers Pigeon?
no.

xj_man_646

April 1st, 2007, 14:12

So you were about to use the stock DS correct?

Andrew
Still am.

xj_man_646

April 1st, 2007, 14:14

Looks pretty good.

You should post in the "Front Leaf Spring Thread" and link to this post...

-Justin
Done

XJmania030

April 1st, 2007, 20:12

i like it

Ludakris

April 6th, 2007, 12:25

i think i would add some more to that front mount... my guess would be the "frame" horns will eventually warp.. some side plates bolted on and welded to the angle would probably do wonders... $.02

xj_man_646

April 7th, 2007, 06:59

i think i would add some more to that front mount... my guess would be the "frame" horns will eventually warp.. some side plates bolted on and welded to the angle would probably do wonders... $.02
not quite sure I follow

Kittrell

April 7th, 2007, 09:53

xj_man_646

April 7th, 2007, 12:21

well my bumper has those plates that tie into the steering box mount, and other holes as well on both sides. that strengthens everything, doesn't it? i've had 0 problems running it as it is as of yet.

TNT

April 7th, 2007, 14:54

Agreed, that front crossmember made of for the shackle mounts could still use some substantial work. Something like HTeK did.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/050da.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/061so.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/110sb.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/134yp.jpg

In the picture shown above the front crossmember looks good but has some issues with the shackle set-up.

The shackle angle when drooped is wrong, it will limiting down travel and reverse(go up instead of forward and down) when compressing after full droop. It needs to be slightly longer with the upper shackle mounts moved rearward. Other than that it appears to be a nice work.

rcasey

April 8th, 2007, 18:40

I dig the 'Tad' perches. :greensmok

One of these days I'm going to do this to my MJ. I have the axles and springs laying around. I keep 'Tad' perches in stock, so to speak. I've used them on three SOAs now. Very good, reasonably priced parts.

Nice job!

xj_man_646

April 8th, 2007, 18:47

xrayjeeper83

April 10th, 2007, 10:36

What is the "tad" perch, who makes it?

Andrew

xj_man_646

April 11th, 2007, 14:55

john0089

April 22nd, 2007, 19:29

How good does the front leaf swapped cherokee work on the road without running stabilizer bars? Is there any wobbling, or control issues? I have a serious death wobble problem, and I am thinking about just doing this swap.

xj_man_646

April 25th, 2007, 09:34

nope, only 'wobble' i get is due to the severely un-balanced 36" TSL's. the bushings in my springs are shot beyond being bad...almost gone, and i still don't get any wobble from that. new bushings, and it should handle really well.

you sure your death wobble isn't due to bad TRE's, or ball joints? i'd replace those before swapping out suspension.

XJ20

April 25th, 2007, 09:54

this is the "tad" perch

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/xj_man_646/Jeepbuilduppics016.jpg

I got them off of IFSJA, i can't remember from who.

they are really nice. really beefy, really long with the 1 center and +/-1 inch offset centering pin holes.

You got them from tad, lol.

He’s a fellow member of ifsja.org and a welding instructor at cholla high here in tucson.http://www.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/tipshades.gif

http://ttsfabworks.home.mchsi.com/perch.htm

xj_man_646

April 25th, 2007, 18:24

You got them from tad, lol.

He’s a fellow member of ifsja.org and a welding instructor at cholla high here in tucson.http://www.dakotacom.net/~jeepster/tipshades.gif

http://ttsfabworks.home.mchsi.com/perch.htm
yep, that's him. small world. if you talk to him, tell him i love those perchs