Using F-150 coils and Dakota/S-10 leaf packs for an XJ...

[SuperSport88XJ]

I'm looking into this as I've seen more than a couple of guys mention this type of setup. What has worked the best for you guys and is there any other way of approaching this? I'm looking for a stiffer ride and a lift without killing my wallet. Help me out. Thanks

[evil dead]

seach "s10 bastad spring pack" there is a phenomenal write up on here

[bcsavage]

and I hear nothing but complaints about how stiff f150 coils are. You'd be better off with some spacers. Can't remember how much lift f150 coils are supposed to give you. I've got 2" spacers kicking around here somewhere.

[SuperSport88XJ]

bcsavage-I'm a total newbie, what is and how does a spacer work? I believe F-150 coils give rougly a 3.5" lift(correct me if I'm wrong, since I really am not positive).

evildead-Will do, thanks for the 411.

[bcsavage]

coil spacers do just that, they go in between the stock rubber isolator and the mount to provide some extra lift. available in 3/8" to 2" plus apparently you can put two 2" in for 4" (don't quote me on that though)

http://www.rocky-road.com/media/wj_kit_install.jpg

or you could get adjustables which would allow up to 4" of lift as well but they are a bit more "hefty" than a poly spacer (hefty = good thing).

http://www.rocky-road.com/media/adjcoilspacer2.gif

both can be had at rocky-road.com or ebay if you like. Poly's are $10-80 ($10 being the 3/8", $80 being two pairs of 2") and the adjustables are about $170-200.

FYI - ford coils = stiff and around 3"

have you also thought about longer shocks and brake-lines? Tracbar and steering angles? If I weren't so poor I'd have most of this stuff for you but it's taking me longer than I had hoped to get all my parts together for my rebuild lol. I do have 2" spacers and 2" Add-a-leafs in my garage as well as an axle-side tracbar drop bracket, been meaning to post them in the FS section but most people in the states don't buy from us canooks hasta what's coming off my jeep is a procomp 3" lift (front coils, rear angled blocks, home-made t-case 3/4" drop) but I've got to get RE rear leafs before I can let any of that go and I just don't have the $500 it'll cost to get them to me :S

[yellowxj]

save some money and watch the classifieds on naxja. Usually u can find a lift someone is pulling off...or save $280 (Rough country 3" w/ long AAL and premium shocks) or rustys 3"...usually by the time you gather up all the junk yard stuff and bought all the stuff individually it would have been cheaper just to save money for couple months

[JLane99XJ]

available in 3/8" to 2" plus apparently you can put two 2" in for 4" (don't quote me on that though)

..S


and even more so than don't quote him DON'T DO THAT

i've seen ppl do the double stacked spacers
1x on a trail-rig with about 8" of lift and 37s every-time the thing flexed the smallest amount it dropped a coil on the trail..MAJOR PITA!!

PLUS the main reason its unsafe to put the suspension load on the lower end of the coil tower like that!!
-and with stock springs a little bump in the road an un-seated coil = tire eatin the inner fenderwell = very bad day

[nosigma]

Dont use the F-150 coils. I tried it for about one circuit around the block and hated it. Some say they like it but they must have really cushy seats. This picture tells all.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/nosigma/springlineup.jpg

The F-150 coil is on the left, then the XJ coil and a couple of T-Bird coils with the adapter required to use them in the foreground.

The F-150 coil is SHORTER than the stock XJ coil yet it lifts the front several inches because its WAY stiffer. Look at the wire diameter, look at the yard stick.

John

[nosigma]

OK so I told you stuff you didnt want to hear, now I will give you some helpful information:

ZJ coils can be had for $15-25 bucks at pick-n-pulls depending where you are. These coils will lift you 1 to 1-1/2 inches. Add to this a pair of extra stock coil isolaters on each side (free to $5) and you get a total lift of between 2 and 2-1/2 inches.

If you go much above this you will need an adjustable track bar. Some get by without it but you will have problems with one side rubbing very early before full stuff and you will start to have problems with the stock sway links.

Add to this a partial bastard pack and you will have a very nice looking and much more capable rig.

Dont forget the lift lets you get into deeper trouble faster without skids, rocker armor, tow points and a good jack. I am a firm believer in armor & skids. You can always lift more later but it tough to fix the smashed rockers and broken transfer case. Inch-itis is tough to resist but resist it.

BTW if the DC you live in is Washington DC send me a pm and I can assist you with finding and installing the lift, brake lines, bump stops and other items.

John

[SuperSport88XJ]

nosig-Yep, I live in that DC. Temple Hills to be specific(think, exit 4 north495 of the Wilson bridge). Mainly I'll be using the truck for the beach, not trails at this point in time. I'm moving out to San Diego in January, at which time I'll make it into a sand dune type ride. But the skidplates and armor will most certainly come.

BCsavage-Just let me know about those parts, I'm down.

Thanks guys for all the info!

[splitz]

If you are planning on building your own leafs, I have double lipped liner I can sell you. PM me if you are interested.

[SuperSport88XJ]

Splitz-I might be interested if I knew what a double lipped liner was. Please explain, hey I'm new at this lol.

[splitz]

No problem. In order to gain the most flex out of your leaf packs, you'll need to reduce the friction between them. Normally a teflon pad is placed at the ends of each leaf. Ideally you want a full liner that goes the full length of the leaf. The double lipped liner is a full liner that looks like an I-beam. When the leaf pack is assembled, the lips help prevent dust and crap from getting between the leafs, which in turn helps reduce friction.

Let me know if you need more detail than this.

[bcsavage]

No problem. In order to gain the most flex out of your leaf packs, you'll need to reduce the friction between them. Normally a teflon pad is placed at the ends of each leaf. Ideally you want a full liner that goes the full length of the leaf. The double lipped liner is a full liner that looks like an I-beam. When the leaf pack is assembled, the lips help prevent dust and crap from getting between the leafs, which in turn helps reduce friction.

Let me know if you need more detail than this.

where would someone normally acquire this stuff from?

[splitz]

Well if you lived in the states Ive got 33 ft for $50 delivered. This is enough for a stock pack plus the top two leafs from another stock pack.

[nosigma]

SuperSport88XJ

YOU LUCKY BSTRD

I move to DC area from SD in August. You are going to love it. SD and LA NAXJA guys are real active. There are many dozens if not hundreds of trails. You need to look up the San Diego Four Wheelers (they meet at the Balboa Park Auto museum the first Thursday of each month. Buy the trail guides for De Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Got Superstion Mountain, Glamis, Truckhaven, Big Bear, Calico and Johnson Valley. RUN THE RUBICON.

You really need to get full skids and rocker guards if you dont already have them. You are in for a great time.

John

[SuperSport88XJ]

nosigma-That is so great to hear(well, not the part of you moving to DC...basically the rest of your post tho). Yeah, a close friend is transferring with the military out there so I took him up on the offer to head out west. I don't have any skids or rockers yet, hell I'm just getting my new windshield in tommorow. Then I'm onto replacing some seals and my exhaust to get it through inspection, then ripping out the interior and hurculinering it. Great to hear that they're plenty of trails, as soon as I head out there I'm buying a daily driver and making the XJ my offroader/beach bruiser.

It's an opportunity I just can't turn down, I'm 21 so why the hell not? Plus I'll be rent free for a while, since my buddies house burned down post-kitchen renovation(which I did, and no the fire wasn't my fault), I'm taking about 3 months off to rebuild his whole house for him. Should bank me enough to do what I want to the XJ, buy my daily driver, and put me back into college.

I can't wait for SoCal.

[jfiscus]

I have to disagree with mos tof the posters in this tread about thdoing this type of lift!
I just built a lift for my father-in-law's XJ so he can go wheeling with my local club. (he's been a passenger for too long)

We used:
79 F150 Coils (new at Advance Auto for $55 for the pair)
2" poly spacers (new at Rustys for $30)
79 F150 shocks (new at Advance Auto for $25 ea)
For the rear we used the top 2 leaves from a 3-leaf S10 pack added into his stock pack.
It came out to a little over 5" of lift.

He hardly ever drives this Jeep on the road, but I drove it around & it rode alright to me (even with all stock steering). We took it wheeling & it was unstoppable on all the trails we tried, even did better than an XJ on 35s with 8" lift...

Here are some pics of it:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/jfiscus/91%20Jeep%20Cherokee/pete-flex.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/jfiscus/Haspin%2003-11-07/DSC08117.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/jfiscus/Haspin%2003-11-07/DSC08115.jpg

[benni302]

did you have to do anything special to get the coils to fit or did they just go right in?

[SuperSport88XJ]

jfiscus-Thanks for outlining all that you put in, great pics too!

[bubba68]

ok so i tried to put s-10 pack on my buddys 99 and the centerpin sets the axle too far back about 2.5-3 inches back has any one drilled and relocated the pin in the leafs ???? so i put 2 inch blocks on it for now.


i have a rubicon 4.5 kit so i had no problems with mine.:roll:

[anotherjeff]

if you really want to use the f-150/dakota combo check out this link. he goes into it with detail.

http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Suspension_Steering_Axles_and_Brakes/Budget_Lift.htm

however, my son just bought a 93 and we are going to use the dakota 'bastard pack' on the rear (junk yard $35), generic front 3" coils from (rusty's or PORC $99) and an adjustable economy trac bar (from PORC's or rusty's for about $119) or you could use a trac-bar relocation bracket (ebay $40). that's pretty much what i did for my first lift on my '92 (way back in '96).

[jfiscus]

ok so i tried to put s-10 pack on my buddys 99 and the centerpin sets the axle too far back about 2.5-3 inches back has any one drilled and relocated the pin in the leafs ???? so i put 2 inch blocks on it for now.


i have a rubicon 4.5 kit so i had no problems with mine.:roll:

You don't put the whole pack in:
You take the whole S10 pack (from junkyard or where ever) & cut the evys off, leaving as much spring as possible; I think the main leaves are bent down at the eyes & easy to see where to cut.
Then, you cut the center pin out/off with a angle grinder (use a c-clamp on the pack while cutting as the leaves are under tension). Wear eye protection.
Now, take your u-bolts off your stock pack, then cut your old center pin off (same deal with eye protection & c-clamp). Put the top/main S10 spring under your OEM main leaf, put your 2nd XJ leaf on, put the 2nd longest S10 leaf on then put your other XJ leave(s?) back on in order. Make sure you have the S10 leaves facign the right direction (front to back lengthwise) & bolt it all back in. You'll need longer u-bolts, a new 5/8"(?) center pin, & some spring clamps.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/jfiscus/91%20Jeep%20Cherokee/newpack1.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/jfiscus/91%20Jeep%20Cherokee/newpack2.jpg