Buggy leaf for rear

So I was up at eagle rock this past weekend and stopped to talk to some guys while we waited for the hill to clear. One of them had a buggy leaf/three quarter elliptical set up in a CJ-7. Has anyone done this on a the rear of an XJ? I'm running a RE 5.5" lift with 35's and was looking for a little more droop out of the rear end, especially with a Ford 9" about to go in with higher shock mounts (want to maximize the full range of motion in the shocks). I realize there could be some serious issues with axle wrap but could that be taken care of, for the most part, with limiting straps? What about some form of swivel for the spring perch? Then I'd have issues with the rear axle sitting straight under the rear of the jeep...right? I still need the street manners of the jeep to be tolerable because I drive to the trail. I searched and couldn't find anything about 3/4 elliptical, mostly just 1/4 elliptical. Any ideas on how this performs on the trail? Road? Is it worth it for 4-6" of more flex?

then how about you buy a 1.5" u-bolt eliminator, 1.5" drop shackles, and 2.5" bastard pack?

I have never seen a 3/4 elliptical set up except for in like a covered wagon. Did you happen to snag a picture?
I would think that you would need some type of way to locate the axle (3-link, 4-link, etc.). I'm assuming you would use a normal leaf plus a half leaf connected by some kind of bushing? It seems like it would be really tall and unstable.

Chris

The reason for no u-bolt eliminators (sp?) and bastard pack is I've already got the RE 5.5" leafs in the rear. I don't want to go any taller than what I'm at now, I've got plenty of clearance and the CG is fairly low (all things considered). I'm just trying to get more flex out of the rear, more specifically droop. Here's a link to a picasa folder with pictures in it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/xjjeeper91/RearSuspension?authkey=uJJdAKHa-rg#5251900652164279282
It's just half a leaf on top that allows the shackle to drop down farther. I was just looking for some tech answers from people who have done this such as what leaf to use (length, spring rate, etc) and what would be the best way to attach it, expected problems to run into. I don't think it would be unstable....but that is just looking at pictures and not really running any math on it. Unless you were referring to a swivel point on the spring perch, which yes, I think is out of the question due to my minimal (if that) fabbing skills.

If stability does not end up being an issue, you can also make you shackle angle better with that setup too. Im not sure about the stability issue though:huh:

How are you going to attach the buggy leaf to the "frame"
How are you going to control axle wrap with limit straps
How are you going to prevent unloading going down hills



Most people do that stuff on Toyotas or things with actual frames. If you really want info on it, search on Pirate.

That being said, there is a reason people dont run them on XJs. Look at relocating your shackle, as that will give you more droop, and a better ride, without doing a sketchy 3/4 elliptical.

It's been done....search the advanced fab forum for a lot of info

"attach to frame" - with a plate on the bottom of the leaf, one going through the frame (supported/braced) and bolts? maybe? Also thinking about a way to attach the top leaf to the frame so that it will not flex out on the road.
"control axle wrap" - spring wrap, sorry. But still, try and keep the axle from sliding out from underneath the jeep by limiting it to only drop so far.
"prevent unloading downhill" - with a single spring soft enough to unload after the leaf pack has I don't think it would be any different than driving downhill with soft springs. Unless I decided to nose dive in which case I think I would have bigger issues at that point.

You are right though, it is done mostly on vehicles with frames in which case it is easier to attach (don't have to worry about weakening the frame by going through it), I just saw it and had wondered why it had not been done on an XJ. Just searched some more and found Matt and his setup. Still no real stories on how it performs though. Thanks for the info so far though.

most of the 3/4 eliptical setups I've seen use a single leaf for the top 1/4 so at rest the leaf is fully pressed against the mount (be it a frame or bottom of the tub or whatever) and only opens up as the weight drops away. Because it is a single spring the spring rate isn't very high so it doesn't add much lift. I can see how you could do it on an XJ and get no extra lift.

I've thought about doing it myself. A center limit strap and an anti wrap bar would take care of most of the axle/spring wrap and unloading problems. For street use a way of pinning the buggy leaf may be wanted to keep the rear from unloading during a hard stop situation but that wouldn't be overly difficult to make.

I pretty much gave up on the idea though as it seems like more of a ramp queen mod and a lot of effort into leafs that I'd personally like to ditch for coil overs.

after the first nav school finishes and I have another wait, I want to do a 1/4 elliptical setup on the back. looking for 6" and a baja setup. Dont have the time right now