check out my leaf springs!!

Hi,
Im soon to be replacing my rear leaf springs, I sourced a complete used set of leaf springs on the cheap as an urgent fix that i believe i need. The new spring pack is almost new, but are not the greatest of quality in terms of spring rate.
The new leaf pack that i have got will be much better than these ones, but will apparently only offer me slightly above flat due to an increase in weight that i have got in the rear (in way of additional auto gas tank.) My question is could i use the main spring in this one to act as an AAL on my new spring pack to strenthen it, or perhaps the 2nd spring or would you say that my existing pack is completly toast???
Im not looking for lift at this time, just moving away from axle wrap. The 2nd photo shows the sag that ive got
When i get some cash together my plan is to use the new spring pack main and then get a decent AAL but this probably wont be until the late spring. credit crunch and all!





Note the snow, and i have no hot air for my feet!!

Bastard pack it
That's what I'm runnin for 5.25"

Yeah 5 inches plus of lift would be great but i havent the confidence, knowledge or money yet to deal with the other changes required. (But im working on it!!)

A bastard pack even, this side of christmas is out of the question believe it or not coz im that short of cash. (I just paid the jeep stealership 45 uk pounds (thats roughly 60 us dollars i guess for TWO spring eye bolts just in case i need to cut them out when i start working on it.:doh:

Lets say that the new spring pack will give me 2 inches of "lift" (i.e return me to flat from the current sag). That is my main priority and will be doing this in the next couple of weeks.

But, If i use that main spring pictured as an AAL, would it TRY to give me a negative arch as the ENDS might be pulling in a downward direction from the new main spring causing it to be even weaker.
Or would you use perhaps another one of those springs pictured to give additonal strength.
Ultimatley, im not looking for lift at this time other than anything standard that wont require making changes elsewhere, and id like to know could i make my new leaf pack more robust with springs from existing spring pack?

dunbad said:

and id like to know could i make my new leaf pack more robust with springs from existing spring pack?

Click to expand...

yes, you will also need a new(longer) alignment spring bolt/pin that runs through the leaves and into the spring perch on the axle. you can get an allen head bolt at the hardware store and grind the head down to fit in the hole of the perch.

Many thanks, thats what i wanted to know.
Ive already got the said bolt, and clamps for the additional spring. Would you use that main spring with the eyes cut off or would you use that 2nd spring?
Many thanks

cut the eyes off use it as 2nd leaf

dunbad said:

Many thanks, thats what i wanted to know.
Ive already got the said bolt, and clamps for the additional spring. Would you use that main spring with the eyes cut off or would you use that 2nd spring?
Many thanks

Click to expand...

BOTH.

Well, that's what I did for around 3". Just the main; probably 2", just the second spring; 1". These are all estimates in any case.

The reason why it'll work, even with super sagged springs like yours, once you remove them there should be at least a little load bearing arch. On top of that, each spring gives about 1/4" due to thickness alone.

What is a Bastard pack? i probley sound stupid asking this but o well

Mr RANDOM
many thanks for your input. I will be amazed if i get that much lift from my worn out and very tired springs. But thats very interesting to know.
ill certainly use the main with the eye cut off. As i mentioned its just a kinda temporary fix that i will be able to sort out properly in 5 or 6 months or so when ive got some more cash to start thinking about a more substantial, lift but wanted something strong enough to last till then

I've posted on this before, but will repeat here. Many people like just to cut the eyes off a main leaf and add it, and that seems to work fine. When I did this on my sagging 95, I used instead, the next leaf down (#2 if you count down), and cut that leaf so it fit between the original #2 and #3. If you look at your spring, you'll see that the stock step between lengths there is much longer than the others, and it is here more than anywhere else that you see the tendency for the springs to take a reverse curve. Adding that spring brought my height back to stock with no discernible effect on ride, and it looks very neat too.

When cutting springs remember that the axle is not centered on the spring - one end is longer than the other. Measure once, cut twice, etc.

An allen head bolt will work for the center, and you won't need to grind the head down at all. The existing bolt is metric (m8 I think), and as it happens, the perfect length replacement for the bolt is the one used in nearly every VW constant velocity U-joint for the last 30 years, so if you know any old VW nuts out there, see if they have some left over, since it's common to need to replace slightly mangled ones, and many mechanics replace them routinely. A slightly damaged head is no problem here. [/URL][/IMG]

jeepfreak1020 said:

What is a Bastard pack? i probley sound stupid asking this but o well

Click to expand...

its when you take 2(or more) spring packs and combine them together to make one.

A fatherless leaf pack

lol a fatherless leaf pack.

GO to rocklizardfabrications.com or search on google for their "budget boost" it's junkyard style. If you get an add a leaf or cut a main from a XJ pack you will bring the arch back into the mix thus lifting up your XJ. It may settle back to stock or net you a good deal of small lift. This will hold over till you afford any said lift you want to purchase down the road. Add a leaf isn't a bad idea for now. I've had mine for a year and have pulled/loaded and sagged the F out of it. When everything is out of the back it returns to it's proper level.

Mr_Random said:

BOTH.

Well, that's what I did for around 3". Just the main; probably 2", just the second spring; 1". These are all estimates in any case.

The reason why it'll work, even with super sagged springs like yours, once you remove them there should be at least a little load bearing arch. On top of that, each spring gives about 1/4" due to thickness alone.

Click to expand...

Main plus second added to an unsagged pack will net you 2.5" of very nice riding lift. I have done main alone and main plus second.
Dunbad, if you do main plus second you need new Ubolts. The originals MAY bolt up but it will be too close for safety. Given the amount of sag I think you should do main + second.

Get a pair of these
http://www.quadratec.com/products/56010_11.htm

It doesn't look to be sagging as badly as those leaf packs look!

Many thanks for all your very informative replies.

Matthewcurrie,
youve touched on something there that i was concerned about but couldnt put my finger on what it was.
My existing pack is effectivley flat, all the way down to about 5 inches before the front spring eye. The distance between 2 and 3 and the stock step between lengths that you talk about makes sense.
That said, ill use the main from my existing pack and run it the full length to the new spring eye. Then ill take the 2nd from my existing pack and try and plug the gap that you are talking about. So 2 springs in total.
Because of the additional tanks i have the equivlant of a decent size bag of cement in the very rear of my car the whole time. So 2 springs makes sense, i just wasnt sure if i could use them for any positive gain because of the state of my particular springs.

Im still new to this but have read up on it loads and know that much will come down to trial and error but am determined to try and change these myself.
I have a garage at the end of my road who is ready to step in if i have problems but i cant do it now because i havent the money to pay him if it goes wrong!!
ill take many photos and maybe an edited video showing others how not to do it!!!:doh: you may even get to see my 6ft breaker bar

dunbad said:

Many thanks for all your very informative replies.

Matthewcurrie,
youve touched on something there that i was concerned about but couldnt put my finger on what it was.
My existing pack is effectivley flat, all the way down to about 5 inches before the front spring eye. The distance between 2 and 3 and the stock step between lengths that you talk about makes sense.
That said, ill use the main from my existing pack and run it the full length to the new spring eye. Then ill take the 2nd from my existing pack and try and plug the gap that you are talking about. So 2 springs in total.
Because of the additional tanks i have the equivlant of a decent size bag of cement in the very rear of my car the whole time. So 2 springs makes sense, i just wasnt sure if i could use them for any positive gain because of the state of my particular springs.

Im still new to this but have read up on it loads and know that much will come down to trial and error but am determined to try and change these myself.
I have a garage at the end of my road who is ready to step in if i have problems but i cant do it now because i havent the money to pay him if it goes wrong!!
ill take many photos and maybe an edited video showing others how not to do it!!!:doh: you may even get to see my 6ft breaker bar

Click to expand...

Two extra leaves should work fine too, if you want the lift and a little more beef. The only drawback I can see is that you'll likely need new U-bolts.

I was surprised at how much recovery I got from putting in one spring, even though my rear was sagging quite a bit, but I did not gain any lift, so I'm guessing your plan will give you a nice bit of lift in addition.

Matthew Currie said:

Two extra leaves should work fine too, if you want the lift and a little more beef. The only drawback I can see is that you'll likely need new U-bolts.

I was surprised at how much recovery I got from putting in one spring, even though my rear was sagging quite a bit, but I did not gain any lift, so I'm guessing your plan will give you a nice bit of lift in addition.

Click to expand...

May not need new u-bolts, for strength and peace of mind I would do it. I have longer/stronger ones on the insides of my perches, and the stock ones on the outside, because there were some mounting/ratchet/wrench clearance problems.

I just used some grade eight hardeware for the center pin, can't remember the length... maybe around 2 1/2"? each leaf is about 1/4" thick, so add all of those together plus some thread length for the nut and that's what you'll need.