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coil overs

djrethoret

djrethoret

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tempe, Arizona
i searched but didnt find anything i wondered if anyone has seen or heard of someone doing a spring reduction and adding coil overs. keeping one or 2 leafs out of the pack but putting most of the suspension load on the coil overs. im tired of leaf springs sagging. the pre-runner look is kool but now what im looking for in my jeep. if you have seen this any type of supports modifications that would need to be done would be helpful. thanks
 
why would you keep the leaves at all if you do this. Several vendors sell a rear XJ coil conversion. What you want is no different than a rear four link with coil overs.
 
a buddy put coil overs in the back of his cherokee using the stock mounting locations. he was at stock height and sagging horribly. it did add lift, and stiffen up the ride as desired. did it perform well otherwise? i cant comment there.
 
yeah i was kinda looking for something cheaper and simpler then a 4 link system. i would love to do something like that in the future but right now its not really possible
 
A leaf spring acts as the control arms to locate the axle and control torque, as well as the spring. If you remove leaves then you decrease the ability of the leaf spring to locate the axle and control axle wrap. The coilover would be a good spring and shock, but the leaf would twist into an S with axle wrap and you'd bind the u-joint at the pinion and break the yoke. Sorry.
 
Which type of "Coilovers" are you talking about?

sensatrac_loadadjust.jpg


OR

SAW_Coilovers.jpg


There is a big difference between the two. I've got the top "helper" coilovers in the back of my '99 (only because I bought it with them). You would run leaf springs with this setup (unmodified, leave the packs full or you'll run into the issues Goatman stated). They do net about 1" or so and stop the sag, but the ride is harsh. They will be the first thing to go to the garbage bin when that XJ gets changed.

I've got the lower ones (not my picture, nor are those mine but very similar) in the back of my '97. There is a LOT more work involved than just bolting them in. You would not run leaf springs with that setup.
 
Assuming you're talking about true coilovers and not the "helpers" posted above, you're looking at spending at least $500 for the shocks, coils, hardware, etc. and that doesn't include what it's gonna take to mount them.

With that kind of money you're much better off just buying a set of Deavers and being done with it. They'll bolt up and perform much better than anything you're talking about.
 
lol alot of this stuff i understood and knew already. the way you would set up a budget mini-truck is more the idea i had with a single leaf and the bag set up but using a coil over instead but i guess the real trick is to just wait and do a 4 link and living with putting atleast one more set of leafs on. the rough countrys i have on right now have lasted less then a year on my rig before they started sagging. ive got 4.5 inches in the front and maybe 3 in the rear at this point. thanks for the help guys
 
BTW the shock mounts aren't made to support the weight of the vehicle. Can they?? Well they seem to be doing the job on RCman's but how do we know the coilovers aren't stressing his unibody improperly or bending it slightly?
 
djrethoret said:
but i guess the real trick is to just wait and do a 4 link and living with putting atleast one more set of leafs on. the rough countrys i have on right now have lasted less then a year on my rig before they started sagging. ive got 4.5 inches in the front and maybe 3 in the rear at this point. thanks for the help guys
Click to expand...
Thats a better plan. Invest in some quality springs.
winkosmosis said:
BTW the shock mounts aren't made to support the weight of the vehicle. Can they?? Well they seem to be doing the job on RCman's but how do we know the coilovers aren't stressing his unibody improperly or bending it slightly?
Click to expand...
Now, which "coilovers" are you talking about?
The Monroe Sensatrac "coilovers" aren't really. They are by definition but that is about it. Really all they are is a shock with a helper spring over them. The additional force on the unibody is minimal at best. Nothing to worry about other than the harsh ride.
The SAW, Fox, Bilstein, etc coilovers are the real deal, those I would definitely not bolt into the stock shock mounts if it was even possible.
 
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yeah the thing about the set of leafs i have on now is they were free so i cant complain too much. the rubi's arent rediculously expensive and my pops had his on for 3 or 4 years before noticeing any sag. i think that the fact that i wheel almost every weekend or every other weekend isnt helping matters but again thanks for the input. does anyone have a link to a site that sells bolt on 4 link kits? just out of curiousities sake
 
bolt on? not to sure you'll find one that's bolt on, nor would I want to run a bolt on coil conversion kit... somethings need to be welded.

staangsfab.com - been getting good reviews from local people here

tnt - link to current TNT XJ build... talk to poster, he'll set you up.

rock krawler - rear coil conversion upgrade

claytons - complete lift kit, front & rear

probably others, that search took about 7 minutes on google.

if your just looking to combat spring sag, why not grab some new packs?
 
djrethoret said:
yeah the thing about the set of leafs i have on now is they were free so i cant complain too much. the rubi's arent rediculously expensive and my pops had his on for 3 or 4 years before noticeing any sag. i think that the fact that i wheel almost every weekend or every other weekend isnt helping matters but again thanks for the input. does anyone have a link to a site that sells bolt on 4 link kits? just out of curiousities sake
Click to expand...

I wouldn't buy new leaves, just add a leaf or two to yours to bring the height back up. The extra leaves will help control spring wrap, which most likely is what is ruining your springs and causing them to sag. It's pretty simple to find some used leaves of the right length and add them in.
 
djrethoret said:
lol alot of this stuff i understood and knew already.
Click to expand...

Look buddy, if you already "know" everything and what you want to do why ask? You are proposing a bad idea and you are getting guidance. Do it right and replace your leaf pack, link it up, or, as Goatman suggested, repair your leaf pack. Sorry if I"m harsh but this "No, I don't like your suggestion, I have this bad idea and I think it's awesome and only came here to get encouragement!" attitude annoys the hell out of me.


PS - The OEM shock mounts will never survive all, or even most, of the suspension forces.
 
wow not really what i was doing i took everyones advice to heart. and after hearing their opinions i see why that was, mayeb not a bad idea, but a poorly thought out one. dont come on here callin me out when you have no idea what i was thinking. kool? as for the shock mounts im not a fool i know that they cant support the suspension on their own if you read the freakin post i asked about modifications that would have to be done. if you got on here just lookin to harass someone thats kool but in the future just leave me the hell out of it. glad we had that chat have yourself a nice day.
 
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