Budget lift instead of just replacing the shocks...

So I got my electrical work wrapped up (for now) on my 2000 XJ and I've been driving it and towing my trailer and hauling different bikes on the Joe Hauler hitch-mount ramp/carrier. The rear sags more than I'd like during towing, and way more than I'd like when using the Joe Hauler to carry a 300-400 lb bike. The tired shocks are still the stock original shocks (I believe) and they've been on for over 138K miles. I wanted to firm up the rear (back to the original rake of the vehicle) and I figured I'd put that Rubicon Express 2" budget lift on, which includes the front spacers, rear add-a-leaf(s), some hardware, and a full set of shocks. Since the original rear leaf packs are sagging, and the measurement is the same from the rear rocker to the ground as it is at the front, I'm thinking that just adding the add-a-leaf to the rear packs is not going to bring the rear up enough and might start to sag again when the new leaf settles in. What do you think of swapping out the stock rear leaves for some OME 2" HD leaf packs which will need bushings, plus shipping, or the ProComp ones I can get with bushings @ 4 Wheel Parts down in Sacto? Do either of these leaf packs use polyurethane pads between the leaves to keep them quiet, or is that even important? Any other recommendations for 2" rear leaves that will work well with the fact that I often tow a relatively light-duty utility trailer (single axle, GVWR ~2 tons) and sometimes use the Joe Hauler, putting 300-400+ pounds on the rear?

My goal is to improve the ride control (new shocks) get the rear back in shape (leaves or add-a-leaf) and get the bonus of a slight lift that won't require other expense to change rear-axle angles or transfer case dropping (yet). This should get it back on track & save me some money until I can save for the real lift later.

Thanks for the input!

I would not do add a leafs, I would do new spring packs.

Bastard pack is the only add-a-leaf I would do.
Adding a used long leaf from a donor cherokee pack (with the ends cut off), is a good way to get some lift, beef up the pack, and will not sag after install.
The ride doesn't change much, a little firmer.
Then add a 1.5 - 2 inch shackle. By now, you should be about 2.5 - 3 inches higher than you were with sagging leafs.(1.5 - 2 inches over stock.) Both of these mods can be kept when going higher.

If you want to replace the leafs completely, then I think that the OME HD 2" springs and maybe an MJ shackle should do what you want.
For the front, I would find some V8 ZJ Upcountry coils and maybe a 2nd coil spring isolator.

Yeah, I'm thinking replacing the leafs is the way to go. What will the MJ shackle do for me?

Will the V8 ZJ coils be longer than my stock ones? Will they be stiffer? Will I still want to use a spacer? Is it critical to find the UpCountry ones (does that equal stiffer?)?

Thanks for all the advice.

MJ shackle will give you appox .5-.75 lift
V8 ZJ Upcountry nets approx 2" So Upcountry is IMPORTANT if you go that route. I do beleive the spring rate is higher. I would say depending on ride height in the rear after new leafs, maybe use a coil spacer/2nd coil spring isolator to level it out.

Thanks for the info... 4-Wheel Parts is having a "sale" this Saturday in Sac, so I'm going to head down & see what I can pick up. If I can get the stuff I want for a reasonable price, I'll be heading home to start wrenching on my junk. I looked more closely at the stock rear springs, and they're depressingly flat - almost bowed back the wrong way - so I'm actually surprised the rear even sits as high as it does. I have a tendency, like my dad, to keep too much heavy crap in the back of my Jeep, so it wants to squat anyway. I might just do shackles to get a little more clearance for when things settle in.

So, anyone up in the Yuba City/ Marysville area feel like lending a hand on the install? Pizza or BBQ and beer is most certainly on me.

If your leafs are sagging as much as you say. extended shackles are just going to make it worse.

Johnnie Walker said:

If you want to replace the leafs completely, then I think that the OME HD 2" springs and maybe an MJ shackle should do what you want.
For the front, I would find some V8 ZJ Upcountry coils and maybe a 2nd coil spring isolator.

Click to expand...

On a stock rig with no armor, OME HD 2" (CS035RAs) net more like 3.5", and that's with stock shackles. I'd probably go for OME MD 2" leafs. V8 ZJ 1" lift coils (OME934s) which probably are a V8 ZJ Upcountry coil got me about 3.5", too. I would probably put V8 ZJ coils and an extra coil isolator in, supposedly that gets about 2" total. Just make sure they're from a V8 equipped one, or they won't get you any lift at all.

Johnnie Walker said:

If your leafs are sagging as much as you say. extended shackles are just going to make it worse.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have been more specific... I intend to get a new set of rear leaves in the 2" lift variety to completely replace the tired stock ones. So a set of shackles would be an option just as an excuse to put in greasable bushings. I don't intend to just put in shackles and/or an add-a-leaf. There's being cheap, and then there's just being pointlessly cheap. If I'm going to take things apart, I'm at least going to try to do it right (replacing the whole pack).

I'll probably go through the brakes & whatever else I uncover at the time, as well, since I'm going to be taking the Jeep on a 3-4K mile trip in a couple weeks to my family reunion in Ruidoso NM. Gotta check everything else on it, anyway, before going too far from home.

Johnnie Walker said:

If your leafs are sagging as much as you say. extended shackles are just going to make it worse.

Click to expand...

Agree.

I would add an XJ main leaf, as suggested already, and consider some air lift shocks for those times you are towing/hanging that extra weight off the rear, something like the Gabriel Hijackers. With those you can adjust the ride height to suit the situation.

So I ended up getting front & rear OME 2" lift springs & medium-duty rear leaves. Replaced the rear shackles, put in new rubber bushings in the new leaves, OME shocks all around & an OME steering stabilizer. I know I have more work to do to make it really trail-ready, but I put a little into it here & there as I can afford. I finished the 2" lift shortly after the original post, and everything worked well on my road trip.







More pics here.

Since then, I've had to replace the tires, so I decided to put my old wheels back on from my prior XJ that was totaled, and I got BFG M/T 31"x10.5"x15's mounted.




That necessitated a Bushwacker flat fender flare upgrade,



and the squat I still had in the rear when towing or putting a bike on the Joe Hauler



finally pushed me to order & install the Air Lift Ride Control kit.



It works great for towing my trailer, and I'll be testing it out with the Joe Hauler & a bike on the rear today after work.

How much does your dirtbike weigh? I'd love to hear the results with the bags installed. This could be really handy for my street bike but realistically I think it will weigh too much.

I think the Jeep is rated at 500 lbs tongue weight on the rear, so my 450 lb KLR650 dual sport bike is getting close. The bike in the picture is only a 250 lb (or so) TT225, and I've hauled my KLX250S without rubbing, but did get some rub on bumps while hauling the slightly heavier DR200SE, so the bags will definitely help with the smaller bikes. I'm going to try the KLR this evening to see how it handles the heaviest bike I have.

For you, putting a street bike on a Joe Hauler, which is rated at about 800 lbs, might be a little much depending on how much your street bike weighs.