Leaf Spring Issue

I put some used RE springs on my XJ and when installing them I noticed it was hard to get the rear eye to line up with the shackle, I had to bend it in to get it to slide into the shackle.

So now the spring rides canted to the right if looked at from the rear and this causes it to rub on the shackle making a popping noise. So I showed my suspension teacher and he said my spring is actually bent and I might be able to have it re-arched. Would I need to have both sides re-done and do you guys think that would solve the problem?

I was afraid of that.

Post up some pics of the leaf spring from a few different angles.

mine are the same way and the same spring. but i have a different shackle and there is not as much material around the bottom bolt. in short nothing to bind on. just get different shaped shackles or grind down yours.

Trim the threads off the bumper bolts that are in the back of the leaf spring pocket. The RE spring lets the stock shackle travel farther toward the rear, contacting the bolts.

Looking at the pictures you can see where there has been spring contact with the Unibody. Some longer JKS dogleg shackles may also help.

Seeing that second picture makes me think I need to look at mine and maybe the shackle hitting the frame explains my knocking noice when I go over a bump hard since I put on my 3" lift RC springs. I guess new shackles it is, I'm not going to fight an excuse to add another inch of lift.

The rear springs were a pain to put in though. I put the shackle on first and then jacked the axle up to flatten the spring out to reach the front mount. Any better way of flattening the spring out to put new shackles on?

If the shackle is hanging straight down, the springs will bolt straight on. If the shackle is pointed backwards or forwards, you'll have to fight spring to get it installed.

The at-rest shackle angle is determined by the shackles upper bolt. If you can loosen the bolt, then let the shackle swing free and install the spring, then tighten it up after the jeep is back on wheels. If the upper bolt is frozen to the upper bushing and wont turn very much, you will probably have to use a cheater pipe to get the shackle turned into position, although the smart thing is to remove and replace the bushings and/or shackles if you can swing it.

I do have a pair of extended shackles around. I should just throw those on sometime and see how that works. Thanks for the input.

This afternoon I was bolting on the other shackles and I noticed that my frame is actually a little bent in the back there. I never noticed that and put two and two together but I am pretty sure now that the bent frame is making the spring look like it is bent. Maybe I'm way off.