s10 ZR2/XJ bastard pack?

Sup guys, i've been prowling around craigslist for a month or so looking for some s10 leafs to make a bastard pack for my xj, but have yet to have any luck finding any local for a reasonable price (only guy i found wanted $100 bucks for a set.. HA! As if). What i HAVE found is a ZR2 s10 being parted out not 5 minutes from the house. I've heard the heresay about the ZR2 springs and heard everything from that they're the same as normal s10 leafs, to that they're still as hell and have an offset centering pin. My question is, has anyone actually ran the ZR2 leafs? I'm planning to hit 3" of lift from the leafs to couple with my 1.5" RRO shackles to net 4.5". Figured on putting the pack together like this, XJ main, S10 main, rest of XJ pack under.

Well guess i'll just figure it out. Went and picked up some ZR2 blazer leaf packs. I'll keep posted about about how it goes if i use them, got a set of s10 blazer main leafs through in fo free as well so might end up using them instead.

ZR2 leaf springs are supposed to be taller and stiffer than normal S-10 leaf springs.

I've heard that from a few people, but i've never actually heard of anyone running them.. Guess i'll be the guinea pig for them. If they work well maybe i'll start a trend :laugh:

ive used a bunch of s10 leafs & would probably not use zr2 leafs, just because they are all spring under trucks, that the arch is so much more dramatic. You have to use good leaf clamps to get your main leaf to conform to them. Doing it again I would use two s10 main leafs with the eyes cut off under my main leaf & a few others under that to get the lift I wanted.
oh and i would never pay that much for them, more than 40 bucks and your wasting money...

I got the set of mains and the ZR2 packs for $60 bucks, little more than i was wanting to pay but was worth the extra cash for the gas i'd have to spend to go get some from out of town.

So what you're saying is the s10 main would probably be better than the ZR2 main? I wont be using any leafs out of the pack other than the main leaf with the eyes cut off.

I have a set of ZR2 springs in the garage, just have nowhere to use them. I would use the ZR2 main leaf and all the XJ leaves, there is no good reason not to use them. But, you should probably expect to net more lift than what a regular S-10 main-leaf would give. If you get too much lift, remove the smallest/shortest XJ leaf.

Tim_MN said:

I have a set of ZR2 springs in the garage, just have nowhere to use them. I would use the ZR2 main leaf and all the XJ leaves, there is no good reason not to use them. But, you should probably expect to net more lift than what a regular S-10 main-leaf would give. If you get too much lift, remove the smallest/shortest XJ leaf.

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Alright thanks man!, I'm probably gonna tear into it today. I'll post up pics and results of what i get when i'm done.

xj_maniac_newb said:

I got the set of mains and the ZR2 packs for $60 bucks, little more than i was wanting to pay but was worth the extra cash for the gas i'd have to spend to go get some from out of town.

So what you're saying is the s10 main would probably be better than the ZR2 main? I wont be using any leafs out of the pack other than the main leaf with the eyes cut off.

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no the zr2 would be a little more, but you are matching up spring over leafs to spring under leafs, so too much arch is going to work against you a little. If you can get them for a decent price its cool, but dont pay extra...

looking at the ZR2 pack and the S10 main, seems the eye to eye distance is the same, however the eyes on the front sides of the ZR2 packs round under the pack, while the rears round over as the normal s10 pack does. I'll get a picture of what i'm talking about in a moment. Seems like it may hinder me from ending the ZR2 leafs under the eyes of the XJ main leaf like i'm wanting, or at least on one side.

Now i'm trying to figure out the best method for cutting the leafs. I've got a grinder with a cutoff wheel, but if using a bandsaw or the like would be better i can wait until tomorrow and possible get a porta-band.

How much is the s10 main supposed to give? I've heard 2 inches but i've never heard a definitive answer. I may just use the regular s10 main if it'll at least give me 2-3 inches instead of the 1" i'm thinking it might give.

Ended up going with the regular S10 main i got. It netted me about 1.5" of lift over stock by itself with my normal leaf pack.

Took some pictures of the s10 cut leaf next to the the ZR2 pack. The s10 main is cut to end under the eyes of the xj main leaf, the longest end was cut directly under the eye and the shorter end is cut about 1-2 inches short of the eye. Hopefully this will help anyone who stumbles across this thread searching.




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This is what i ended up with with just the S10 main leaf with the eyes cut off.

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