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Coil spring sag - Drivers side leaning

F

Felipe Tiago

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul
Hello everyone,

my XJ leans to the driver side. New tires, inflated equally and no sway bar...

Well, I've measured my coil springs (installed) and they are 300mm on the passenger side and 250mm on the driver side. So I think that's the problem...

I can get a pair of coil springs from a junkyard but I don't know if it's worth installing them or getting brand new ones.

Measurments:

Mine (sitting): 300mm and 250mm
From the junkyard: 400mm (free height)
Brand new: 440mm (free height)

Does anybody know how much they will sag when installed? Anyone who rides stock coil springs can tell me how tall are your springs installed (compressed)?

I don't know if mine are both sagged or just the driver side. Besides, I'm wondering if the ones from the junkyard will sit shorter than 300mm when installed.

Any help would be appreciated!
 
New would be best, vs unknown junk yard coils. YOu might be able to attempt swapping coils left to right see if that makes any difference. Also, you can use an additional coil spring isolator on the driver side to level it out. OR, if you want a little bit of lift, you can pick up a set of ACOS, which are adjustable coil spacer inserts. I think min light heigh is approx 20mm
 
If there are grand cherokee there. V8 coils will net 1 to 2 inch typically
 
Check and see if there are any paper tags left on the ZJ coils. Sometimes you can still make out the part#s on the tags. Tags ending in 8362 will get you about 1" of lift. Tags ending in 8363 will get you about 2".

Without knowing the part#s it IS possible to get springs out of a V8 ZJ that will get you only about a half-inch of lift over most stock XJ springs. No tags? Write the VIN# down and get yourself a build sheet to verify.

Happy hunting...
 
Well, I've made a bumb decision today... took some springs from an XJ from the junkyard because they were cheap and I couldn't find the correct ones from a ZJ.

I installed them and they are sagged to, obviously! Mine were 300mm and 250mm tall when installed, and these are 275mm both (at least they are both the same height).

The problem is that the jeep is still leaning to the driver side... how is it posible if the springs are exactly the same height after the installation?

The body doesn't seem to be uneven cause I measured the height from it to the ground and the driver side is lower in the front and rear, that is, the hole side is inclined...

Any thoughts?
 
Not all vehicles are created equal, and over time things wear out as well. If you have not replaced them already, I am sure that your rear leafs are sagging and not much help.
 
Today I've been to a shop that repair leaf springs and the guy swear that the leafs have the same height on both sides, but I do not agree with that. I measured from the axel tube to the frame and there is a 10mm difference from on side to the other. But only 10mm would make the jeep look so leaned?

20150930_174801_zpsyqcl22wj.jpg.html
 
Felipe Tiago said:
Today I've been to a shop that repair leaf springs and the guy swear that the leafs have the same height on both sides, but I do not agree with that. I measured from the axel tube to the frame and there is a 10mm difference from on side to the other. But only 10mm would make the jeep look so leaned?

20150930_174801_zpsyqcl22wj.jpg.html
Click to expand...

I can't see your pic, but a little bit of lean is not only common but to be expected.

Are your tires aired up equally & the same size? How much do you weigh??... (Just kidding)

Could your bumpers be tweaked a little?
One of my XJs had both bumpers "bumped", creating a bit of an un-even optical illusion.
I've seen a few hatches that looked a little tweaked as well.

You could always shim up the driver's side leaf pack with a short piece of 1/4-5/16-3/8 spring stock and a new center pin.
I suppose you could also trim the rubber off the cupped side of an old coil spring isolator and add the steel core to the driver's side.

Good luck...
 
Felipe Tiago said:
I measured from the axel tube to the frame and there is a 10mm difference from on side to the other. But only 10mm would make the jeep look so leaned?

20150930_174801_zpsyqcl22wj.jpg.html
Click to expand...

I removed my rear swaybar and if I park on anything but flat, flat ground I notice it from behind. I even notice it at work where the parking lot is old and just slightly off level a degree or two, the Jeep appears to be "sagging" on the uphill side towards the mountains two miles away. That's with the front disconnects connected and adjusted at the same lengths.

Are you always looking at/measuring the "sag" in the same spot in your driveway? Could be that if you go find a good level spot (i.e. a shop/warehouse floor etc) you might be actually level. Did the leaf guy measure yours inside on a good concrete floor? :laugh:
 
Royal Nonesuch said:
I removed my rear swaybar and if I park on anything but flat, flat ground I notice it from behind. I even notice it at work where the parking lot is old and just slightly off level a degree or two, the Jeep appears to be "sagging" on the uphill side towards the mountains two miles away. That's with the front disconnects connected and adjusted at the same lengths.
Click to expand...

In my case, both sway bars removed... my XJ is the Up Country version (like all in Brazil), so I don't have the rear sway bar, and also removed the front one (actually PO removed it and couldn't find the bar to give me).


Royal Nonesuch said:
IDid the leaf guy measure yours inside on a good concrete floor? :laugh:
Click to expand...

He didn't, but I did... I measured in the shop (really good and leveled floor). Result: 1/2" lower on the drivers side... I think the guy messed up the measurement...

I think this time you guys will be able to see the picture:

 
If I take a straight edge and place it across the bottom of both rear tires in your pic, your bumper/trailer hitch appear to be parallel.
The lines in the tile work parking surface appear to be almost parallel as well. The wall on the right, however, does not appear to be perpendicular, suggesting un-level ground.

Good looking XJ, by the way..
 
Crawler said:
If I take a straight edge and place it across the bottom of both rear tires in your pic, your bumper/trailer hitch appear to be parallel.
The lines in the tile work parking surface appear to be almost parallel as well. The wall on the right, however, does not appear to be perpendicular, suggesting un-level ground.

Good looking XJ, by the way..
Click to expand...

Thank you! It has 78k miles on it... people here don't drive them a lot cause gas is expensive, lol

Well-thought-out, I agree with you: the ground is un-level... but it looks the same at the car shop with level ground.

Now I'm pretty convinced the leaf springs are worn out. I've lifted the rear with the jack just a little (drivers side) and took measurements from the body to the ground, both sides had the same height when the jack is there.

Tomorrow I'm going to another leaf spring shop and then I get back here to tell the results.
 
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