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Need Help on 88XJ Rear Leaf Springs Forward Eye Brackets

C

CJR

NAXJA Forum User
Location
PA
I'm replacing my rear 88XJ springs. Got one side done, but the passenger-side front eye bolt is not coming out and the nut is just turning. One of my manuals shows a replaceable "bracket" for the front leaf spring eye, So I assume this replaceable bracket has the nut welded on to, it for the spring eye through bolt, and the frame must have a clearance hole for the nut. Anyone know the part number for this front eye bracket or a better replacement front eye bracket, or what I need to do to fix the nut turning problem?

Best regards,

CJR
 
No such animal! You'll probably have to cut into the frame-rail to get the old one out and weld in a new one.
 
Cut open the bottom of the little pocket where the nut is. Use a box end wrench to get it off and then just leave the small opening and don’t worry about welding one in.
 
RCP Phx said:
No such animal! You'll probably have to cut into the frame-rail to get the old one out and weld in a new one.
Click to expand...

Yep. There's a nut welded onto the inside of the frame rail to secure the bolt. Those front bolts get seized into the bushing liners quite often, even in areas outside the rust belt. Somebody here just enbiggened the nail-removing notch on a pry bar to remove theirs. Might give that a shot. Oh yeah, and it's a close fit to move that bolt past the pinch weld, but it IS possible.
 
No, it's not inside the frame rail, guys.

Look up at the bracket from below and you'll see a slight bump-out on the frame rail side, that's where the nut is. This is part of the hangar bracket, and NOT the frame rail.

I had to cut the bottom out of mine a year ago because the nuts broke loose, because that bump creates a pocket between the hangar and the frame rail, and with it closed at the bottom it can't drain out (so mud and stuff builds up in there, and rusts the nut on/away).

Frame rail access is NOT required.
 
Man, talk about a "wealth of XJ knowledge" on this website! I'm impressed! I was just getting ready to cut open the frame rail to get at the nut, but decided to wait for more comments. Glad I did! It's now simpler to just cut a slot in the bottom of the nut bulge, in the front spring eye bracket, to access the frozen nut with a box wrench. No frame-rail cutting required. Life is good!

Thanks for all the help!! It is appreciated!

Best regards,

CJR
 
I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of this, as I have a couple with the same issue.

I just left the main leaves bolted up and built the packs in situ, but that doesn't help if bushings need to be replaced. Probably built four sets like that so far.
 
What he said, and I agree "you need help" all you can get, those leaf spring bolts/hidden nuts are $@&*%$@#%$@ PITA LOL. I spent 6 months between hurricanes, floods, acts of god, and hospital operations doing just one LOL

1990JEEPXJ said:
Cut open the bottom of the little pocket where the nut is. Use a box end wrench to get it off and then just leave the small opening and don’t worry about welding one in.
Click to expand...
 
My 89 bushings still looked brand new, but the main leaf had snapped, PO..

Overland said:
I wouldn't mind seeing a picture of this, as I have a couple with the same issue.

I just left the main leaves bolted up and built the packs in situ, but that doesn't help if bushings need to be replaced. Probably built four sets like that so far.
Click to expand...
 
I had one break the smallest leaf on the bottom once, probably when I pulled a 27' travel trailer a few miles. Didn't know until I disassembled the original packs to lift it. Still going strong ten years later on the same leaves, and I like big rocks between long stretches of dirt roads for days at a time.
 
Funny story about that, I was pen lubing and torching what we thought was the nut in the frame rail for weeks.

Found out weeks later it was not in the frame when I was shopping for the whole bracket. LOL :D

Then found out all I needed to do was cut a hole in the bottom of the 30 YO bracket.

A super hot torch for 10 Minutes and a major brute power impact is essential too.

Those bolts and nuts were made to survive WWIII Nukes.

Rob Mayercik said:
No, it's not inside the frame rail, guys.

Look up at the bracket from below and you'll see a slight bump-out on the frame rail side, that's where the nut is. This is part of the hangar bracket, and NOT the frame rail.

I had to cut the bottom out of mine a year ago because the nuts broke loose, because that bump creates a pocket between the hangar and the frame rail, and with it closed at the bottom it can't drain out (so mud and stuff builds up in there, and rusts the nut on/away).

Frame rail access is NOT required.
Click to expand...
 
My update. I put a trapozoidal shaped slot in the eye bracket bulge and was able to remove the front eye bolt easily. The rear eye bolt-head had to be cutoff, then the sheetmetal covering on the rubber bushing was cutoff, then the rubber bushing cut-off, then the bolt cut in two more places to finally get the rear eye bolt out. What a PITA! Then, after bolting the new spring eye bolts in, I noticed the spring perch had a 1/4" crack in one corner. So today, I'll remove the new spring eye bolts/new spring and weld up the crack in the spring perch corner. Then I'll again install the new spring/new bolts and hopefully button-it-up. PITA #3 for one spring!

Some jobs just can't be rushed no matter what!

Best regards,

CJR
 
When i did my rearsprings on my 2000xj, i drilled a hole into the the front spring mount, and using a map gas torch heated the captured/welded nut inside the mount to prevent from having the nut break loose.. If your nut alread broke loose, using a cut off wheel to cut a T into the mount to allow access into the pocket to hold the nut is about your only option.. Cutting a T will allow you to fold close the opening and weld it back shut again neatly
 
Thinking about it some more, it might be better to leave the pocket open at the bottom - then all that gunk at least has a chance at draining out, instead of just accumulating in there.

When mine were opened up, there was a mess of dirt/mud/etc. inside that fell out.
 
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