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coil springs

Ramsey

Ramsey

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Shreveport, LA
i am going to help a buddy of mine put on a bb on his zj. just wandering if it is the same as the front of a cherokee. it is going to be a learning experience for both of us(luckily on his jeep and not mine). i have been researching and it seems to simple to just pop out the spring and slide the spacer on and then put hte spring back on. my ? is, is there anything connecting the spring to the top, it seems like you just slide it on there and then just let it be. in my head it does not seem right but i dont know anything about this. i have yet to find a good step by step write up for either a zj or the front of a xj. any and all help is very much appreciated.
 
The XJ and ZJ have the same front setup. There is nothing holding the spring in on top except for the weight of the vehicle. There is a retaining clip on the bottom of the coils. Get a spring compressor to make the job easier.
 
i appreciate it. it still blows my mind that there is nothing more holding it on. i would think that during flex it would just pop right out, but hey whatever works
 
Ramsey said:
i appreciate it. it still blows my mind that there is nothing more holding it on. i would think that during flex it would just pop right out, but hey whatever works
Click to expand...

Stock XJ's/ZJ's have nowhere near enough suspension travel to drop the spring off the tower completely. The shocks limit down travel, and good ole suspension bind does the rest.

Use some muscle and crowbar to get those springs off. Compressors take all damn day.

Nay
 
Make sure the compressor has the clamps to hold the spring in place and compress it as equal as possiable.
 
Ramsey

send me an email to richard_woodbridge"AT"lineone"DOT"net (replace the " " with the usual punctuation) and I'll send you a copy of my write up from when I fitted a Rusty's Budget Boost to my XJ.

Good trick to make spring compressors easy to use:

Support the car with axle stands under frame and not axle, then use jack to compress spring you want to remove. once compressed fit spring compressor and tighten then when you lower the axle the spring remains compressed. Saves all the hassle of trying to do it all just using the spring compressors.

Woody
 
Last edited:
Spring compressors are for shops that want to charge you $200 to change a set of springs that a shade tree mechanic should be able to do in under an hour.

Nay
 
Ramsey said:
i am going to help a buddy of mine put on a bb on his zj. just wandering if it is the same as the front of a cherokee. it is going to be a learning experience for both of us(luckily on his jeep and not mine). i have been researching and it seems to simple to just pop out the spring and slide the spacer on and then put hte spring back on. my ? is, is there anything connecting the spring to the top, it seems like you just slide it on there and then just let it be. in my head it does not seem right but i dont know anything about this. i have yet to find a good step by step write up for either a zj or the front of a xj. any and all help is very much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Try get those spacers in there without the comp. The thing is really dangerous and not needed. I put 8" Skyjacker coils in my xj without a comp. I don't have a sway bar hooked up, so disc yours and jack 1 side up under the axle tube and squeeze the spacer in. Or you could stand on 1 side with the other size jacked up and get it in, your body weight might drop it down a few more inches. Avoid the comp at all costs, this thing is dangerous, slow, etc.
Troy
 
steinjeep said:
Try get those spacers in there without the comp. The thing is really dangerous and not needed. I put 8" Skyjacker coils in my xj without a comp. I don't have a sway bar hooked up, so disc yours and jack 1 side up under the axle tube and squeeze the spacer in. Or you could stand on 1 side with the other size jacked up and get it in, your body weight might drop it down a few more inches. Avoid the comp at all costs, this thing is dangerous, slow, etc.
Troy
Click to expand...

your saying just drop down the axle on one side and slide the top of the spring down and put it in and then just jack the axle back up?
 
Guys, he's just installing spacers, he's not changing coils.

Put the coil compressers on with the vehicle on the ground (or maybe on jack stands under the axle), maybe even with a helper leaning on the fender while you install them. Then when you jack the body up and let the axle droop the springs will just about fall out. No need to tighten or loosen the clamps with the spring(s) out of the vehicle.
 
thanks eagle, that seems like the easiest way so far. now any advice on shackles, since the "learning experiment" seems to have shifted to my jeep.
 
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