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Homebrew Lift ?'s

G

graVes14

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Madison, CT
Im peicing together a lift using the two longest leafs from a stock xj leaf pack as add a leafs, 3" rusty's coils, and now I need a solution to the track bar part of it. What are my options? Im obviously on a budget so used is always prefered. thanx

pat
 
you might be able to get away with
moving the mounting hole of the track bar over and inch..

or you might be able to get away with using the OEM bar
I was lifted 4.5" before my axle started to shift
 
this is refrence to the bad reputation points I recieved :hang:

:lecture:
if it is BS why did I replace my OEM track bar with my aftermarket Track bar at 4.5" of lift and not have to adjust it out any
..the measure ment s on my Aftermarket bar were the same end to end that the OEM bar was
when I lifted to 7.5" I only extended it 1"


could it possibly be that NOT ALL CHEROKEE'S ARE THE SAME
 
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Dunno about you, but on my '88 MJ a 4" Trailmaster lift shifted the front axle about 3/4" to the driver's side.
 
My lift is peiced together (ZJ V8 coils & 2" spacer) and all I had to do is drill another lower hole closer to the drivers side. It recentered the axle so I was happy. It is my DD and has given me zero probs since I did that 9 months ago.
 
I dont think they are all the same either .At 3 inches my track bar shifted my axle 1/4 inch towards the passenger side with the heim ran all the way in.the axl was centered with the stock bar.
 
When I lifted my XJ 3.5" I didn't notice that the axle had shifted. It was only after removed my fender flares that I could see a difference. I'm still running with stock track bar and It's my DD. Don't notice it really. I've seen lots of folks argue back and forth about drilling the holes. I have no opinion on it. I chose to wait till I found a good deal on an adjustable one. 4 months later I found a good deal.
 
graVes14 said:
Im peicing together a lift using the two longest leafs from a stock xj leaf pack as add a leafs, 3" rusty's coils, and now I need a solution to the track bar part of it. What are my options? Im obviously on a budget so used is always prefered. thanx

pat
Click to expand...

How much lift do those leafs give you?? I had a homejobber leafpack made of XJ leafs and it didn't work too well. From my experience the individual XJ leafs are very floppy and you have to stack alot of them to get any arch. I think that the main leaf in the XJ pack is too thin. It seems to bend right where the underlying leaf contacts it under load, leading to axle wrap. If you can get ahold of some Dodge dakota 4 spring packs they have good arch and are thicker and longer than most AAl's. You can utilize the leafs out of these for lifting the rear. They provide good lift with good flex because you can use less leafs in the pack to get the same lift. I got up to 3.5-4" using MJ shackles, the main XJ leaf, and the two longest leafs from the Dakota pack (3 total). Just a thought for anyone looking for a good junkyard lift for the rear:) Cost me 30 bucks at the local U-pullit.

FUNKYTEE5
 
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You forgot about using Mj leafs, considering they are longer and have a lot of arch in them. I agree stacking leaves will give you lift, but no arch.


Patrick
 
fogive my ignorance but doesnt arc negatively effect flex? i was under the impression that a more flat spring was desireable as opposed to a heavily arched one. Thats why aftermarket shackles not only give lift but improve overall flex because they flatten the spring.
 
graVes14 said:
fogive my ignorance but doesnt arc negatively effect flex? i was under the impression that a more flat spring was desireable as opposed to a heavily arched one. Thats why aftermarket shackles not only give lift but improve overall flex because they flatten the spring.
Click to expand...

I think that's true to a certain extent. One reason why shackles improve flex is because the allow the spring to change lengths (arch and de-arch) more so than short shackles. While a heavily arched spring is likely to be stiffer, the flex factor depends on how much arch and how many leafs comprise them. The issue with flat springs is that the axle will twist them into a lazy s shape then your pinion angle will go all over the place under normal driving. Some arch is good with longer shackles, it'll better control axle wrap and still flex. There's a big difference between light arch and too much arch in the springs for sure as far as flex is concerned.

FUNKYTEE5
 
If you use XJ main leaves with the eyes cut off as the longest AAL (what is now called the Rock Lizard AAL :) ), you significantly reduce spring wrap potential because the AAL is really the FULL length of the main leaf. An added XJ main leaf alone provides between 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" of lift. Supplementing that with an additional XJ second leaf should provide at least 2" of lift, and probably a bit more.

The added main leaf results in a very comfortable ride. I haven't tried adding two leaves so I have no idea what the resulting ride quality would be like.
 
Eagle said:
If you use XJ main leaves with the eyes cut off as the longest AAL (what is now called the Rock Lizard AAL :) ), you significantly reduce spring wrap potential because the AAL is really the FULL length of the main leaf. An added XJ main leaf alone provides between 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" of lift. Supplementing that with an additional XJ second leaf should provide at least 2" of lift, and probably a bit more.

The added main leaf results in a very comfortable ride. I haven't tried adding two leaves so I have no idea what the resulting ride quality would be like.
Click to expand...

For sure! Spring wrap was an issue with my setup. I actually used 2-2nd leaves turned backwards out of an XJ pack and a 2 shorter ones ( 5 total). Turning it backwards left the end of the leaves right under the forward eye. Hopefully reducing axle wrap for me. After almost a year of use they were s curved and sagging with a 1.5 lift shackle and 2.5 deg shims. I had heavy vibes under load also. Keep in mind I only have a 2" BB. Ideally I think that the XJ needs a thicker main leaf and less leaves overall. With the Dakota leaves, one is full XJ length and about they're all about .065 thicker. So I use one full length Dakota leaf with a MJ shackle to achieve an even BB height. It rides very nice and the springs have a light arch to them. If ride quality is a factor then I think that light arch is important because it lets the shackle swing as the leaf pack elongates upon compression. Flat springs can't do that because they're already as long as they can be:)

FUNKYTEE5
 
mississippi_xj said:
the post '96 blazer pack is really good....... i have the whole pack with the eyes cut off added to my main xj leaf and it is beefy...
Click to expand...

I was eying those springs too but they're a lil harder to find cheap:) I'll bet you could get 3-4.5" depending on the leaves chosen. They are similar to the Dakota pack, but probably better though.
 
I'm hanging with a guy in my club who likes the s-10 springs. does anyone know the final outcome of piecing those together.
I was thinking of 3-4 inches of lift - and a decent towing capacity in the rear - lightweight trailers and bodies - i've seen an xj sag with 3 kids and a couple backpacks in the rear sooo...
what about f-150 coils in the front. - and would it be worth it to buy the adj track bar and long(er) radius arms

all input appreciated
 
I've got s10 leafs in the rear pack... From the top: xj nuckle leaf, 3 s10 leafs, 2 shortest xjs. It yealded about 5 inches after a couple months and a few wheeling trips, but the ride is HARSH! I'll prolly lose the second s10 leaf and get 1.5" shackles to soften it some.
 
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