Suspention Upgrade Confusion!!??

OK, im new here (just registered) and also semi new to the XJ world (4 months or so) but NOT new to soupin the balls outta what i drive!! OK, question for everyone is (opinions welcome), i have a 95 XJ sport with 3" or 4" blocks & 325/60/15 bfgoodrich a/t (30" by 12.5") and trailmaster steering stablizers & i gotta bit of a sag in the rear. Now my options are on a budjet but my mind is on crushin rocks and the jeeps mind is on "HEY IM A DAILY DRIVER", so with my mechanic, this board and myself ive thrown in some ideas, re-arching the springs but XJ's come stock with flat leafs, Add A Leafs with a possibility of revolving shackles (teraflex), or the whole new leaf packadge.
OK, what i want obviously in time is a properly RAIZED jeep with weekend trail capability with NO worries of death wabbles during the week & i DONT want a stiff ride, i wanna softer ride actually, so some longer range "softride" shocks will be in the future. Now i got $5 bucks so what would you guys do?? Would u build it piece by piece and get AAL's, then shackles, then shocks & bump stops, then brake lines, then diconnects eventually leading into a lift susp kit???? OMG my mind is swolen,, HELP!!???

Present option/thought.......Full length AAL's w/a 2" lift, revolving shackles, remove rear sway bar. That should cover the sag and add rear flex!! Next would be the shocks and brake lines. Whatcha guys think??????=

Definatly toss the huge rear blocks, that in itself will help out your harsh ride. I would reccomend "building up" your leafpacks using Dodge dakota or Chevy s-10 rear packs (do a search, you'll find lots of good info, some of it mine) Toss the rear sway...its worthless. Go DTX shocks. (also search)

just a few of my .02 Good Luck!

How does dodge dakota or s-10 leaf packs fit in my XJ?? Sorry i dont see the dodge/chevy fitting in exactly with no problems but if so im all ears...........?

Search for s10 leafs. There's about a billion and 1 threads. Good luck with your rig.

Searching as i type...looks like a trip to the scrap yard is my best bet!

If you have 3" or 4" blocks in the back now ... what did you do to lift the front????

Well first i havent done anything to it besides a good tuneup, lube, fluid change, alignment & balancing. I bought it like that and im not sure whats in the rear but the rear is sagging or is just lower so hence my quest to fix/replace with good/strong/proper suspention & lift.

Those blocks should be removed. Add A leafs won't soften the ride, but won't hurt it too bad. You can buy whole leaf packs that would soften the ride, which would be the best way to go. I have an addaleaf intended for a silverado in mine now, and I love it, it rides firm but not rough, and lifts it about 3". practically anything that is long, metal, and 2.5 inches wide will work in your rear spring packs, so get some leafs from any vehicle in the junk yard. Make sure they have those black pads at the ends, mine don't and make a helluva racket!

Jackhill442 said:

get some leafs from any vehicle in the junk yard. Make sure they have those black pads at the ends, mine don't and make a helluva racket!

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I use a UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) adhesive-backed flexible plastic tape to line my springs. It has a low coefficient of friction and a high abrasion resistance that surpasses even Teflon.
To insure that the adhesive sticks, sand and paint the leaves, before applying the tape.
The tape keeps the springs sliding smoothly and quietly.
See
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=902
Use the 3” width

lazy,

That is interesting stuff. How long have you been using it? Does it stick well over time?

Thanks for the link.

lazyxj said:

I use a UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) adhesive-backed flexible plastic tape to line my springs. It has a low coefficient of friction and a high abrasion resistance that surpasses even Teflon.
To insure that the adhesive sticks, sand and paint the leaves, before applying the tape.
The tape keeps the springs sliding smoothly and quietly.
See
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=902
Use the 3” width

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OK, how many of u guys on this board have used or even heard of this "plastic" to put in-between eack leaf in the pack???? It seems logical but wouldnt the plastic wear down especially on a daily driver?? Can it be used on arched leaf packs as well?????????

anyone?????

Any surface preparation will wear down over time ... especially if you work your springs a lot. One of the things I like to do, if I've been into a lot of mud or sand, is to spray as much of the grit from between the leafs as possible.

It is a good idea, in my mind, to separate your leafs, clean, inspect, and resurface occasionally. It's not a difficult job to do. JMO ...

Les

Poly spring liners will eventually wear down, but they can easily be replaced and maintained. They are a cheap addition to help your leaf pack remain flexy and stay quiet. Here's a link to an example. Here's another example. You can also paint your leafs with graphite paint like this stuff. Do both and it will make a big difference. In regards to replacing your leafs, if you only want to lift 3" or so, toss the blocks, rearch your main leaves to about 1-2 inches over stock or so and add in another 2-3 leaves. Here are stock XJ spring specs:
Eye-to-eye = 49-1/2"
Front (eye to pin) = 23-1/4"
Rear (eye to pin) = 29"
Arch (eye centerline to top of leaf at pin) = 6"
They can be pretty much any 2.5" wide leaf spring. Look for old wagoneers, other XJ main leaves with the eyes cut off, Dakotas, YJs, full size trucks etc. A thicker spring will give a higher spring rate (and thinner: lower). Since you want a soft ride, add the liner and graphite paint to a pack with thinner leaves. Mix and match until you get the height and flex you desire. Don't forget to adjust your bumpstops.
B.

Beej said:

Poly spring liners will eventually wear down, but they can easily be replaced and maintained. They are a cheap addition to help your leaf pack remain flexy and stay quiet. Here's a link to an example. Here's another example. You can also paint your leafs with graphite paint like this stuff. Do both and it will make a big difference. In regards to replacing your leafs, if you only want to lift 3" or so, toss the blocks, rearch your main leaves to about two inches over stock or so and add in another 2-3 leaves. They can be pretty much any 2.5" wide leaf spring. Look for old wagoneers, other XJ main leaves with the eyes cut off, Dakotas, YJs, full size trucks etc. A thicker spring will give a higher spring rate and thinner, lower. Since you want a soft ride, add the liner and graphite paint to a pack with thinner leaves. Mix and match until you get the height and flex you desire. Don't forget to adjust your bumpstops.
B.

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FRIGGEN BEAUTIFULL!!! Gonna do exactly that, go get/ match up a leaf pack, sand blast em, paint em, get the plastic stuff, new rubber bushings, new stronger u bolts and shackles and softride shocks w/long stainless brake lines and BAM!!! THANKS GUYS!!!