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Jingle-Jangle Leaf Springs

S

seanof30306@yahoo.

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tulsa, Ok
1996 Cherokee Classic Up Country

Awhile back, I noticed there was a "jingling" sound when I went over bumps. It took me awhile to track it down, but I eventually figured out it was being caused by the metal straps binding the leaves together on my leaf springs. I put them back in place, using a hammer to drive them back onto the springs tightly, but within a few weeks, they were right back jangling again.

Is this a common problem?

What's the fix?

If there's no fix, is it safe to just cut them off?
 
I had this issue too. I bought some flat steel stock and hardware, and made some rudimentary clamps. I put the new clamps where the old clamps had been. So far, so good. Cheap, no noise, and I don't worry about the leaves splaying out and something important getting torn off while going down the road.
 
Mine does the same thing; before I left for vacation (~70 miles one way) I banged them back towards the axle using a hammer and 2x4.

By the time I got there, they were loose again.
 
hubs97xj said:
I had this issue too. I bought some flat steel stock and hardware, and made some rudimentary clamps. I put the new clamps where the old clamps had been. So far, so good. Cheap, no noise, and I don't worry about the leaves splaying out and something important getting torn off while going down the road.
Click to expand...

By hardware, do you mean bolts and nuts?

Kind of like this?

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=400330+302828&autoview=sku
 
TacticalFats said:
Mine does the same thing; before I left for vacation (~70 miles one way) I banged them back towards the axle using a hammer and 2x4.

By the time I got there, they were loose again.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! I've done it three times, and they're loose again within 50 miles every time.
 
seanof30306@yahoo. said:
By hardware, do you mean bolts and nuts?

Kind of like this?

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=400330+302828&autoview=sku
Click to expand...

No, you don't want to do that.

That is a racers trick to prevent the front of the leaf from wrapping up when you launch.

What normal spring clamps do is prevent the leaves from separating, but still allows them to slide back and forth. After market springs have the clamps riveted to the spring. OEM springs use a tab and fold setup where the bottom has a dimple in it to fit in a spring hole to keep it from sliding around. I'm positive the Dealer should be able to lay their hands on them, or http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=rustys&Product_Code=RC-SC1&Category_Code=cus
 
That's exactly what I did, as my springs are pretty well shot. I wouldn't have gone that route otherwise, but I'm planning to put new packs on it anyway.
 
Zuki-Ron said:
No, you don't want to do that.

That is a racers trick to prevent the front of the leaf from wrapping up when you launch.

What normal spring clamps do is prevent the leaves from separating, but still allows them to slide back and forth. After market springs have the clamps riveted to the spring. OEM springs use a tab and fold setup where the bottom has a dimple in it to fit in a spring hole to keep it from sliding around. I'm positive the Dealer should be able to lay their hands on them, or http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=rustys&Product_Code=RC-SC1&Category_Code=cus
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. What I'm not clear on, though, is is what has caused the stock ones to fail, and how these would correct that problem.
 
seanof30306@yahoo. said:
Thanks for the advice. What I'm not clear on, though, is is what has caused the stock ones to fail, and how these would correct that problem.
Click to expand...

Might have just stretched. Remove them, make the dimple bigger, and put them back on. IMO easier to get new ones as the old ones are a PITA to work with.
 
There are the remains of plastic inserts on one of mine- I believe these were to isolate the tips of the leaves, and keep the springs quieter. On mine, they are all but completely disintegrated, and the leaves themselves are worn down where the clamps ride- 130,000 miles and 11 years on the springs... that's a lot of flexing/rubbing. The clamps themselves don't have any obvious signs of any sort of deforming.
 
got the same problem on my 98, tonight tried an experiment, got a tube of black rtv, put some of it between the retianer and the spring, ill let you guys know how it goes, not to worried how long it last as i got a brand new set of RE spring retiners im gonna install when i do a BB next month, but i figure its worth a shot
 
My 97 has "Up Country" it rattled like crazy.
The fix was easy. I took a vise grip pliers to them compressing the bands. The springs have not rattled in over 5 years.

Good luck.
 
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