• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Rear Suspension issues

XJwheelman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New York
This past winter my brother and I installed some new suspension parts which included a rear 4.5" leaf pack I got from Clayton. After a couple of days my rear end was sagging pretty bad. The leafs didn't have much arch to them. I didn't bother to call Clayton about it because I had already had these springs for 6 months before I installed them. I also figured there wasn't much they could have done. After about a month of trying to figure out what to do I decided to instal an AAL. So I picked up an AAL from Pro Comp and both my brother and I installed it. It leveled out my jeep just right, but I would have been happier if it was slightly higher in the rear to allow for cargo. Either way it helped with the height but now it made the rear ride very rough. It was almost like there was no springs at all the axles where just welded to the body.
One thing I need to add is there is some serious weight in the rear of my jeep which most likely caused the sagging. I keep tools and recovery gear in my trunk and I use the Warn rear bumper and tire carrier with a 33" MTR. The Warn bumper itself weights tons because of the thick steel they used.
Now for what I think is the solution. I currently run the JKS boomerang shackles that add 1" of lift. I would like to instal the HD Off-road No Lift Shackle Relocation with Terra flex 1.5" shackles. My current shackles are completely vertical, if I was to correct the shackle angle and set it to 45 degrees is there any chance that I could loose lift height with the weight of my rear end? Plus I was thinking about changing out the 4.5 leafs for 6.5 leafs, since I'm so heavy in the rear 6.5 leafs may actually net me around 4.5 of lift. What do you guys think.
amahetu5.jpg
6uqu4e5e.jpg
hy6a4a8e.jpg
e3ugumuz.jpg
dynuqe7u.jpg
 
Disregard the second picture. That's before the new suspension parts were installed. I was on 4" with 32"s. I did this post with Tapatalk and I selected the wrong picture.
 
AALs mess with the original spring rate because the leaf itself is of a different spring rate. With that said, a completely vertical shackle would not help matters. Adding the shackle relocation boxes should smooth it out somewhat but with that AAL it will always ride rough. Since you're using their new no lift boxes, which replace the original boxes, and decreasing the shackle angle as well to 45* optimally, you will probably lose some lift, maybe about 1/4".
 
So I'm thinking then, since I originally had a 4.5 lead pack and I added a 2" AAL, a 6.5 inch leaf pack would probably work out. Right?
 
teraflex 1.5 inch shackles..maybe you run the same rear setup as I do minus that shackle and I have a pretty dam good shackle angle if i do say so.. remember you also reversed your jks boomerangs which probably arent helping.

the cargo weight is the same as well mainly because I 've been driving around with 83 lbs of steel in my trunk for this front bumper for 3 weeks now plus the same tools and 35 mtr. its really up to you... but i hope you decide not to get the 6.5 inch leafs just not needed imho and will give you to much rake with your 1 inch shackles on top of that.

so after that whole load of nonsense i agree with the previous response the add-a-leafs do change the spring rate you were carrying a heavier load in the rear of the vehicle so it was not a bad decision to make. the no lift relocation brackets are shaweet but a picture of your shackle angle currently would be nice if you could post one up

further more you also turned up your rancho 9000xl whatchya ma call its because you wanted a stiffer ride because it felt to spongy maybe dialing them in more would be a good option as well
 
Last edited:
You could have texted me... I didn't reverse the boomerangs. They are still on the same way bent towards the rear
 
you reversed them a while ago remember when you had your superlift in? i forgot the reason why.

i just wanted to respond to one of your posts.....never done before...making history right now!
 
I'd remove the aal and install the standard shackle relocators that give you about an inch of lift. If you are still 1" below where you want to be you could add a pair of 1" perch spacers aka zero rate add a leafs. That puts you at the right height with a better ride than before and less $.
 
Back
Top