Sagging Springs

I've got some weird sag in my springs. A sagging rear isn't suprising, but I'm a little concerned my drivers side is about 1/2" shorter than the passenger side. Here are the measurements of the bottom of each fender flare to the ground from the wheel centerline:

drivers front: 30.75"
drivers rear: 30.5"
passengers front: 31.25"
passengers rear: 31"

Is a sagging drivers side normal on XJ's, or are my drivers side springs more worn out than the passengers side? Is there an easy fix for this, or is buying new springs the only way to fix the problem? Has anyone else experienced this?

Your measurements could be affected by uneven tire pressure or uneven tread depth. The accepted way to measure (if you have the flares) is from the axle centerline (center of the hub) straight up to the bottom edge of the flare. The consensus is that the front should measure 17-1/2" and the rear should measure 17"

Be certain that the vehicle is on a level surface when measuring or the weight will shift to one side.

Is this so for all model years?

Eagle, if I measure by your method, front drivers/passengers is 17.5"/18" and rear drivers/passengers is 17"/17.5". Any ideas why the passenger side would be higher? Could this cause any damage if I drive it like this?

I'm thinking of getting replacement springs from Quadratec. How easy/hard would it be to swap them in?

I read somwhere that uneven sag from rear leafs could cause uneven heights in the front. Do you guys think this is the case, or do you think I might need new coils too?

How many miles on your XJ, how much weight do you carry and where is it stowed in the vehicle, and (lastly, not to be too personal) how much do you weigh? If you're a heavy individual who normally drives alone, over time the springs on the driver's side will settle.

Regardless of cause, that slight amount of uneveness won't cause any damage. It might result in the steering pulling slightly to one side, but that's not harmful, just annoying. You might be interested to know that from the factory the front springs are never the same -- the factory put a slightly taller coil on the driver's side to anticipate just this type of thing. In the factory service manuals there's a whole section on spring codes, and what the effect is of moving up or down one letter vis-a-vis ride height. Aftermarket springs are the same for both sides (within each manufacturer's tolerances), so unless the weight of your vehicle is exactly the same on both sides it'll ride unevenly with new springs, too.

I don't think it's worth worrying about. You might get an extra upper coil cushion and add that to the driver's side to even out the front if you're really concerned. That should be good for about 1/2". I'm reluctant to suggest even a 1/2" block in the rear, but that's the easiest way to even out the rear without imbalacing the spring rates -- put a 1/2" block between the axle and the spring on the driver's side. I don't care for blocks because they can accelerate spring fatigue, but a half inch block on one side probably wouldn't be the end of the world.

I think adding a block to one side is not a good idea... I would recommend getting the springs re-arched instead, that way they will be even.

I'm thinking my left rear spring is bad. That makes sense, since my front left and right rear are where they should be, and the right front is elevated.

Does anyone know if heavy duty springs came with the tow package, or just the Up-Country package? I want to make sure I get the right type of replacement spring.