Rear leaf replacement difficulty

[Jeeper Eric]

"yes you can install em easier without taking the full pack off here is an article I wrote awhile ago"

Thanks

That is great...sounds like a plan.

One question..

Can you get new spring clips from the places that sell the a AAL? If not, what is a source?

I assume those clips hold the leafs and AAL back together?

 

[rockwerks]

get the rubicon express AAl pretty cheap and very durable I ran em for 3 years without any sag. They are full length AAl's and come with the clips for them

 

[redyouch]

be prepared to break the welded nut off in the frame. i have found the easiest way to circumvent this issue is to take a 4" angle grinder and cut a small slit under the bolt. then slide a wrench in there to hold it in place. this is far better than cutting a hole in your floor. also, be prepared to have a seized bushing on the bolt. this is a bitch, and you can either cut off the bolt with a sawzall, or use a torch to heat it up and possibly get it out.
good luck
be prepared for it to be a bitch.

 

[rockwerks]

gotta love bing out west I jsut took a set off of an 86 today took all of an hour witout any froze bolts or anythuign...So why do you guys live out in the rust belt anyway?

 

[SteelblueSteve]

Cactus sucks. And I'm sick of hearing,"Sure it's 110 , but it's a DRY heat." Just kidding. By the way I really like the gas tank skid of the cherokee nation, site, I've got a hitch in back and it looks like a good way to go. I'm looking for a gas tank skid.

 

[Jeeper Eric]

gotta love bing out west I jsut took a set off of an 86 today took all of an hour witout any froze bolts or anythuign...So why do you guys live out in the rust belt anyway?

I live in MD, not exactly the rust belt, but I do take my Jeep skiing everyweekend Jan-March. It's seen it's share of crude.

This weekend I replaced the brake lines along the rail and the cooler lines from the tranny. All very coroded.


One more question- How do I know if the main (top) leaf is bad (rusty) enough that it's needs replacing?

Also, when I have it taken apart, can I replace the other 3 lower leafs with less rusty ones found at the junk yard? Or does it not matter?

Thanks again, your method looks like it makes this job way easier...

 

[rockwerks]

yes if needed you can replace which ever you need to the whole pack will be apart at that time anyway, usually surface rust is not a problem with springs, jsut check for cracks

 

[cuinrearview]

Thought I'd throw in my experience with this, since I just did it a couple weeks ago, and had pretty much all of the problems listed above. I removed a complete axle with springs from a donor, removed mine, and put the donor axle in my '91. The reason that I did this was because my 35 was junk (go figure) and I wanted a good set of springs to add the AAL to when I lift it. For the sleeves siezed to the bushings, I used the breaker bar/pipe combo to turn the bolt until it cleared the nut, then cut the bolt/sleeve on both sides of the leaf with a 6" cut off wheel, which worked beautifully. The sleeve pushed on the outer part of the bracket and bent it a bit, but the new bolt pulled it right back in. Had two out of the four front ones do this when I removed them. I had one blind nut break loose inside the frame. To remedy this I used a dremel to cut as small a hole as possible beneath the nut, and put a wrench up to it as was previouly mentioned. I thought that a hole saw from the back side of the frame would be the solution, but after looking at it I concluded that this would not work since both rails of the frame would have to be cut, and most standard hole saws (mine included) are not long enough. I don't think that the sleeve and bushing binding together can be avoided, but I think a busted nut can with some patience. Work the bolt back and forth slowly, and I think that it will come out of the nut, allowing you to cut it. I would do this again, even in the middle of the rust belt, but as others said, soak and tap for some time before to provide all of the insurance you can. HTH

 

[jeepinandy]

PB BLASTER is the answer.... do this 2 or 3 times a day for a few days... the front bolt will probably still be a PIA long as the nut dont break free from the inside of the frame everything should be ok... and yes do both sides... you dont want your jeep sitting like this /

 

[Eagle]

Can you get new spring clips from the places that sell the a AAL? If not, what is a source?

Some AAL kits include a few clips (the correct term is "rebound clip"). Rusty's does -- but his is for a 3" lift, I believe. Rancho's AAL kit for ther Cherokee includes new center pins but not new rebound clips.

I buy center pins and rebound clips from a local spring company. They are very cheap. If you're in a small town that doesn't have a spring shop, someone awhile ago posted a link to a company that sells mail order the same 2-piece clips that I buy, for a decent price.

 

[bubbajeeper]

If you go with an AAL you will most definetly hunt down the guy who made that suggestion and proceed to brutilize him sevearly!!!!!!!!!! Trust me, I made that mistake, while the AAL will only(?) set you back $50-70 it will ride like you have the axle bolted to the frame itself. I saw on another forum that you can use the rear spring pack from a 80's to mid 90's S-10. You leave the main XJ leaf and replace the balance of the leaves with the S-10 ones. This gets you three inches of lift and a good ride, for less than the price of the AAL.
Just from experience.

 

[massxj]

when i did my lift i had to weld a new nut in the "frame" on the shackle end .not fun

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

I just tried mine yesterday and couldn't get either front bolt to budge at all. Even after soaking with PB for the last week.

 

[JoBo]

Unless there's something wrong with the main leaf you don't need to remove the whole spring. I had the two lower leaves broken on my 96 and had no trouble taking everything but the main leaf off both at the salvage yard and my own. At the yard I even forgot my pb blaster! For the straps I just got a 1 inch wide strip of metal at the hardware store and cut something like 7" lengths and made "U" shaped pieces then put them on the springs then bent the "ears over and they've been fine for 2 months now.

JoBo

 

[Jeeper Eric]

If you go with an AAL you will most definetly hunt down the guy who made that suggestion and proceed to brutilize him sevearly!!!!!!!!!! Trust me, I made that mistake, while the AAL will only(?) set you back $50-70 it will ride like you have the axle bolted to the frame itself. .

Why do AAL's give such a bad ride? I'm not sure I understand.

Thanks

 

[theschwarz1]

I just replaced my two rear leaf packs from a 92. I was able to get the bolt unscrewed from the tack welded nut, but your problem will start in getting it out of the sleeve in the bushing because of the rust factor...even with PB. Pb helps in getting it out of the tack welded nut. After I got it out of the tack welded nut I used a metal cutting blade on a sawzall and cut the bolt on either side of the bushing, then replaced the bolt with a new grade 8 bolt, works like a charm....
Your next issue will be getting the eyes to line up in order to insert the new bolts!! HAve fun and dont look upwnwind while spraying PB!!! PB in the eye feels like :flame: in your eye!!!

 

[theschwarz1]

If you go with an AAL you will most definetly hunt down the guy who made that suggestion and proceed to brutilize him sevearly!!!!!!!!!! Trust me, I made that mistake, while the AAL will only(?) set you back $50-70 it will ride like you have the axle bolted to the frame itself. I saw on another forum that you can use the rear spring pack from a 80's to mid 90's S-10. You leave the main XJ leaf and replace the balance of the leaves with the S-10 ones. This gets you three inches of lift and a good ride, for less than the price of the AAL.
Just from experience.

I guess we live and learn...as I have just installed aal's...hope I wont regret it!!

 

[Eagle]

Why do AAL's give such a bad ride? I'm not sure I understand.

Thanks

There are two types of AAL -- long (or full-length) and short (half-legth). Half-length AALs are typically used to lift the vehicle, and because they are short they are also thick, which makes them stiff. Full-length AALs tend to be thinner and flex better.

For your purpose, using another pair of XJ main leaves with the eyes (end loops) cut off is the very best way to go. The Rancho full-length AAL is almost the full length of the XJ main leaf, and it is rated to provide 2" to 2-1/2" of lift. It has more arch than the XJ springs. It's a good AAL, and it rides okay, but it generates more lift than what you want or need.

The XJ main leaf, as described in the Rock Lizard write-up, starts out with the same arch as your springs. So there is no settling, and no more lift than what the increased spring rate will provide. Although his write-up says he got more than 2" of lift, nobody I know of has gotten that much. One of the guys in the North Atlantic chapter gained 1-1/2" on a 2000 XJ, and I gained 1-1/4" on an '88 (which was sagged 1/2" before I started, so I netted only 3/4" higher than stock). The ride quality using an extra pair of XJ main leaves is excellent. The one I did I drove from CT to Montana right after it was finished, and it road very comfortably.

It's a great way to go, not expensive, and it eliminates all the problems of dealing with rusted bolts holding in the spring packs. And, because it is a truly full-length AAL, it also reinforces the full length of your existing main leaf. I don't think the rust on your springs is a problem (it's likely just surface rust), but if the main leaves are weakened at all, this will support the weak areas.

 

[rockwerks]

Why do AAL's give such a bad ride? I'm not sure I understand.

Thanks

They dont, if you buy a cheap short AAl it will make the ride rough, I used a full length AAl from RE and it rode ve nice. short AAL = stiff ride Long AAL= good ride

 

[theschwarz1]

EAGLE always has good advice for the leaf spring ?'s...always patient too, considering the amount of leaf spring posts he's answered! Thanx EAGLE!
Fortunately I have Rusty's longer AAL's. Now I gotta buy clips for the packs I put them in as the old ones rusted off or the tab snapped. MAKO has a set of 4 for $19 ,,,seems too pricey for some clips! Anyone know a good place to get some?