building leaf springs

[ladiekilla04]

so im now going to attempt to build my own lift springs for my jeep... but i have no clue how... i figured it's a good subject to start for other people who might want to as well, so if you have any write-ups, or advice, please post it here

[Blackjackbender]

well they need to be arched more obviously.


look into 4x4 dakota or s10 springs compare there lengths to your current ones. Possible by adding leafs your current main leaf you could gain some lift.

[ladiekilla04]

if i just find some longer springs will they arch more and lift? or will they be too stiff then

[Grandman]

1st off find the correct width springs . Go with something that is soft rate so they will flex . S 10 pickups use 2.5 wide which i think you have but im not sure .

Your most lift comes from the longest leaf , the one just under the main will often give you a ball park 2" of lift . Take your springs you have , get a pack out of a donor and play with it .

Add a leaf to each side put in the center bolt and set it down . See how much height you gained .

I dont like a highly arched springs . Thats why i dont buy a lift spring they are all arched enough to give you a crappy ride .

What do you want to gain ? Do you like the ride and flex of your current springs ?

If so why not build new spring perchs that are 1 or 2 " higher then stock and weld them on ? If you do this make them longer then stock perches , it helps stop spring warp . This makes an easy cheap lift for the do it your selfer .

[ladiekilla04]

i'd like about 4" of lift, with enough flex to do pretty well off road, but not too crappy on road

[sglide]

he is still on stock prings, spring under on a yj
just buy some longer perches as marv said and go spring over
this will give you about 5" and flex really good

[ladiekilla04]

can i get away without doing much else with that? i was kindof looking for a cheap way to fit at least 33's with out much else

[Blackjackbender]

you will most likely need a sye with 5"s of lift.

Personally I would do 3ish"s of lift SUA and do a 1" body lift. (hell get hocket puts and some 1" longer bolts).

in the rear put on some rear TJ flares and you should be able to clear 33"s with 4"s of lift no problem. 1" body lift = less spring lift = less arched springs.

[sglide]

might have to drop your tranfer case 1" (easy and really cheep)
might have to lengthen drive shafts (cheep if your friends with me)
might have to mess with the steering (cheep if done right)

[Blackjackbender]

sounds like to much work. for such a simple task.

[sglide]

sounds like to much work. for such a simple task.
thats how i feel about body lifts :hehe:

[ladiekilla04]

im really looking for cheap and easy to do while im in VA, and since i suck at welding, and sam will be very far away, maybe ill just not worry about it for now, i just would like to get 33's on the heep

[Blackjackbender]

thats how i feel about body lifts :hehe:

on nate's TJ i had one done in less then an hour.

[Rover]

Ill have to find out how far youll be from my house when im back. you can come up and we can work on it in the garage

[ladiekilla04]

Ill have to find out how far youll be from my house when im back. you can come up and we can work on it in the garage

that could work:thumbsup: possibly on a weekend so we'd have plenty of time

[ladiekilla04]

i pretty much want as much lift as possible without a SYE, im pretty sure i can handle a transfer case drop, and i dont like body lifts, they're scary to me

[Mongo]

I have the same jeep as Nick, 4.5" suspension lift and 1'skid drop equiled a broken tail on the t-case. Gets bad under full droop. I had to go sye. Check on the zr2 s-10's(whatever the highriders were).

[Grandman]

BJB dont ever tell some one to use hockey pucks :poke:

[ladiekilla04]

so whats the most i should go with suspension then?

[ladiekilla04]

and it's not the sye that scares me, it's the expensive ass drive shafts that do

[Rover]

BJB dont ever tell some one to use hockey pucks :poke:

hahaha bjb

[Mongo]

My sye is teraflex and shaft is woods. Cost was about 600ish, coulda spent less but Iwanted to support local bidnez and have a shop to answer any questions was nice.

[ladiekilla04]

are there any issues with the front shaft at all?

[Blackjackbender]

210 for a sye from Jeeperz creeperz.

30 dollar for a xj shaft. shorten it = 240 sye conversion



grandman - whats so bad about hockey pucks? i wouldnt use them but i have seen them in use for a years with out issuie.

[Nate4d]

on nate's TJ i had one done in less then an hour.YOU ?????? thats horse hockey i helped every step and id admit you did most of the MML but i did a lot too... u just provided the tools and a place to do it as well as ur knowledge.

[ladiekilla04]

how hard is shortening a shaft?

[Mongo]

For Sam, easy. I believe he has a jig.

[Mongo]

grandman - whats so bad about hockey pucks? i wouldnt use them but i have seen them in use for a years with out issuie.

Over time they can crack. Possibly other issues.





ps Mine are still good after 2 years, but I wont endorse anyone else doing it just so I'm not responsible if something goes wrong. After the 4link and soa, mine will go.

[ladiekilla04]

what all does it involve, would it be something i could do in a pretty stocked shop on base?

[Mongo]

what all does it involve, would it be something i could do in a pretty stocked shop on base?

Springs or shaft?

[Grandman]

BJB dont use a water ballon for a condom and dont use a hockey puck for a lift . One is as bad as the other . Thats not what there made for .

The puck is brittle and will break .

[Grandman]

Nick , a lift is like HP . How much do you want to spend . Every inch cost you more .

You are wheeling a YJ ? or TJ ?

I had a 98 TJ , 3" lift and 32" TSL radials . Damn thing did very well off road and drove nicely . No SYE requried . Any thing after 3" on the TJ ZJ XJ you start having issues with drive shaft angles and so on has been my experience .

I have never built up a YJ !!!

[Mongo]

BJB dont use a water ballon for a condom and dont use a hockey puck for a lift . One is as bad as the other . Thats not what there made for .

The puck is brittle and will break .

Well put:hehe:

[ladiekilla04]

shaft

[Mongo]

95 yj

[Mongo]

shaft

There may be balance issues on a dd, Marv?

[ladiekilla04]

oh and mongo, i asked earlier with no response, what is needed for a front shaft?

[Grandman]

shaft

3" or less i have never had to change a shaft . I ran stock drive shafts . I think i did lower the T case 1 inch but i cant recall for sure . I do know the shafts were stock though on the TJ . I wheeled trail 17 in canada , wheeled the rocks in windrock and never had an issues with it .

My other builds have been a longer wheel base . XJ ZJ you can get away with a lot more crap do the longer shafts .

[Grandman]

There may be balance issues on a dd, Marv?

There wasnt on my TJ but i dont know what differences there are between the TJ and YJ jeeps .

[Grandman]

There wasnt on my TJ but i dont know what differences there are between the TJ and YJ jeeps .

Tonka who just came on here from SS has my old TJ still , Im not sure if he has raised the lift or ever changed the shafts .

[Nate4d]

just do a tcase drop and point the rear pinion at the tcase. shouldnt have many issues.

[Mongo]

There wasnt on my TJ but i dont know what differences there are between the TJ and YJ jeeps .

He means if he goes sye and cuts an xj front shaft. How hard and will there be balance issues?

[Mongo]

oh and mongo, i asked earlier with no response, what is needed for a front shaft?

My front is stock with 4.5".

[ladiekilla04]

so if i get the sye, figure out the whole driveshaft issue, and get a drop pittman arm should i be able to go soa with no issues?

[Grandman]

He means if he goes sye and cuts an xj front shaft. How hard and will there be balance issues?

Id say yes to a blance issue on that . Now depending on gearing it may not be noticble . If your running say a 4.10 gear then the shaft is not running all that fast . Go to a 4.56 or 4.88 gear and it will show up .

I ran into just that on my XJ . Stock shaft was a bit short with a 6" lift . I retubed it my self with no way to blance the shaft . I was running 4.10 gears . Later i put a set of 4.56 gears in , same shaft and it would vibrate where as i never noticed it with the higher gears .

[ladiekilla04]

also, whats the difference in a drop pittman arm for a power steering yj and a manual steering yj

[MonkeyBiz]

Also don't forget if you go SOA, ladder bar or some kind of anti wrap devise.. Every time I go out I get to spend atleast 100 bucks on a drive shaft repair.

[FlamesFearMe]

Also don't forget if you go SOA, ladder bar or some kind of anti wrap devise.. Every time I go out I get to spend atleast 100 bucks on a drive shaft repair.

Good point, but my buddy made big beefy extra spring perches, and that has prevented axle wrap so far.

[Grandman]

Ill start with Monkey bizz . This spring wrap you speak of , does it do this to you ? :hehe:

From todays romping . Yes spring wrap caused this while bound up in the rock pile .

Next item a anti wrap bar .



http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l292/grandman_02/Driveshaftbooboo.jpg


Flames , the larger spring perch you speak of , thats what i did on the rear set up . There 6" long setting on the spring . No issue on that end but there stronger springs as well .


So at any rate i played with both comments you guys made while testing it out today .

[Mongo]

Marv, your thingy fell out.

[Grandman]

Marv, your thingy fell out.

Yes in the snow no less :lol:

No damage caused so its all good . That course is great for finding the little issues instead of finding them out on the trial . Its nice to have all your crap 100 ' away when you break or in this case just fall apart .:hehe:

[MonkeyBiz]

Fabricator built my anti wrap perches, and they do well for the most part, but one you start spinning, a wrap bar is the only way..