Rear Spring Advice

[desertmike]

Need some leaf spring info. I replaced my front Rancho lift (2-3 inch) with RC 4.5 Long Arm kit. I kept the rear original rear springs with the Rancho Add A Leaf. don't know if its MJ or XJ specific but covers most of the upper spring. Anyway the back sits way to low even with the RC extended shackles. Hell Creek is about the only maker of lifted springs now and they only have 3” and 4.5”. I'm sure the rear leafs have sagged over 25 years even with the add a leaf.

 

So my question is

Should I go with the 3” or the 4.5 “ spring. Don't want to buy 2 sets the find out. I also don't mind cutting some of the front spring to make it level. Don't want to use a ladder to get in and out either. I'm leaning toward the 3” and adjust the front. How much do they settle after awhile? How do they ride? etc.

 

1988 SWB, front bumper and winch

[ggcnash]

Hellcreek Ride great, my 3" gave me about 4.5 of course my stock springs were worn pretty bad. They have settled about .5" over the last 8 months with an atv in back a lot. I have RE 3.5" in front which sits at about level now that the rear has settled.

[Eagle]

If you still have the factory flares on the front, the stock ride height was 17-1/2" measured from the center of the hub straight up to the bottom lip of the flare. What's your measurement? Subtract 17.5 and that's how much lift you actually have, with all that extra weight on the front. Choose rear springs accordingly.

 

If you don't have the factory flares (or if you want to double check): http://comancheclub.com/topic/11098-how-to-measure-ride-hight/

[desertmike]

Thanks for both infos. I have BW flaires so I had to crawl under to measure. The front is 11 3/4 which says I have about 5 inch lift in front. Seems high but I don't know. The rear is 9 1/2. So if the 6 inch stock is a good number then I'm at about 3 1/2 already, thats with add a leaf and extended shackles. I jacked up the rear bumper to make it level. Ended up being 10 1/2. So I guess I need sometihing in 4 1/2 inch range.

 

If I could get a measurement from under the rear axle from somebody that has the 3 inch Hell Creek springs and the 4 1/2 springs that would be great.

Thanks

[shelbyluvv]

I just checked my truck. 11 3/8 from the top of the axle to the frame. I have Hellcreek 4.5" springs and a D44 axle on a SWB.

 

Use the diagram in the link posted to measure your truck correctly.

[joester1908]

or you could take the AAL out and do SOA? Mine gave me 5.5 inches with a tall perch on my D44. I'm sure you could get it close to 4.5

[Eagle]

or you could take the AAL out and do SOA? Mine gave me 5.5 inches with a tall perch on my D44. I'm sure you could get it close to 4.5

 

Probably not.

 

Axle tube - 2.75"

Perch offset - .5" x 2

Spring pack thickness - 1.25"

 

Total - 5"

 

I don't see how it can be any less than that.

[skidoo_j]

Probably not.

 

Axle tube - 2.75"

Perch offset - .5" x 2

Spring pack thickness - 1.25"

 

Total - 5"

 

I don't see how it can be any less than that.

I'll jump in and agree with Eagle here. I did the swap too. Hoping to negate as much lift as possible as my goal was 4". I used the ruff stuff spring perches. and ground them so they were as short as possible ontop of the tube while still letting the spring center pin not touch the tube. I then used xj shackles. My total measured lift was about 4.25, however i'm in the process of trying to locate MJ shackles again as the xj ones are so short the springs are not able to compress well, giving a very bumpy ride regardless of shocks used.

[richasco]

I've been researching ideas for my lift for a long time now. I'm planning on SOA with 2wd leaf packs. In stock form the ride height is one inch lower than a 4wd, So a SOA with 2wd packs should give you a little less lift compared to using 4wd springs. The only concern I have is with axle wrap. I haven't seen anyone really say anything about it and the softer spring rate/lower arch of the 2wd springs is potential problem.

[Pete M]

2wd and 4wd leafs were rated for essentially the same weight capacity.  just the arch is different and it's only slightly different.

 

to help control the wrap I added in a second main leaf from another pack.  I just cut the eyes off and stuck it under the current main.  seems to work pretty good. :thumbsup:  longer perches work too.

 

don't forget, the single biggest variable in swapping around 25 year old suspensions is sag.  all these numbers are reasonably pointless if the leafs are tired.  I went from tired 2wd leafs to like-new 2wd leafs and gained over an inch (that I didn't want).  lost some flex too, :( but that should come back with use. :D  on that same note, going SOA lifts your ~5" over your current height.  It may not match any particular lift's height gain in the front.

[Motorcharge]

Do the stock packs even sag much? I wouldn't think they would unless someone was using the truck bed to haul stuff much. There's not nearly as much weight on the leafs with an empty bed as you have on them on an XJ.

 

And fwiw, no leaf springs are going to sit level right off the bat. They all take time to settle when they're new. You can speed that up by leaving some weight in the back for a few weeks.

[desertmike]

Thanks for all the input. Not going to do SOA. Not to concerned with a level truck in the begining, looking at 6 months or so down the road. Talked to Hell Creek and he likes the stock factory rake, so I think he builds his a little high. What about Rusty's 4 inch leafs? I have several of his products that work fine. I also know that he has some good and bad reviews.

[TheDude]

I was looking into this recently too. I looked on the Hells Creek website and found nothing for the Comanche. Can someone post a link?
Also, do they or anyone else sell rear 3" Metric Ton capacity springs? Because that's mainly what I'm looking for.

[gogmorgo]

The Hell Creek site is a little odd. Click on "Product Line" in the top left, then click what you're looking for in the list that opens up, a kit, individual springs, etc. Then scroll down to where it says "Chevy/GMC", right above the little spreadsheet thing, and hit the "Next" button beside that until Jeep comes up. Then in the little window in the spreadsheet, scroll down to MJ Comanche or MJ Comanche Metric Ton, and select year, lift, etc.

 

It doesn't look like Hell Creek sells a 3" MT spring. There were a few other threads about rear springs recently that may help you out a bit. General Spring makes a few different MJ springs, and there's one other manufacturer that comes up in discussion, but I can't remember the name...

[TheDude]

Oh, ok. I thought they had discontinued them or something.

I was looking at General Spring as well but the only seem to have OEM and MT springs.

Do their MT springs give any lift? If anyone happens to have them.

[joester1908]

You're probably right. 5 is about minimum on SOA

[shelbyluvv]

Thanks for all the input. Not going to do SOA. Not to concerned with a level truck in the begining, looking at 6 months or so down the road. Talked to Hell Creek and he likes the stock factory rake, so I think he builds his a little high. What about Rusty's 4 inch leafs? I have several of his products that work fine. I also know that he has some good and bad reviews.

cRusty's MJ packs had a history of snapping the main leaf at the center bolt. I have not heard much about them lately though. I run the HC 4.5" pack and it has been awesome. They have been on my truck for over 4 years now and shows no signs of sagging.

[gogmorgo]

In addition to regular stuff, General Spring also does a "ComancheClub Special," which is a military wrap mt capacity spring, which they say is good for 2 to 3 inches of lift or so, depending on which springs you have. I'll post the link when I get home.

[TheDude]

In addition to regular stuff, General Spring also does a "ComancheClub Special," which is a military wrap mt capacity spring, which they say is good for 2 to 3 inches of lift or so, depending on which springs you have. I'll post the link when I get home.

That would be ideal.

[ggcnash]

Just remember HC is more $ b/c quality and customer service I can't speak for other company's mentioned but HC truly stands behind their product.

[gogmorgo]

This is the rather long thread about the General Spring group buy deal:

http://comancheclub.com/topic/36694-military-wrapped-springs-with-lift-group-buy/

 

This is the link to the uncatalogued listing on General Spring's website:

http://www.generalspringkc.com/product_p/gsc-571.htm

 

A discounted price is mentioned in the thread a couple times, but you might have to call them to get it. I'm pretty sure the price is also per side, not for a pair.

I've been meaning to get myself a set of these springs, but every time I have enough money saved up, something more pressing fails on the Comanche so the money gets spent on something else...

[87MJTIM]

I got the general springs with the 3:2 military wrap

 

Before with factory springs

 

After with general springs

 

The front has 2" spacers to even out the lift

[Megadan]

^ I ordered general springs straight off the website and my truck sits that high in the rear too (over a year after they were installed...plenty of time to settle).  I didn't specify any sort of military wrap, I just wanted springs because my factory leaf springs were busted and rusted.  Maybe all of their springs are like that?  I bought spacers for the front to level it out simply because my truck has a hardcore rake going on right now, and it didn't settle as much as I expected.  Even with a bunch of scrap metal in the bed for 5 months.