Leafpack question

[BPB]

I made a bastard leafpack for my xj and it worked great. What leaf combo can i use to match my 3.5" re coils? I need to lift this asap!!!

[MiNi Beast]

for your MJ?

[BPB]

yeah sorry

[WahooSteeler]

Well, I can make it easy for you by selling you a 6 leaf MJ bastard pack I have! :brows:

 

PM if interested.

[Pete M]

Bastard packs for XJs are easy. Stock XJ leafs are pretty flat to begin with (being SOA and all). MJ leafs on the other hand (SUA), are very arched, and finding junkyard leafs that add even more is tough. :(

[CWLONGSHOT]

Pete is correct.

Personally I would just buy a complete pack from Motion.

 

You COULD pick up a RE long leaf like I did along with an additional MJ leaf or two. Unsure what it will net you or how stiff it will be. But it WILL be taller than stock.

 

The RE long AAL I use got me about an inch when added to my 4" Rusty's pack. So it should be good for about 2" in a factory pack.

 

But its all speculation...

 

Good luck,

CW

[BLHTAZ]

I did the RE long leaf on mine with the RE 3.5" coils and it matched up perfectly, but it was a VERY stiff ride.

[BPB]

what RE long leaf, I have a 3.5" re xj leafpack at my disposal. Motion's leaf packs are like almost $400 not gonna happen on my student budget. could I add a couple leafs and get the pack re-arched?

[WahooSteeler]

If that XJ pack you say is "at your disposal" means you can break it down, you could add the main leaf from that. As mentioned, XJ packs are flatter, and I'm not sure if RE obtained their 3.5" through custom arch specs, add'l leaves, or both. Soooo, I'm not sure what that main leaf will give you, I'm guessing 1", maybe a little more. You could go to the yard and see about just getting an MJ main leaf out of a pack. Cut the ends off and place that under your main leaf. It will be a better fit than an XJ main leaf and because of the greater arch may even offer more lift than what you steal out of that RE XJ pack. No idea for sure, but a thought.

 

The 6 leaf pack I have for sale *appears* to have either another MJ or an XJ main leaf in it simply because the pack is semi-loose and the leaves all seem to have the same arch. The other leaf was added in between the second and third factory springs. I never had them on my truck as I was looking for true Metric Ton springs and I got these from car-part.com where the JY described them as MT packs with a "helper". Not true. Anyway, found my MT packs and now these are available. I hope this helps give you ideas for other options, unfortunately I'll need other members to chime in on how much potential lift you'd get if you chose any of these ideas. Good luck!

[BLHTAZ]

what RE long leaf, I have a 3.5" re xj leafpack at my disposal. Motion's leaf packs are like almost $400 not gonna happen on my student budget. could I add a couple leafs and get the pack re-arched?

XJ leaf springs will not fit an MJ. The long leaf that we are talking about is an add-a-leaf that RE makes that will give you an appropriate amount of lift to match the 3.5"coils.

 

Look here... http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Products. ... 55C7543984

[BPB]

is that the long one that they are talking about? that says that it is for an xj

[BLHTAZ]

is that the long one that they are talking about? that says that it is for an xj

Yes, that is it. They don't make one for an MJ and because the XJ springs are shorter than the MJ's, it works fine. It is the one that I used.

[BPB]

that only says 2.5" lift, should i use that in conjunction with a shackle?

[Pete M]

If it's for an XJ, then it'll only give half of 2.5" when installed in an MJ due to the different leaf arches of the 2 Jeeps. Will it match the front 3.5" coils if you add a small shackle lift to it? Maybe.

[BPB]

are full size truck leafs wider?

[BLHTAZ]

If it's for an XJ, then it'll only give half of 2.5" when installed in an MJ due to the different leaf arches of the 2 Jeeps. Will it match the front 3.5" coils if you add a small shackle lift to it? Maybe.

It worked perfect for mine with the RE 3.5" coils without any other adjustments. Here is a picture of it just after I had put the lift on it with the AAL's.

 

 

 

 

are full size truck leafs wider?

It depends on what truck they come off of. Most 1/2 tons have 2.5" wide springs, but hte heavier duty models typically have 3".

[BPB]

what do you think about this?

 

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/pts/851183857.html

[Pete M]

Short AALs tend to ride harsher than the long ones.

[BPB]

so is a 90's f/s bronco rear gonna be the same as a manche

[Pete M]

My 78 Bronco had 3" wide leafs. Not sure about the later versions.

[BPB]

well i am going to the junk yard with a tape measure and calculator tomorrow. I should have my axle sold today.... baring the typical craigslist flaking. I wish I didn't do away with my soa 8.25 it seems as if lowering is easier than raising those leafs.

[HellCreek]

Pete is correct. All full-size Bronco rear springs are 3 inches wide, as are F-150 rear springs.

 

Is there really a market for MJ add-a-leaves? If so, we may have to make some.

 

Thanks,

Tom

[MiNi Beast]

Pete is correct. All full-size Bronco rear springs are 3 inches wide, as are F-150 rear springs.

 

Is there really a market for MJ add-a-leaves? If so, we may have to make some.

 

Thanks,

Tom

 

 

There's always a market for a cheaper lift option. Especially if the ALL are full length compared to the RC ALL set up. Far better ride quality. You guys have good stuff so I think it may be a good option to add to your line.

[Eagle]

Rancho also offers a long AAL for the XJ and MJ. Their catalog says it's good for 2-1/2" in both, which is impossible. I called Rancho and spoke with a product engineer, who went and talked to another product engineer, and then the two of them talked to yet a third product engineer. The consensus was that it's good for 2-1/2" in the XJ and 1-1/2" in an MJ. That kit sells for about $65 (maybe up to $75 by now).

 

Check your local junkyards for YJ Wranglers. Front and rear leaf springs, and the unloaded arch isn't that far off from an MJ spring. You could cut the eyes off a pair of YJ main leaves, plus toss in the next longest leaf as a second AAL on each side, and probably get right about where you want to be.

[Motion Offroad]

Several companies offer XJ AAL's that will work in the MJ.

 

Full Traction (they offer both short and long)

SuperLift (long only)

Rough Country (they offer both short and long)

Rubicon Express (they offer both short and long)

Old Man Emu (long only)

SkyJacker (they offer both short and long)

Fabtech (short only)

TrailMaster (short only)

Rancho (they offer both short and long)

 

Lift height will be determined by the arch of the AAL. Typically however the higher the arch, the harsher the ride quality is. You also have to factor in that the XJ leaf is much flater, so adding a higher arched AAL on the XJ will typically net a set amount of lift. On the MJ's the factory pack already has a bit more arch, so adding an AAL may not lift any amount at all.

 

An AAL is adding height by using a higher spring-rated leaf pack to compensate for the additional height that you're trying to achieve. This means that the added leaf has to be much stiffer in order to lift the vehicle. You are asking this one leaf (per side) to not only lift and support the vehicle but it also has to deal with the resistance of the less curved stock spring pack. This leads to many issues down the road, typically a very saggy factory pack, and sometimes broke factory leafs.

 

In my very humble opinion I will always recommend a full pack replacement for a long-term solution. When you have a full leaf pack with springs of all the same spring rate then they will work much better. More often than not it will provide a better ride, more flex and a longer lasting more reliable lift than an AAL ever will. Yes, its costs more but I tend to think long term. An AAL may be a cheaper solution now, but down the road you'll end up most likely spending more money fixing the problem's caused by the AAL's.