saggy rear end

[Bacon]

Hello all, i've got a 91 swb with a 3" BDS lift. (new coils and add-a-leafs) i just bought it and i've noticed that the assend sits prolly about an inch lower than that front. and that's with the box empty. it's not a big deal, i just hate the look of it. i've heard that dakota leaf packs may fit, and also F150s. any suggestions/solutions?

 

oh, and if i go with leafs out of something else, how much lift are they gonna give me?

[Bacon]

nobody?

[JOMJ87]

I don't have an answer but i have seen mention of dakota spring packs recently on here since nobody has answered yet try looking threw some of the topics on lift and such. Sorry i can't help more just thought i would point you in the right direction.

 

Cole

[Eagle]

The early Dakota spring packs are used to lift Cherokees, which are spring-over-axle. Am I safe in assuming that your BDS lift retained the original spring-under-axle configuration? If so, adding one leaf out of a Dakota pack might give you some additional lift, but there's no way to predict how much. The way to tell would be to hold the bare Dakota leaf next to the spring in your truck. If the Dakota leaf has more arch than your static loaded spring, it'll give you some lift. If it has less arch, it won't help you.

 

Adding any leaves WILL make the ride stiffer.

 

Have you considered chopping a coil off the front springs to level things out?

[JOMJ87]

Just thought of this what about a .5 inch shacle lift just to help the looks and see how you like it.

Cole

[sinnaevd]

i was told you can take the main leaf out of a Dakota and jam it in the pack or usually about a 1 inch lift (if they are not warn out)

 

not sure how to cut them, or where to place htem in the pack, and havent done it myself either, but i just htough I would give you a heads up. also, is your lift new? maybe the front will settle a little bit after you work it in?

[JOMJ87]

i think thats the same post i seen and they had cut the bushings off and put them on like that.

Cole

[Bacon]

Have you considered chopping a coil off the front springs to level things out?

 

 

hahaha, you're funny! take lift out....that's a good one! no, actually, i am planning on putting in a small spacer to lift it up a little more, cutting the fenders, and running 33's. if i lift the front another inch, i'll need to put another two or three inches in the rear to level it out. I just don't want to go through the hassle of doing a spring-over. i figure 4" total lift, and cut fenders will be fine....keep a low centre of gravity.

 

my BDS kit is an add-a-leaf in the rear, so it's stiff enough already.... not sure adding another leaf is a good idea.

 

thanks for the info guys! :banana:

[pingpong]

Sagging leaf springs only get worse with the addition of lift blocks, or longer shackles.

 

If your leaf springs were in good shape, I would say use a full size chevy drop shackle. they measure 83/4 inches eye to eye, and will net you about 2 inches, but thats still not enough to level your rig out.

 

Pony up the coin and buy a new set of springs is probrably your best option

[DirtyComanche]

Or 4-link it and coils.

 

 

Like, it's already broken, so why not make it better?

[Pete M]

Just checking here, but the lift was for an MJ, not an XJ, right? Make sure you got the right add-a-leaf as the XJ AAL won't lift as high as an MJ AAL.

[Bacon]

mehh, i only paid 800 bones for the truck, just something cheap to run for a year or two till i get something bigger, better, more expensive. i'm not gonna put a bunch of money into only to see it rust out from underneath me next year ( i live in New Brunswick, on the east coast of Canada and they put a lot of salt on the roads in the winter)

 

4-link and coils not an option, i have no fab skills or money to pay somebody with fab skills to do it.

 

as for the xj/mj lift.....i dunno, the lift was already on the truck when i bought it

 

i'll prollly just get somebody to make me a set of longer shackles

[Eagle]

my BDS kit is an add-a-leaf in the rear, so it's stiff enough already.... not sure adding another leaf is a good idea.

Nope -- it isn't. Aside from stiffness, you're probably already about maxed out. Take a look at the shackle for your rear leaves. With a stock suspension and no load, it should be about vertical. Then when the suspension compresses that spring can flatten out (pushing the shackle to the rear) and when the suspension extends the shackle swings forward, allowing the spring to arch more.

 

The AAL uses up the "extend" part of your suspension travel to obtain the lift. Most likely your shackle is already pointing pretty far forward and adding another leaf (or in any way putting more arch into the springs) will only make it worse -- unless you've already swung it as far as it can go.

 

There are limits to how much lift you can effectively get from an AAL. Once you go beyond that, you either need new springs with longer main leaves, or you need to go spring-over.