Lowering the Rear?

[cromanyak]

I was wondering what the best way would be to drop the rear of my truck without using blocks? I had planned on using them but i was looking and there's already not much clearance. I've heard people mention using cherokee leafs because they're flatter. Do those bolt right up?

 

thanks,

 

Chris

[Motion Offroad]

XJ leafs won't bolt up as the length eye to eye is different.

 

I guess the first question would be how much are you wanting to lower it? You can use a XJ rear shackle and it will lower it 3/4"-1".

 

Another option would be to make a "bastard" pack using the MJ main leaf and other leafs from another vehicle with a flatter pack. Also if your MJ is 4wd you can swap in a set of 2wd leafs and it should lower it some as well.

[Pete M]

You have the exact amount of clearance no matter which method you use. How much are you looking to drop?

[cromanyak]

Well i'm gonna use XJ springs up front. So i'll have to see how much those drop it first, but i was thinking 3 inches or so. If i use blocks then the leafs will be closer to the ground right?

 

Chris

[cromanyak]

Sorry i meant ZJ springs up front.

[jtdesigns]

Well i'm gonna use XJ springs up front. So i'll have to see how much those drop it first, but i was thinking 3 inches or so. If i use blocks then the leafs will be closer to the ground right?

 

Chris

 

Yes, it'll bring the rear axle up and the springs will drop.

[Pete M]

Oh, you're talking about the clearance between the springs and the ground, not the axle and the frame. :doh: Well, I'd suggest a set of Explorer multi-leaf leafpacks. Keep your current main leaf and plop the rest of the explorer pack underneath of it (the explorer main leaf won't center the axle quite right). Add a shorter shackle to the mix and then see where you sit. If it takes a bit more, then go with a block. At least with a block, you know exactly how much it'll drop.

 

4wd MJ on the left, 2wd MJ in the middle, Explorer pack on the right.

[project88mj]

what is the main reason your are droping it?

 

are air bags a possibility in the future?

[jbhill]

pull a leaf or to....

[Eagle]

Sorry i meant ZJ springs up front.

6-cylinder ZJ springs won't change your height at all, and V-8 ZJ springs will give you a 1" to 2" lift.

 

What is it you're trying to do, again?

[jtdesigns]

Sorry i meant ZJ springs up front.

6-cylinder ZJ springs won't change your height at all, and V-8 ZJ springs will give you a 1" to 2" lift.

 

What is it you're trying to do, again?

Eagle its the rear ZJ springs that'll drop the front. So I'm told. I have a set just havent put them on yet. I'll let you all know how much drop it gives.

[cromanyak]

Yeah from what i've read in other posts on here rear ZJ springs are supposed to drop the front 2 or 3 inches, but i haven't actually heard of anyone doing it. I wanna drop it for looks and handling and because i just like messing with stuff. And I don't have any plans of going 4WD at the moment. I think i'm gonna try removing a leaf first and see what that does. I'd still like to be able to haul stuff. I guess I could use air shocks for that if pulling a leaf makes it too soft.

[Pete M]

Be careful with removing a leaf. You could induce some horrible spring-wrap.

 

Don't forget to include a V8 ZJ front sway bar in your plans. :thumbsup:

[aemsee]

Rear ZJ springs are pretty darn soft. You will lose height, but also handling as the truck will tend to bottom out in the front. IMO, you'ld be better off cutting a coil to drop the front.

[cromanyak]

Yeah i definitely don't want that. I want to improve the handling. I guess i'll hack a coil off and see what happens. I'm defenitely doing the swaybar swap too.

[Geonovast]

You're going to lose handling when you hack off a coil too. Beaterjeep put ZJ rears in the front of his 2.5 and he said it handled just fine.

 

If you already have the ZJ rears, throw them in, and take it for a drive to see how it handles.(Remember no matter how you lower it, you WILL have to adjust your toe) Lowering it will point the tires out.

[icurunnin]

so is anyone going to work up the nutz to put the rear ZJ coils up front??

[beaterjeep]

Yes, it has been done. Geonovast wasn't lying to everyone, it's not his style. ZJ rears have been successfully put into the front of an MJ; a 2.5L 2wd MJ named Baby. Click here to see the spring differences and drop acquired.

[JeepcoMJ]

you will have to grind around the lip of your bumpstop mounts to fit the ZJ coils in. it wasn't fun when Joe and I put the coils in his ZJ coils.

 

net lowering was something like 3" or so, and it gave the truck a nice rake even with saggy 2wd rear springs.

[FxRacing282]

i think you will have some serious camber & castor issues with that low of a drop. i suppose you could get some stiff shocks to improve handling. any idea on witch and height of the coils? just did some on my clamaro, about 15'' tall and 6'' or so wide. only cost me $70 or something like that at napa.

[jbhill]

how would it cause camber issues since it has a strait axle?

[FxRacing282]

how would it cause camber issues since it has a strait axle?

good point :waving: