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Leaf spring upgrade


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I initially bought the Rusty's off road 4.5" kit 7 years ago when I bought my MJ. Was pretty new to Jeeps and working on them 7 then. Didn't realize it was cheap trash. I think the leaf bent first time I went off roading. It sits off level now because the driver side is messed up. I'll add pictures later. Trying to research leaf kits and there aren't many options I've found. 12° North is one of the few brands I've seen besides Rough country. Don't need junk like that again. Anyone hear of 12°N or have any other recommendations? Will add more pics and details when I get home from work. 

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General spring makes a replacement spring that is good for about a 2" rear lift and they really don't ever settle/sag. Deaver or Alcan will make you a custom pack if you want. Otherwise your stuck with Rusty's or Hell's creek. Bastard packs are another decent option depending on the application. 

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Well Alcan looks to be the only viable option. Deaver hasn't gotten back to me. Maybe they're booked. Idk. Over 1k for new springs seems a little steep but if they're the best and will last I'm okay with spending that. A local shop said they could fix my old ones for 350 but I'm not sure if that would be throwing away my money for a temporary repair. If it was cheap steel that bent before is 1 new leaf and retaining clips going to make that much of a difference? 

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I don't doubt they can. However I'm leaning towards new springs because I intend on keeping this truck and having new quality ones will only help in the long run. If my Rusty's springs bent so soon, who's to say how long the repair will hold? I've only hauled a heavy load 1 time in this. Doesn't inspire confidence in my old setup. Waiting 6 weeks without my truck seems like a long time but I've learned that taking shortcuts and going with the cheaper option usually bites me in the end. I have no clue how they rebuild them though. Do the heat, rebend and retreat them? 

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Yeah, I think I've talked myself into getting Alcan. Seems like best choice. Just gonna miss having the ol girl around for the next month or so. Will update when it gets finished. It deserves some spotlight after all the work. 

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6 hours ago, SIERRA051 said:

Yeah, I think I've talked myself into getting Alcan. Seems like best choice. Just gonna miss having the ol girl around for the next month or so. Will update when it gets finished. It deserves some spotlight after all the work. 

Let us know how it turns out :holdwrench:

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Well, no one answered my emails. Alcan and Deaver might make the best springs, but I'll never know. Hard to buy when no one answers. Alcan actually responded to my initial email, but then never answered my follow up questions about shipping and hardware costs to finish the estimate. I was guessing it would be roughly $1700 to buy new and 6 weeks lead time. That's a tough sell when I need to paint it and buy a winch and rear bumper and taillights eventually... 

 

So many things to work on. Anyway the first local spring shop I called said they could fix my old ones for $350. They added a new leaf and replaced the missing clips with beefier ones. Looks good so we shall see but for over $1k less and getting it done in 1 day it seemed like the obvious choice. 

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I dug up some info in an email I had from Alcan. $938 for a pair and the bushings are included. 6 week build time. Number to call to order I was given is 970-241-2655. That was for a 3” lift spring in 2022

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I’ve reached out to my contact at Alcan for follow up. Hopefully he can chime in with some support and some good options for those needing some good quality alternatives to the RC or GS spring options. BTW, I have no connection to Alcan other than being a very satisfied customer. I’ve run their springs for many years on my YJ and beat them to hell and back with zero issues. They were the best riding, and highest quality springs I’ve ever owned. 

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