News: Putting FUN and FRIENDLINESS, FIRST into owning and learning about AMC small bodied cars, primarily Eagles, Spirits and Concords as well as vehicles built in AMC's Mexican subsidiary, VAM.

The AMC Eaglepedia can now be accessed using the buttons found below  This is a comprehensive ever growing archive of information, tips, diagrams, manuals, etc. for the AMC Eagle and other small bodied AMC cars. 

Also a button is now available for our Face Book Group page.


Welcome to the AMC Eagles Nest.  A new site under "old" management -- so welcome to your new home for everything related to AMC Eagles, Spirits and Concords along with opportunities to interact with other AMC'ers.  This site will soon be evolving to look different than it has and we will be incorporating new features we hope you will find useful, entertaining and expand your AMC horizons.

You can now promote your topics at your favorite social media site by clicking on the appropriate icon (top upper right of the page) while viewing the topic you wish to promote.


  • March 28, 2024, 01:04:11 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: Rear Spring Lift  (Read 105796 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #75 on: February 08, 2013, 01:38:39 AM »
I'm just adding a used leaf to each of the packs in my wagon (as soon as the 8.25 rear diff is ready to go in. FINALLY put the 235/75/15s in and get just a bit of rubbing on hard corners if I hit a bump)

Pulled the rear drum today and found gear oil all over the pass side shoes, so I cleaned it up and stuck a used pair of shoes in till I get the swap done.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline cadman929

  • Eagle
  • **
  • Posts: 29
  • Thumbs Up 1
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #76 on: February 12, 2013, 11:15:05 AM »
http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/add-a-leaf-kits/jeep
would any of these work for the rear?

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #77 on: February 12, 2013, 04:20:38 PM »
Too expensive. You can buy spring packs (XJ) for just a couple dollars more. IIRC, the Eagle wagon and XJ share spring packs. http://www.stylintrucks.com/parts/pro_comp_helper_spring/prohe66684/procompe3713120rear.aspx?scid=SG010000&origin=pla&ST_SRC=PPC&gclid=CJDQoIvZsbUCFWlxQgod1jEAfw

Brand new XJ leaf packs $110 to my doorstep
http://www.partsgeek.com
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 04:25:27 PM by carnuck »
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline Plink

  • Eagle
  • **
  • Posts: 12
  • Thumbs Up 2
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #78 on: December 03, 2013, 09:12:01 PM »
I used a set of Firestone ride rite air bags made for a 1 ton dodge truck. It was a fairly simple process too.  I removed the bumpstop then shortened the brackets the air bags came with by about 3" I think and welded them to the frame centered above the axle and drilled a half inch hole through the the spring plate where it would have hit the bumpstop and put a bolt up through it with a lock and nut on top then threaded the air bag down on that bolt and popped it into the top bracket. Plumbed the air lines and walla!  Fully adjustable air ride (kinda).  I have about 6" of adjustability and can put pretty much anything I want in the back, add a little air with a small 12v compressor and have a nice level and comfortable ride.   Oh and the Kyb shocks I used that were listed for an eagle are about 2" longer than the old ones I removed. (Not sure it the old ones were factory or not though but they appeared to be). And on the front I used new springs for a javelin with a 401.  Not real sure how it sits compared to a stock non sagging eagle since my fronts were broke and rears sagging when I bought it. But I can clear 235-76-15's now.  One of these days ill figure out how to get some pics posted of this setup.

Offline Prafeston

  • I <3 Wheels
  • Global Moderator
  • Eagle Turbo Diesel
  • *****
  • Posts: 1461
  • Thumbs Up 55
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #79 on: December 03, 2013, 09:19:21 PM »
Yes, I'm sure some of us might be interested in this air-ride setup. With more pics and details. You could create your own How-to/Write-up on it if you want!
1983 AMC Eagle SX/4 - Penny

4hammond

  • Guest
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #80 on: December 09, 2013, 04:28:54 PM »
I am still trying to figure out if it is a stock XJ spring that lifts the rear or a +2 XJ that I need to order and what year. I will be also looking at the air bag idea for load. Just found a rear receiver for my wagon but worry about towing load.

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #81 on: December 11, 2013, 06:19:48 PM »
+2" will lift you a bit. Stock XJ makes it sit at stock height since the sprung weight is about the same from the Eagle wagon to XJ. SX4 is however different because it's lighter and the main leaf springs are shorter.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

4hammond

  • Guest
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #82 on: December 19, 2013, 03:53:18 PM »
Is there a certain year xj +2 spring pack I should get?

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #83 on: December 23, 2013, 04:24:05 PM »
I've been thinking about the XJ spring swap a bit. Where the rear spring shackle bolts to the floor, you could put a steel plate under it with the holes slotted to allow the shackle to come forward the difference in the spring lengths from XJ to Eagle (Maybe we should start calling them EJ for Eagle Jeeps?   >:D
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline captspillane

  • The Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary
  • Eagle Sundaancer
  • ******
  • Posts: 1097
  • Thumbs Up 137
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #84 on: December 23, 2013, 07:09:52 PM »
The Eagle shackle is an oddball that has 2.5" width at the bottom and 2" width at the top. It also sits on a little hump. I cut the hump off my Red SX4 and bolted up CJ7 heavy duty eyes (2.5" wide) and then used CJ7 lift shackles. Eagle Shackles were at least 1/2" longer than CJ7 shackles and then I also lost the height of the hump, so I got CJ7 shackles advertised to lift 1" or 2". They were cheap, heavy duty, and available with grease fittings. It's worth doing to my other Eagles, especially since I can save over $100 using XJ springs instead of Eagle springs.

On the SX4 I already upgraded the shackles on I want to try XJ leaf springs. I don't know if the extra 1-5/8" in length will fit in an SX4. It should certainly work to make up the tiny difference between XJ and station wagon leafs. It's just a matter of moving the holes along the flat plate I added where the hump used to be.

At this point my only concern is the diameter of the bushing. It's bigger on an XJ, but should still fit in an Eagle bracket.
Currently Inspected and Insured as of Jan 2013:
-1985 Eagle Station Wagon 258 T5 Stickshift
-1980 Eagle Station Wagon 258 Auto Fuel-injected with GM TBI

Minor Repairs Underway:
-1982 Eagle SX4 258 T5
-1981 Kammback 2.5L Iron Duke T5

Restoration Efforts Near Completion:
-1982 SX4- 401 NV3550
-1983 SX4- 4.5 MPI NSG370 (6 Speed)

Restoration Efforts Underway:
-1985 SW- 4.0 MPI AX15
-1982 SX4- 4.0 AW4
-1981 SX4- SD33T NV4500 (Turbodiesel 5 speed)

Future Rescue Efforts- '85 Maroon SW, '87 Limited SW, '84 Limited SW, '87 4 door Sedan, '81 2 door Sedan, '88 White SW, '77 4 door Hornet, '74 2 door Hornet, '79 Spirit AMX, '81 Kammback.

RIP- Red '81 SX4, '84 4dr Sedan, '84 SW, '81 SW, '80 Spirit, '83 SW, '83 4dr Sedan

Offline maddog

  • a long haired redneck country boy
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 1805
  • Thumbs Up 45
  • AMC Eagle the original crossover
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #85 on: December 23, 2013, 08:30:23 PM »
I have full Cherokee leaf springs on Eagle Eyes and I had no problems putting them in I will add however that the rear bushing on the Eagle springs is wider that the Cherokee ones so you will either have to cut the extra rubber that sticks out on each side of the Eagle springs like I did or use a bunch of washers because otherwise the springs will slide around on the shackles.
1998 CHEVY S10 (DAILY DRIVER/PROJECT) INTIMIDATIN'
1980 AMC EAGLE WAGON (PROJECT) EAGLE EYES
http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=30758.0
1983 AMC EAGLE LIMITED WAGON-SURVIVOR (gone)
http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=32372.0

Offline HornetRWB

  • Eagle
  • **
  • Posts: 52
  • Thumbs Up 3
  • just ramblin'
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #86 on: September 23, 2014, 03:12:44 PM »
Some really good info on this topic. XJs are plentiful in Europe so it really helps my plans for a mild lift that XJ springs fit almost perfectly. For the front I am thinking of using rear springs from a bigbody AMC.
^
cRazy Finnish AMCer...
- AMC Eagle Sport STW 1980 258cid+TF998 Silver
- AMC Hornet SST 2D 1970 343cid+T10 Red-White-Blue
- AMC Rebel SST 2D HT 1969 360cid+TF727 Midnight blue
- Jeep Cherokee Limited XJ 4.0L+autom Black
www.amccf.com

Offline carnuck

  • Having a 727 means never re-doing the trans again
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 3451
  • Thumbs Up 89
  • Near Seattle
    • Virtual Jeep
Re: Rear Spring Lift
« Reply #87 on: September 23, 2014, 03:22:55 PM »
If the original leaves aren't rusty, then adding the XJ main leaf in #2 position is the easiest way.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk