ESPO leaf springs flattened?

[sx4brosco]

referring to what eddie said:

My thoughts were to get a set of Cherokee springs and disassemble them and use all but the main leaf, leave the Eagle main leaf in place, add Cherokee leaves until you get the ride and height you want. It can be done without removing Eagle main leaf, jack the car up by frame, let the axle droop, remove the u bolts, clamp leaves together with a heavy duty c-clamp, remove spring center bolt, release the c-clamp,, remove the leaves, then slide the Cherokee leaves in place, align the center bolt hole, clamp the leaves back together with c-clamp, install the center bolt and ubolts, depending on the thickness of the Cherokke springs, you may have to get longer ubolts. I did a ford pickup like this one time, I got another set of springs, cut the eyes off main leaf, and used the entire spring along with the main leaf on the truck, gave it more load capacity.
                                                                                                                      Eddie

apparently, this is quite a common thing amongst jeepers. most commonly a set of chevy s10 springs is used, but dodge dakota springs are common as well as ford f-series leaf packs since they are all 2.5" wide just like cherokee springs and eagle springs. they call it "hybrid springs" or a "inconsiderate person pack". apparently on a stock jeep cherokee, a set of s10 springs added to the main leaf results in lift from about 3 to 4 inches. and this type of setup is said to be very resilient to sagging because the truck springs are designed for more load. ever since you guys started this thread i've been considering trying this on my eagle to avoid throwing my money away on new springs that go to crap anyway. I was planning on getting the espo's but not anymore.

heres some more info for those interested in giving it a shot themselves:

http://webpages.charter.net/laurajeff44/Liftwriteup/s10_pack_PDF.pdf  (warning! large file. dial-up users may want to right-click and "save as")

i've only been researching this for the past week or so, but from what i understand, the s-10 springs have a free arch of around 10.5". according to the information provided by KC general spring here: (http://www.generalspringkc.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=41&pg=1)  the sx/4 springs have a free arch of 7.125" and the wagon springs have only 5.125" or 5.625".

additionally that page indicates that the sx/4 and wagon springs are designed for a load of 540lbs and ~400lbs, respectively. whereas this literature by superlift on page 109 (http://www.superlift.com/media/AG102.pdf) indicates pickup truck springs are designed for a much heavier load. i'd be more interested in finding out the spring rate of those stock truck springs but i haven't found any definitive numbers on that yet.

additionally, one would need to know the free arch of cherokee springs to get a very very rough idea of what kind of lift might result from doing this to an eagle. but none of that takes into account differences in vehicle weight, weight distribution, etc...

anyway, as i said, think i'll give it a shot with my eagle unless i find something along the way that radically indicates it will end in catastrophe

[Shin-X]

What Jurjen said...he will not be using a torch for that reason.

My mechanic has pretty much everything in his garage...even a machine press for the wheel bearings, so hes always got the proper tool to use.

[5851a]

About 5 pages back someone was using the XJ Cherokee springs, sounded like you just need to add a bushing to the rear eye to get it to work. Lots of them in this area in the salvage yards. I need rear leaves too and had been thinking espo's but not anymore. I have bought eaton springs for my Bronco, fit perfect and have been on 3 years but they were kind of expensive. I think I'm going to try the salvage yards now that it's warming up. Thanks for the heads up on the espo's springs.

[Route 66 Rambler]

You might want to read that again.  I was the only one who mentioned Cherokee springs.  The Cherokee springs DID work great, though.  On my Cherokee.   
mike

[Route 66 Rambler]

A band saw with lots of cutting fluid would be ideal.   The kind they have at plumbing stores and machine shops, where you tilt the band saw down and it puts the weight over the blade as it cuts. Then you can stand back and monitor the flow of the cutting fluid, no work.  If nothing else, it would be worth it to pay the minimum 25 bucks or whatever at a machine shop to have them sawed that way.  They's probably even dress the edges of the cut for you.
mike

[IowaEagle]

Persons here on the Nest with Model 30 Eagles have successfully used the Cherokee springs with the correct replacement bushings.

[bigdog56e]

  Doug,
         I thought someone had used Cherokee springs. Depending on number of leaves and thickness, may have to remove a leaf or two to get height and ride just where you want it. Think maybe PR is using Cherokee springs.
                                                                                                                  Eddie

[IowaEagle]

I will have to look to see how many leaves mine has.

[eaglefreek]

Well the springs on my 86 almost have a reversed arch so doing some searching I found this company http://thesuspensionking.com/catalog/tables/amc_rear.php .
Anyone have any experience with them? I wonder if these companies are getting their springs all from the same place. I may experiment with a used Cherokke pack and the Eagle pack.

[havasuhd]

Update on my springs from McVeighs' Truck Springs, Inc.  They have flattened out also.  I put a 1" lift on at the same time I installed these springs and we put my old stock springs on a same year AMC Sedan instead of my Wagon and the Sedan without a lift sits higher in the rear than my wagon now with the new springs???  UGHHH!!!!

[MetalBird]

My ESPO springs are not even a year old on the car and they have now flattened out quite a while ago.

[jim]

So far we have ESPO, KCSprings, and McVeigh that have flattened.
Has anyone bought new springs that performed well?








O, KC

[bigdog56e]

  IMO, any spring made to the Eagle spec is going to flatten, the materail thickness of the Eagle spring is might thin as compared to other springs.
                                                                                                                   Eddie

[bigdog56e]

  I think the springs could be made to the Eagle spec, but made from a thicker material and not sag.
                                                                                                            Eddie

[havasuhd]

I have no problem replacing mine with springs not from a Eagle I just want to try and keep the nice ride it has now, for the same reason I have not just put a add-a-leaf I dont want to stiffen it up a bunch.