Xj cherokee leaf spring conversion

[maddog]

how long does it take to swap out leaf springs on a wagon including drilling out holes?

[Gil-SX4]

If you have all the parts, the right tools for the job do a good job as should be done an set your mind, time and money in to it it should take 2 to 3 days, if you decide to go the slow and steady route 7 to 14 days.
Allmost forgot the knowhow.

[captspillane]

I saw a write-up yesterday in the project threads where someone used a leaf spring pack from a 1991 Dodge Ram. I'm recalling that from memory and will have to edit this post once I find it again.

My favorite solution is the Load Leveller shocks. They have a coil spring around the shock. I buy mine at "shockwarehousedotcom." I've never replaced any of my station wagon leafs because those compensate very well. You will feel an immediate difference, but I happen to think its not too stiff and not too soft.

The leaf springs in SX4's are very prone to breaking and sagging because the second leaf doesn't support a large area of the first leaf. I've broken them many times. If you take the springs from a junkyard Jeep Cherokee and swap everything but the top leaf, you'll end up with a second leaf that is longer and supports the weak area of your top leaf spring.

If you buy new shackles, you can get very heavy duty greaseable shackles for Jeep CJs. They are the same width and pin diameter. The stock Eagle Shackle is about an inch longer than the stock CJ shackle tho, so you need to order a CJ shackle designed to lift the CJ an inch or so.

[wagonmaster]

that is intersting. ive never heard of the cj shackle swap. any particular years? cj5 or 7?

[captspillane]

I don't own any CJ5s, but the later body style CJ5 probably shares the same shackles as a CJ7. They were both made together for a few years. I have several CJ7s. I measured the shackles and found them to be about 4.5 inches long. Our Eagle shackles are about 5.5 inches long. Those numbers are strictly off the top of my head from several years ago. I ordered "Jeep CJ7 Daystar 1/2 lift super shackle kit 76-86." The greaseable shackle I recieved worked perfectly in our Eagles. I also bought a bombproof shackle eye for a CJ7. Its got a rib welded on for strength and makes the original eye look like a toy.

In hindsight I would have ordered ones for a one inch lift because the eye that bolts to the body sits on a little pedestal made from very thin gauge steel. I drove my shackle through the floor of my SX4 after landing from a ridiculous jump. I put a very thick plate across that whole area of the floor and bolted it through the frame to my 2" reciever. I had to cut out the depressed area the old eye sat on, so my shackle ended up being about a half inch too short. It worked out that my "Load Leveller" shocks and brand new leaf springs made up the difference and it sits where it belongs now.