Glooming on my axle perches... shackles not vertical.

Glooming on my axle perches... shackles not vertical.
mdeluca

mdeluca

Full Time Jeeper
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Location
Hickory, NC
Vehicle(s)
1986 CJ7, 258, T5, D30, D44, D300
Hung my rear leaf springs (without the axle yet) and the rear shackles hang vertical.

When I set the axle perches down onto the spring pins (I've got to muscle the springs outward) the shackles angle outward. I measure the springs, center to center at the forward pivots and they are 3/4" narrower than the axle perch holes. Divided by two, each perch is 3/8" outboard of the spring pins. Double that at the shackle and I figure about 3/4" per side and it looks terrible.

I'm thinking I've got one of three options:

1. Slot the shackle hanger bolt holes so the hanger can move outward.

2. Take the axle somewhere to have the perches cut off and re-welded at the correct locations.

3. Forget it and leave it alone. Its been that way for 32 years.

What do you think about this and, if it is taking the axle somewhere, who does this kind of work typically.

Thanks... I am very sad...
 
What axle? :confused:
LG
 
I would go for having the spring perches rewelded route. There is something wrong there. Slotting the perches would move the load off to one side of the spring. As long as you have it all apart, might as well do it the right way. If you have the ability to cut and weld, relocating the perches is no big deal. I wouldn't try to use the old perches, new ones don't cost all that much. Just rough cut the old perches off with a grinder with a cut off wheel, then clean up the rest with a grinding disc, and finally a flap disc. The up side of welding in new perches, beside correcting your problem, if you have a lift, now would be a good time to have the perches welded at the correct pinion angle. I would think most good off road shops could do this for you if you can't do it yourself.
 
mdeluca said:
attachment.php


Here's a pic of the rear end. New Warrior 1/2" lift shackles and all new poly bushings including pivot.

86 CJ7 with original Dana 44 rear end and axle.
Click to expand...

Did this start with the new shackles or when you rebuilt your springs (I think I saw a post that you did).

Makes me concerned as I disassembled my springs, gave them to my sandblaster with all the individual leafs grouped by each spring pack and of course I got them back all in one box with no labels. So I won't be able to put them back in their original packs.
 
Are you sure the spring pins are centered? Is there a left and a right?
 
Thank you guys for chiming in. I'm doing this with no experience to speak of.

mriplaybass said:
I would go for having the spring perches rewelded route. There is something wrong there. Slotting the perches would move the load off to one side of the spring. As long as you have it all apart, might as well do it the right way. If you have the ability to cut and weld, relocating the perches is no big deal. I wouldn't try to use the old perches, new ones don't cost all that much. Just rough cut the old perches off with a grinder with a cut off wheel, then clean up the rest with a grinding disc, and finally a flap disc. The up side of welding in new perches, beside correcting your problem, if you have a lift, now would be a good time to have the perches welded at the correct pinion angle. I would think most good off road shops could do this for you if you can't do it yourself.
Click to expand...

I don't plan on doing a lift. The shackles have a 1/2" lift, which I don't think I need to account for, and I plan a 1" body lift.

I have a stick and a flux core wire welder, but I'm very new to it and not sure that I want to trust myself with this particular task. Mostly, I've been welding and fabbing brackets. Although, it seems that the welds would be more of an alignment issue, not a structural issue as the u-bolts do the real securing of the axle to the springs.

As far as removing the axle, it looks like disconnecting the brake lines and the emergency brake cables are all that is involved.

Does the differential just slide off the drive shaft?

Any words of wisdom here... never had the axle off.

Masscj7 said:
Did this start with the new shackles or when you rebuilt your springs (I think I saw a post that you did).

Makes me concerned as I disassembled my springs, gave them to my sandblaster with all the individual leafs grouped by each spring pack and of course I got them back all in one box with no labels. So I won't be able to put them back in their original packs.
Click to expand...

No, this issue was present in the old shackles. One of the reasons I wanted to replace the shackles and bushings. I didn't take the springs apart, just cleaned them up and shot them with rattle can black.

JeeperChris said:
Are you sure the spring pins are centered? Is there a left and a right?
Click to expand...

Springs seem to be the same, i.e., no right or left, and the pins are centered.
 
The axle removal is pretty straight forward. You’ve already had the leaf springs disconnect. Only issue would be you might want to replace ubolts as they recommend you do as they stretch under torque.

Brake lines like you said. And then your driveshaft U-joint is just held in with 4 small bolts that tighten the straps down on the u-joint end caps. You don’t need to take the drive shaft off the tcase as you can just compress the shaft on the spline to remove from the pinion yoke.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mdeluca said:
Hung my rear leaf springs (without the axle yet) and the rear shackles hang vertical.

When I set the axle perches down onto the spring pins (I've got to muscle the springs outward) the shackles angle outward. I measure the springs, center to center at the forward pivots and they are 3/4" narrower than the axle perch holes. Divided by two, each perch is 3/8" outboard of the spring pins. Double that at the shackle and I figure about 3/4" per side and it looks terrible.

I'm thinking I've got one of three options:

1. Slot the shackle hanger bolt holes so the hanger can move outward.

2. Take the axle somewhere to have the perches cut off and re-welded at the correct locations.

3. Forget it and leave it alone. Its been that way for 32 years.

What do you think about this and, if it is taking the axle somewhere, who does this kind of work typically.

Thanks... I am very sad...
Click to expand...

I'm with Bass...option #2
 
Masscj7 said:
The axle removal is pretty straight forward. You’ve already had the leaf springs disconnect. Only issue would be you might want to replace ubolts as they recommend you do as they stretch under torque.

Brake lines like you said. And then your driveshaft U-joint is just held in with 4 small bolts that tighten the straps down on the u-joint end caps. You don’t need to take the drive shaft off the tcase as you can just compress the shaft on the spline to remove from the pinion yoke.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I haven't torqued the u-bolts yet. I read that they should be tightened, but not torqued until it is dropped back on the ground.

I can remove the springs with 4 bolts (pivot bolt and shackle hanger bolt) at this point.

Questions:

1. The drive shaft had slipped out of the receiver at the differential end about 2" when I dropped the axle onto some blocks when the axle rolled slightly. When I set the axle back on the springs, the drive shaft slid back into the receiver all but about 1/2". I'm calling the receiver the collar with the grease zirc (rearward of the drive shaft and forward of the differential u-joint. I'll look at that again.
3. I'm thinking I can stitch weld the perches onto the axle with my flux core wire welder. I can move from end to end and side to side to allow the axle tube to cool in order to prevent warping.
4. Looking at this procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgu1QgLnci8
 
If the perches haven’t been touched and the front pads measure 27.5” and rear 36” I would leave them be.
I’ve seen frame spring mounts twist outwards causing your spring alignment issue.
Also, the frame spring hanger hole can become elongated causing alignment issues as well.

If all those things look good I’d install the springs and call it a day. Once the full weight is on the spring you should be fine.
 
Posi said:
If the perches haven’t been touched and the front pads measure 27.5” and rear 36” I would leave them be.
I’ve seen frame spring mounts twist outwards causing your spring alignment issue.
Also, the frame spring hanger hole can become elongated causing alignment issues as well.

If all those things look good I’d install the springs and call it a day. Once the full weight is on the spring you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Took some measurements...
Axle pads are original and appear to be virgin.

Frame center at pivot = 35"
Rear spring pivot centers = 35 3/8" (center of mounted spring at frame pivot)
Rear axle pad centers = 36

Frame spring hanger holes are round.
Frame pivot mounts look straight and square.
 
Last edited:
Your spring pads are exactly where they should be I wouldn’t mess with them.
I would button it up and go have some fun.
Short of that grab your tape measure and take frame measurements.
The factory specs are located in the frame section of your manual.
 
Posi said:
Your spring pads are exactly where they should be I wouldn’t mess with them.
I would button it up and go have some fun.
Short of that grab your tape measure and take frame measurements.
The factory specs are located in the frame section of your manual.
Click to expand...

Thanks... Found the frame measurements in the manual. Wish it gave the frame width. I'll try to do some subtraction from the mounts to see if I can confirm frame width.
 
The older Jeep manuals had the measurements. The only way your going to check alignment is on a machine. Does the shop you had do the body work have one?
 
Posi said:
The older Jeep manuals had the measurements. The only way your going to check alignment is on a machine. Does the shop you had do the body work have one?
Click to expand...

No, I'd have to find another.

So it shakes down like this:

Centers at pivot: 35 3/8"
Centers at pads: 36"
Centers at shackle hanger: 35 5/8"

It does look like the driver side pivot is kicked toward the center of the Jeep by about 1/4", but it looks like it was built that way. I see no signs of any impact or trauma. That would make the pivot and the hanger centers match up at 35 5/8".

I think I'll take your advise and just bolt it up.

I sure appreciate your time and expertise...!!!
 
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