swapping out springs

[thistle3585]

I am picking up some leaf springs, basically a suspension kit,from a Jeep in a salvage yard on Saturday and have a couple questions to make sure I'm covering all my bases. Do I need to use the shims and/or perches that are on the yard Jeep or my Jeep? I currently have a 1" lift. I assume that when I go to the 2.5" that it will be 2.5" when done and not 3.5". Is that correct. I ask because I wonder if I need to change my drop pitman arm? I am also pulling off the shocks and steering stabilizer from the yard Jeep. I don't know that I'll be using the stabilizer but it matches the rest of the suspension kit, so I figured I'd grab it. Does the lift affect the stabilizer? Is there anything else that I need to take in to consideration when swapping these out? I have never done any spring work, but it seems pretty straight forward. I plan on using the shackles off the yard Jeep. Do I need to pull the shackles off the springs or can I install the shackles directly to my Jeep without separating them from the springs?

 

[jasonmark1993]

Is this for the 78 CJ?

Is the 1" lift body lift? Shackle lift? Never heard of a 1" spring lift but this is my first jeep. If you have a spring lift then yes, you will only have the 2.5" lift of the new springs.

You should be able to remove the springs and put them on yours while using the same shackles. You should be able to tell if they are aftermarket or not. Generally, aftermarket ones are smooth or just flat bar while the factory ones from your era should have raised edges.

No you dont have to separate the shackles from the springs if you dont want to. If you were to buy a run of the mill lift you'd use your factory shackles and just bolt the springs on.

You're probably going to need the shims. The correct way to do this is to check the pinion angle when the lift is on, but the manufacturer puts their lift on a stock jeep and determines the required shim to make the angle close. Since you have a lift you're mixing two different setups which is fine, but Id check the angle. When I got my 73' it had a 4" lift with shims and it was way off but didn't vibrate or howl so who knows.

I can't imagine your pitman being a problem but may as well grab the one off the donor.

The stabilizer shouldn't be an issue. I dont even run one.

When you go take a jack and stands. You'll have to put the axle on stands and then jack up on the bumper to unload the springs. Loosen the bolts a bit and then jack the body up or down until you can turn the BOLT by hand.

If you are having to beat the bolts out there is still weight on the springs. Thats a no no.

Since you are leaving the donor with no springs, you'll need to find something to set the chassis on so you can get your jack/stands out. Might be easier to put the chassis on stands and then jack the axle up to get the weight off, then you can drop the axle, yank the jack out, and then just set the chassis down on the axles.

 

[Jimbos76cj]

How do you get the 1" lift? IS it a body lift or shackles?

For A 2.5" Lift so should be fine with out the shims.

A spring lift has no effect on the stabilizer. But what tend to happen with taller lifts is it messes the camber angles up, creates a non parallel geometry with the steering linkage which causes bump steer so people address this by using steering stabilizers to try to stop the effects of the horrible geometry they just created.

I would use the stock shackles.

Ive never seen a drop pitman arm installed on a 2.5''. If the donor jeep has one I would grab it any way. Make sure you take a pitman arm puller, long breaker bar and heavy hammer with you to get it off.

Check for brake line extensions.

Good luck.

 

[thistle3585]

I originally thought there was a 1" body lift, but I'm thinking that there isn't now. I don't understand the brake line extensions. Do I need to put these in? Will they need to go in on both front and back? That is the one thing that wasn't mentioned on any of the online tutorials on how to install a lift. I already have a steering stabilizer but I am most likely going to replace it. I am also planning on using the stock shackles because the yard cut the springs off at the shackles.

 

[thistle3585]

I need some help. I bought some Energy Suspension leaf spring bushings from Autozone. They had to order them direct from the manufacturer. When I got them home, I started installing the rear ones on the springs. I got the large ones in and then I noticed that one of the smaller bushings was different than the other seven in the bag. Seven of them have a rounded top, look like a mushroom, and one is flat. The item is 22103R. Is there a reason one would be a different shape? On the edge of the bushings the seven matching ones have a number 2005 and the mismatched one is numbered 2225. In the bag for the front springs, the reverse is the case. There are seven that are flat and one that is rounded. Do they package these to order and maybe got them swapped by accident? Also, the item number on the front set is 2.2115R. When looking them up online, I noticed it says they are for aftermarket shackles. I am using the original shackles. Any suggestions?

 

[Old Dog]

sounds like they (A.Z.)ordered the wrong ones.
the rounded ones should be for the stock shackles, but I have no idea why
you wouldn't have 8.
I haven't ran stock shackles for a while though maybe I'm forgetting something.

 

[thistle3585]

Autozone was less than helpful, so I called Energy Suspension. I gave them the part numbers on the bushings and he said that it sounds like they packaged them up wrong along with sending out the wrong ones. Apparently, these go from Energy Suspension in bulk to a distributor warehouse where they are packaged up and sent on to the stores based on what "kit" is ordered. He also told me they wouldn't work with my springs and that I should contact 4wd.com since the springs are aftermarket ProComp.