Budget leaf spring clamps.....
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Budget leaf spring clamps.....
Ok, I know homemade "U" style leaf spring clamps are nothing new and I'm not the first to fabricate some. I basically stole this from the Rocklizard budget boost page with a few short cuts.
When I've seen homemade leaf clamps I either see folks bending steel (too much work for me) to make 'em and/or using relatively thin/weak steel (1/8"). I figured out a way to get around the bending while using stronger 3/16" thick steel for your custom spring clamps.
Even though XJ leaves are supposedly 2.5" wide,the leaves are slightly wider the closer you get to the ends. I made some clamps a few months back. I ended up using 1/8" thick steel (1.5" wide x 7.5" long) strips then bending to create the "U" shape with 2.5" of space to accommodate the leaves. I used 5/16"x3.5" grade 8 bolts to squeeze the clamps together.
Once I went to install I discovered they didn't fit quite right because of the tapered leaves on the XJ (don't know how I didn't figure out that one much sooner, duh). I could fit them on the packs but they just weren't sitting evenly and I could see the 1/8" steel was bending when I torqued the bolts. Back to the drawing board........
After some thought, I decided I would try using some 3/16"x3"x5" rectangular tubing as raw material for my new clamps. I went to a local metal supplier and asked them to cut me two pieces of the aforementioned tubing 1.5" long. All I did next was take my grinder and cut both pieces of tubing in half giving me four "U" shaped pieces, 3" wide x 2.5" tall. Next I drilled holes for “grade 8” 5/16"x3.5" bolts about 3/8" down from the top of the "U". Then I cleaned up any sharp or rough edges and deburred the holes. Just to be sure I took the clamps out to the XJ and made sure they fit alright and to my surprise the fit was pretty good. Next was prepping and painting them with black spray can rust paint.
The total cost for 4 spring clamps was a little over 6$ Can. ($3 for the tubing and a little less than 2$ for hardware on sale at the local TSC) + a quarter can of spray paint ($6 for the can). About $1.50 per clamp is a pretty sweet price!!!
One tip for outdoor cold weather painting…..speed up the drying process by baking the clamps in your BBQ on low-medium indirect heat for an hour then let cool. Works fast and I feel the paint sets up harder this way
Here's the finished product……………….
When I've seen homemade leaf clamps I either see folks bending steel (too much work for me) to make 'em and/or using relatively thin/weak steel (1/8"). I figured out a way to get around the bending while using stronger 3/16" thick steel for your custom spring clamps.
Even though XJ leaves are supposedly 2.5" wide,the leaves are slightly wider the closer you get to the ends. I made some clamps a few months back. I ended up using 1/8" thick steel (1.5" wide x 7.5" long) strips then bending to create the "U" shape with 2.5" of space to accommodate the leaves. I used 5/16"x3.5" grade 8 bolts to squeeze the clamps together.
Once I went to install I discovered they didn't fit quite right because of the tapered leaves on the XJ (don't know how I didn't figure out that one much sooner, duh). I could fit them on the packs but they just weren't sitting evenly and I could see the 1/8" steel was bending when I torqued the bolts. Back to the drawing board........
After some thought, I decided I would try using some 3/16"x3"x5" rectangular tubing as raw material for my new clamps. I went to a local metal supplier and asked them to cut me two pieces of the aforementioned tubing 1.5" long. All I did next was take my grinder and cut both pieces of tubing in half giving me four "U" shaped pieces, 3" wide x 2.5" tall. Next I drilled holes for “grade 8” 5/16"x3.5" bolts about 3/8" down from the top of the "U". Then I cleaned up any sharp or rough edges and deburred the holes. Just to be sure I took the clamps out to the XJ and made sure they fit alright and to my surprise the fit was pretty good. Next was prepping and painting them with black spray can rust paint.
The total cost for 4 spring clamps was a little over 6$ Can. ($3 for the tubing and a little less than 2$ for hardware on sale at the local TSC) + a quarter can of spray paint ($6 for the can). About $1.50 per clamp is a pretty sweet price!!!
One tip for outdoor cold weather painting…..speed up the drying process by baking the clamps in your BBQ on low-medium indirect heat for an hour then let cool. Works fast and I feel the paint sets up harder this way
Here's the finished product……………….
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 19
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
CJ11-
I heard the same thing about the spring clamps sliding but I figured because the XJ leaves (and whole pack) get thicker (top to bottom) closer to the axle and the spring clamps are narrower at the top than the bottom. The spring clamps should want to slide outwards rather than inwards and also the XJ leaves are wider at the ends so the spring clamps cannot slide off. They might move a bit but they can only go so far (quasi-equilibrium).
That said; I will still be keeping an eye on them to be sure they stay snug.
I totally agree that if you used these on a vehicle with leaves that are the same thickness and width throughout (eg. S10) they would definitely slide right down to the axle without riveting them or using a bolt through the bottom.
I heard the same thing about the spring clamps sliding but I figured because the XJ leaves (and whole pack) get thicker (top to bottom) closer to the axle and the spring clamps are narrower at the top than the bottom. The spring clamps should want to slide outwards rather than inwards and also the XJ leaves are wider at the ends so the spring clamps cannot slide off. They might move a bit but they can only go so far (quasi-equilibrium).
That said; I will still be keeping an eye on them to be sure they stay snug.
I totally agree that if you used these on a vehicle with leaves that are the same thickness and width throughout (eg. S10) they would definitely slide right down to the axle without riveting them or using a bolt through the bottom.
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