it reqired no madification at all the only modifying i had to do was cutting teh eyes off the main leaf in the dakota pack. i also chose to replace the alignment bolt that holds the spring togather cuz it was rusty and stripped. i thingk i got it for 97 cents at the parts store. and thats it. and as far a shackle angle i have a lift shackle but it is strait up and down it has no angle to it.

 

V8 zj springs gives you about 1.5" lift

 

Im buying this totaled xj (picking it up tomorrow ) from a guy and was wondering if i should use the leafs off of it??? But i am wanting to get a lift sometime. Should i just change em out or should i turn em into a bastard pack???

 

bastard packs

 

i thought v8 zj coils gave atleast 2 in. my friend has those with 31s and no fender trimming

 

Most of the time, 1". If you are lucky, 2". Four bangers get more height than 6 poppers.


The angle of the rear shackle depends on the condition of the leaf spring. It can be straight up, or slanted. If you have flat springs, it's more likely it will be slanted towards the back.

For S-10 leaf springs or dakota springs, you have to cut off the eyes (bushing end). Then you'll have to unbolt your u-bolts that hold your springs to the axle. After that you drop the axle as far as you can (watch brake line) (disconnect shocks) and then clamp the leaf spring with some c-clamps to keep it from exploding apart. Remove the center pin that holds the springs together (it's right in the middle, under the u-bolt plate). Slowly loosen the c-clamps so the springs can come apart. Take your dakota/s-10 springs, whichever ones you are using, and add them to the pack according to their length. The leaf springs should be set so it looks like an upside down pyramind, longest to shortest. Stick a looong screwdriver down the middle hole that the center pin goes in to align all the leaves and then attempt to clamp the spring pack back together with c-clamps. The screwdriver should keep it aligned and once it's clamped, you put the pin back in and tight it up. Reverse the precedure to get everything back together. Pick up some leaf spring alignment clamps to keep the pack together and aligned (you will have to cut/remove the stock ones).

Its' really simple actually. Once you do one side, the other will go twice as fast.


The front springs are also easy to replace. Disconnect the sway bar links, trackbar and then lower the front axle as far as you can. The spring should come right out. if it doesn't, then raise the opposite side and the side you are working on should lower some more. If it still doesn't fit (im sure it will by now), then get come spring compressors (rent) from parts store, or do it cheap by disconnecting the lower control arms to allow it to droop all teh way to the center of the earth. Put new springs in and connect everything back up. Get it aligned and stare at your newly lifted jeep