CAEMI

I'm about to order Rusty's 3.5" leaf springs with u-bolts OR Old Man Emu 2.5" leaf springs with bolts.

The difference in cost, with shipping, is maybe $50-60. Not enough to get excited about.

My questions: Which is the better choice?

And...will I have to change pinion angle or do anything else with either the 2.5" or 3.5" lift in the rear.

Right now, I've got stock coils in front with 1 and 3/4" pucks installed. It's good enough for my use. I just want the back end leveled out and riding better.

TrekkerJmm

The leafs will always come down some with age so IMO I would go with the 3 1/2 Rustys...Tj

CAEMI

Thanks - will I need to modify the t-case to differential angle? How about brake lines?

TrekkerJmm

I would drop it 1 inch if your not worried about loosing an inch under the TC. I did mine but I dont do serious wheeling but it took out the vibrations...Tj

CAEMI

OK...I've been researching this on and off all day and found out why a lot of people just shove some blocks under the spring and call it a day.

First, it feels like everybody in the spring business is gaming you. None of the springs come with bushings...and they claim none of the bushings fit anything except THEIR spring...at $65 a set. Next, the spring rates are hard science (free camber, stack height, eye diamters, load deflection, blah, blah, blah) but the offroad suppliers act like there is some sort of black art mystery crap going on. Like OME rides way better than RE, etc. Yet they are all buying their springs from the same sources, they all LOOK the same, and spring steel is spring steel or it ain't...there ain't no in-between. Its a spring or its just a hunk of steel. (Go read Eaton Detroit Spring's page on re-arching - very informative).

So, when the day is done, I'm looking at $300-400 for springs, $100 to ship, $65 for bushings, $48 for bolts. Before you know it you have $500 spent. No thanks.

And BTW, John R Spring (a giant spring supplier in Detroit) says No, you don't have to buy new bolts. Just use the ones that are in it. The chances of breaking a bolt are, well, one in a million. THEY don't use new ones and they do this all day, every day.

Then I called O'Reilly's and found I can buy 2" lift springs for $140 each, NO SHIPPING, and they will match any price - internet or not. So I found the same spring at AutopartsWarehouse for $120 and free shipping. Now I'm getting somewhere.

Now I just need bushings...except NONE of the websites tell you what the eyelet size is!! And most don't have a bushing that matches...except MOOG at $28 each. WTH? $28 EACH!! They must be on drugs.

If anybody has anything to input on this, I'm listening. But so far, I'm pretty exasperated and ready to buy 1" blocks for JCWhitney for $50 and be done with it.

UserID6095

Why not build a bastard pack from s10 springs?

Then you can set the ride height and dont have to worry about removing the top XJ leaf from the body.

There is a shop in Canton that said they can re-arch stock leafs to gain an inch or so but it would not last forever. But at $50 a side its not a bad deal.

CAEMI

OK. Finally...new springs.

Summit Racing has Pro Comp, 2.5" lift poly bushings INSTALLED for $101 each and shipping is very reasonable - $25 for two. No fuss, no muss. I can live with that price.

opake

Hey I just saw this thread. I got a set of ProComp springs off ebay (listed at 3.5" lift but the paperwork said 2.5", put them on and they sit perfectly with my 3" front coils). I've had no problems with them at all, and they haven't sagged in the year that i've had them. Good choice if you ask me.

CAEMI

Very cool. I got them for $230 shipped with poly bushings installed. Cannot argue that deal.

I hope they sit right. I questioned the guy on the phone at Summit...his paperwork says 2.5". If that's where they come in, I'll be happy. If not...they pay to ship them home.

nrwphoto

Update? How did the leafs work out, quality of springs, ride height and ride quality? Thanks