Hey guys, just finished putting on a 5.5” Lift on my cherokee with 35” tires. My rear axle has been pulled forward and is closer to the front of the fender well than the rear. How can I correct this? Thanks

 

How is it lifted aka what size lift springs and what shackles used.

 

Not being a jack a**, you didn't install them backwards did you? Its the same as your cable company asking if your cable box is plugged in.

 

Leafspring is 4.5” and shackle is 1”

 

Leaf springs are direction oriented. Only go on one way

 

What does your shackle angle look? It is supposed to point back slightly.

 

How bad is it ??? Are we talking 1", or several inches ?

It is normal with most lift kits, especially those that use a longer rear shackle (but do make sure you didn't put the springs in backwards, altho @ 4.5" of lift, I'd think the pinion would be pointed the wrong way).

This is due to front spring mounting point staying the same, but the axle mounting point and the rear spring eye point change in relation to the body.

The added length to give you the lift usually gets added between the axle mounting point and the rear spring eye so that the driveshaft will still work. If the length was added in front of the axle mounting point, the driveshaft might be too short.

It is compounded by using a shackle to lift the rear.


Think of it in your head....you jeep is up on a lift, and the rear axle is out, and the leaf spring is only connected at the forward bolt, so it can swing freely.

In your mind, picture how that spring would swing down and forward, and how the axle & rear spring eye also move the same way as they swing.

Keep in mind, to get lift, the spring must have more arch and length, and since the front mounting point is not changing, if you use a stock shackle, the rear won't change either, but the axle is sitting 5" lower...and your driveshaft is likely too short or very close.

Now, if you use a longer shackle to get some of that lift, then the rear spring eye has to drop, and if you remember how the spring swings when it rotates down, if the shackle end of the spring drops down and forward, so does the axle mount, which means the tire will now be closer to the front of the wheel well than the back.

Now, if the maker of your lift kit decided to put the axle mount closer to the forward spring eye so your stock driveshaft will still work, that will move the tire even closer to the wheel well.

Any shim on the axle for pinion angle will make it even worse as it rotates the hogshead up, which means closer to the front of the wheel well.



Best way would be to get rid of the longer shackle, but you still may not be centered. You could try some offset perchs & plates to move the axle back.

 

It’s not awful, I had the same thing happen on my old Cherokee which was also a 4.5” spring and a 2” shackle. Just couldn’t get full flux since it’s hotting the fender sooner than I would have hoped since it’s closer. Didn’t know if there was a simple solution. Thanks for the input!

 

Well, even with it being closer, you will still get full flex, because as the spring compresses, the tire/axle will move up and back at the same time.

As it decompresses, the tire/axle move forward and down.

Try it...jack up just 1 corner of the rig and you will see.

If you are hitting in either direction, something is wrong...I have never hit on any of my trucks under pure flexing, including the one in my avatar which was on 40" swampers.