90_cherokee

So im doing some investigation on the rear brakes of my XJ. When I take the tires off to look at the brakes I notice something that appears a little off with my rear lift.

On the drivers side I notice that one of the u bolts is shorter than all the rest,and though you cant see it in the picks,the "lift" block on the drivers side sits cockeyed just a wee bit.


Passenger side I notice the bolt/nut that is supposed to sit centered in the leaf spring isnt centered.

Should either of these issues be cause of concern?

Top pic is driver side,bottom pic is passenger side.

OOdynamite

In the first pic, the nut looks bigger on the short side. Is it?

As for the second pic, that's weird. I'm gonna take a shot on the dark and say the center pin may be broken. But I'm not sure.

90_cherokee

Ya know I never noticed that nut being larger than the other 3 on the drivers side. I still wonder why it was cut down shorter than the other 3 were.

OOdynamite

I wouldn't be worried about it. Did you buy your jeep lifted?

90_cherokee

Yes I bought it pretty much the way it is.

bhaller87

It looks like 2 different kinds of u bolt lengths and how much is your lift?

OOdynamite

I would investigate that center pin though. If it's broken your springs will get messed up pretty quick

tornprince

maybe it was cross threaded and someone hacked it of shorter to get the nut on. dunno, makes me wanna check mine now.

XSXJ

I would definitely be concerned about the passenger side, that centering bolt is way off-center meaning it's either broken, or the lift block is broken - either case can cause you to 'disassemble' your leafpack at the least opportune time. I would take that apart and get it fixed asap. As for the driver's side - it looks like someone just got a little 'off' when sawing off the bolts. Your lift block shifting like that shouldn't really be a concern, but I have seen those things break, so it might be worth a look.

xj101

thuss why u retorque u-bolts after a couple hundred miles after install . but i would seriously investigate further . catastrophic failure sucks at highway speed lol good luck

90_cherokee

Ok so how do I potentially fix this issue on the pass side? Do I loosen the u bolts and then tap the upper plate back into place and then retorque the u bolts...? What are the torque specs on the u bolts supposed to be?

90_cherokee

My lift is 4.5"

Mycherokee96

ok....I would not doubt that the previous owner crossthreaded the nut that was supposed to go on there. Hence, he needed to get another and thats what was available. No biggie, wont make a difference. Like ice cream....same flavor different brand. Now, the center pin I take exception to. THAT is EXACTLY the reason I won't under any circumstances put blocks in any of the rigs I've done. And I've done a few. If you are sure its Rusty's, give them a call.....ask for Rusty or Zack....they WILL get on the phone, and they will help you with your problem. Tell them Bobby from Staten Island told you to call....lol...they'll get a kick out of it...I've ordered 7 kits from them. In all seriousness, take care of the center pin, that my friend is a potentially deadly accident waiting to happen......good luck bro...

90_cherokee

My Cherokee has RUSTYS written all over it.

The shocks are Rustys,the extended brake lines are Rustys,The Crossmember spacers for the Transfer case are Rustys.The Front Suspension arms are Rustys. The rear Leafs are stenciled in spray paint "RUSTYS XJ 4"

Theres a Rustys Decal on each of the rear side windows and a Rustys decal on the Liftgate Glass(Not that the decals matter at all)

So yeah,id say my Rig is RUSTYS equipped.As I type this,I have a Rustys HD Tie Rod Upgrade on its way,should be here Thursday.

The only non Rustys aftermarket pieces on my vehicle are the JKS Quick Discos,an Aussie Locker and the tires and wheels. The wheels were likely to have come with a Rustys Lift kit as a package deal.

Ill give Rustys a call and hopefully get a direct email address to where I can email them some pics of this issue,so they know exactly what I am talking about,Ill make sure I drop your name Bobby(from Staten Island)

Thanks for the advice!!

Mycherokee96

You got it bud....dayum I have to get to AZ......lol