So i daily my jeep and i hit the dirt as often as possible overlanding where i can so i use it as best i can...whats wrong with blocks to gain a few inches in the rear. Im working on a 79 blazer that has them. I dont want to go this extreme but to gain a few inches this is something i can do for close to nothing. And im all about free 😆

 

Who told you there was anything wrong with lift blocks? Some trucks (Silverado) came with lift blocks from the factory. Aftermarket lifts from different companies contain lift blocks as well. Rough Country for example. It isn't about the lifting method in this case, just make sure it's a properly engineered block.

Also keep in mind we are talking about 1 block per side. Whatever you do, don't stack blocks. Not a good practice.

 

More prone to Axle wrap, and they can come loose over time with loosening of the U-bolts. If a bolt breaks and block comes out your day will be bad.

 

My '98 came with a 2" lift comprising blocks and AAL's at the back. That was in 2017 & it's had a much harder life than my '99 with +2" springs & not had any issues, unless they contributed to the springs needing replacing after only 23 years (yes they were noticeably flat a couple of years ago).

Is it the way I'd chose to go? No. Did I see any need to junk them before needing to replace the springs, obviously not.,

 

Taller blocks, spring wrap. New springs are the way. 2" block is my limit for an xj

 

Lift blocks aren't always a bad thing. The bad part comes when people buy an XJ and don't have money to fix anything. They want a lift and have $40 for some ebay blocks so they slap them under their flat or frowny leaf springs instead of replacing worn out parts. 300k mile leaf springs and rotted out shackle bushings are of no concern when all people can think about is 2 inches of "lift" that will just get the vehicle stock height again from the saggy *** leafs.

Rant over

 

Is your block "pinned" or can it slide out if the shackles loosen a little...that would be bad

 

Lift blocks give the axle more leverage to wrap the springs compared to springs with taller arch.

 

There is nothing wrong with the idea of blocks in themselves. The rub comes from the stock rear spring not being enough to prevent axle wrap. There are many vehicles which in the past came with lift blocks, but they were all pickups with stiffer rear springs that would let you get away with it without any adverse effects. If you want to say run a 1" lift block, the best way is what many OEM companies do on heavy trucks. They stack additional leaf spring pieces underneath the spring with a hole in them for the center bolt. That keeps everything tighter and maintains good axle alignment.

 

I've no idea about the blocks on my XJ but they look nothing like as substantial as (I remember) the 2" lowering blocks I put on the old Ford I had at school. The thing about those was they had a dimple & a corresponding pip, so they located between the spring & the axle.

 

Nothing wrong with blocks on a vehicle that has stiff enough leaf springs to handle them. The XJ doesn't.

 

That might well be true - but some of us, well me, haven't had any problems.

 

Not with that attitude the XJ doesn't. But we can stiffin' 'em buggers up a little!