I'm fixing to put my bastard pack springs back together and want to know how important the plastic/Teflon spacers are to the pack. Mine are basically shot. What purpose do they serve and are they needed at all? Thanks for any useful information.

 

Prevent or lessen squeaks & rattles.
It's a Jeep, Jeeps make noiz, deal with it.

 

The anti-friction pads are a necessary part of leaf pack for proper function. Without the pads, each leaf will fully mate to the next and that metal on metal contact will prevent springs from compressing and rebounding.

 

Thank you Steve and Turbo. Guess I'll be making some. Got a 5 gallon bucket that said it wanted to be of service to the xj.

thanks again CF.

Happy Jeepin'. Don't forget to spring forward tonight. Daylight savings time begins.

 

I would try to get your hands on something thicker and more like the originals. I recently installed a 2-3" IRO add-a-leaf and used the same idea as you. One month later some of the pads have already rubbed through leaving me with a very noisy leaf pack.

 

Correct. Most plastics are LDPE, low-density polyethylene. Anti-friction pads are made of at least HDPE = high-density, or UHMW-PE =ultra high molecular weight. Usually teflon impregnated as well.

 

Will do. I thought they might be something Teflon for the friction generated. I'll give it some more thought. If I come up with a good source, I'll post it.

 

Found sheet Teflon on ebay. A little pricey but...noticed that they also sell some counter top cutting sheets made of Teflon. Looked in the cabinets at the house and...wahlaa. The cutting sheet was 18" x 14", optimum word "was". The wife now has a slightly smaller cutting sheet. Shhhhhh don't tell, she'll never notice. lol

A man's got to do what a man's got to do. Happy Jeepin'

 

Leaf pads are cheap. Material is called 'delrin'. Just check the leafs for one buttonhole hole or two at tips.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replacement-...1UxqTx&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leaf-Spring-...BYb8xO&vxp=mtr