Absolutely NOW is the time to do any lifting you have planned! You don't want to go to all this work, then have to pull it apart again in a couple months to do a lift.

What kind of lift are you doing?

The upper bolt on the shackle is in a bracket welded to the frame - if you remove that bolt (it's loctited in, so that's where the MAP gas is needed) the whole spring comes off and you don't have to worry about the hitch.

I'll take pictures of mine tonight - I've got the new leafs in with the bolt reversed but it's still up on jack stands.
My leafs were rusted BAD (I'll get pics of them) and my shocks were bad, so I did the new (used in excellent condition JK take-offs) shocks all around at the same time as the leafs... perfect time to do them since they have to be disconnected to do the leafs.

Also the U-bolts are torque to yield (according to the experts) so if you're doing anything in that area (block type lift) you want to do it once and only once so when they're torqued down - that's it (probably for the life of the Jeep).

 

Picture of the shackle bracket



It's hard to see, but the hitch is there and I didn't touch it to remove/install the shackle.

Old springs:

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You can see that I didn't even disconnect the spring to shackle bolt. I didn't disconnect it on either side, but the driver's side spring literally fell off the shackle when I started cutting the front eye (scary!)

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I'd have it back together and on the ground, but I'm dealing with rust holes above the spring frame brackets first.

The front bracket holes are kind of under the rear seat - I was able to pull up the carpet enough to get at the floor without removing the seat or trim panels. I haven't pulled back the carpet to deal with the rear holes yet, so we'll see what that looks like when I get to it.

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Here is what I'm working with guys. You can see that the hitch mount is just a few inches from the main bolt in the bushing of the leaf spring. I'm wondering if I should just drop the whole bracket above the leaf spring bushing (like others advised with a torch and some patience) or remove the hitch, which I'm really against. Also- The options with lifting an XJ are overwhelming. I suppose thats a whole other thread. Spacer lifts seem the most economical, as do bastard packs, but first let me figure these leaf springs!?

 

As I said in my post I dropped my hitch. Gave me more room to work,reversed the shackle bolt,and did some rust preventive maintenance.

 

Another option would be to loosen the reversed bolt so that you've got a good amount of it exposed. You have a couple inches between the hitch and the spring, so this should be feasible. Then just cut the head off the bolt with an angle grinder and cut-off wheel. Then the old bolt will come out without removing the shackle.
If you're worried about destroying the old bolt and/or don't want to spend $6/e, I can happily send you a pair of bolts with 20+ years of New England rust on them.

Be aware that the shackle-to-spring bolt is the exact same bolt as the ones that go into the frame brackets and hence are more than likely red loctited as well, so you'll need heat to loosen that bolt. It's a heck of a lot easier to get at though since the side to heat is on the outside (away from the gas tank).

If you find that you have rust over your spring brackets like I did, consider yourself warned about the possibility of rot in your trunk. That little leaf-spring-eye size hole in the front was tiny compared to the trunk floor - thankfully my frame rails (I've gotten a very good look at them.. ) and the rear bumper metal is solid so I have something to connect the new metal to.

 

Spray some underbody coating while you have it all apart. I wish someone had told me to. Once it's all together its impossible. 10$ insurance policy.

also, if u lift it, dont yo more than 2 inches. More than 3 and you have to start doing transfer case drops and new u joints. They get used to the angles.

 

Check out the link in my signature, there's some helpful information regarding leaf spring removal

 

Make sure it's really clean if you undercoat it, you don't want salt trapped in the undercoating or it will eat away the metal. I'm using Fluid Film. You have to apply it regularly (twice a year), but when I asked on here about rust prevention it was highly recommended.

If you're doing a 2" or less lift, you can get extended shackles and use them with the stock leaf spring. Bastard packs seem like a lot of work to put together. If you go over 2" you also have to consider shock length, brake hoses/e-brake cables and all that stuff in the back and then springs, track-bar, steering components, brake lines etc. etc. (in addition to the transfer case drop and u-joints as previously mentioned.)

 

Yep, yep, yep, yep. That's a job better left NOT done than done halfway.



I don't remember who it is, but one of the long-time members cleaned a 2" square of metal on his underbody down to bare metal. He treats it once or twice a year with Fluid Film. His test has been going on for years, and he still doesn't have any rust.

I have been using it for a few years, on everything from vehicles to guns, and I think it's great.

 

feel sorry for US salt-road guys
I live right next to the ocean, beautiful, except if ur steel

just finished spray entire rear half of Jeep, all holes, crevices, inside pillars etc with fish-oil
4 for $12 spraycans from Supercheap..its excellent and very cheap

smells like...Victory...over rust !

dissipates over time, but I did spray aftershave on some interior fabric,for the benefit of my female passengers

learned of this product over 30yrs ago, was horrified when they drilled my pillars & sills, and pumped it thru, the guys business was actually in the sandhills. "Deodorised" is more than twice the price,,, if ur a pu$$y

 

Eh. Fish oil. Yech. I'm sure it works very well - old timers swear by paint based on fish oil, especially primers.

Fluid Film doesn't stink, so.....

 

Oh and btw- I need new shocks in the back while I'm at it. I can use "stock" size shocks with a budget boost right?

 

Well- I've decided to go cheap with a 2" budget boost for now, the one with the coil spacers up front and the AAL in the back, once I replace my worn out leaf pack that is. It comes with an extended shackle, so I'm thinking definitively that the best way for me to remove the old rusty coil pack is to remove the shackle bracket seeing as I'm going to get a new shackle anyways. I can just remove that main screw that holds the leaf bushing without dropping the whole bracket right?
I will buy a MAP torch, as I believe it was mentioned my propane one may not get the bolt hot enough. I want to do this right...its my only option as I literally can't seem to pay anyone to do it for me haha. When I heat the shackle bolt I am only heating the head correct?I 'm buying all the goodies tonight and will take off the rear tires tomorrow and PB blast the connections daily until I can get to the work in a week or so.

Im all over the place on this one guys thanks for the help, both looking forward to and dreading this at the same time.