FJ55 Suspension

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Let me get this straight: by spending $160 to add the 2 different add-a-leafs to each suspension pack, it gave a lift of approx. 2" over stock? I am definitely going this route!! Throw in greasable shackles and poly bushings, I think that this is probably a great way to do it!

Brian
 
shermantank55 said:
Last winter I added a leaf to each of my original 1972 spring packs. They each raised approximately 2". The add a leaf sets came from Man a Fre. Almost a year later, the lift is still there, the springs are still arched and the ride is a little stiff, but better than spongy like it was before. It was easy to do, and I then could afford to replace the bushings, shackles and U bolts. In the rear I used both the long and short add a leaf in the pack. The pix show Sherman back on the road with the remodeled springs and the rear spring before reclamping the pack together-the add a leafs are black. I tow a camp trailer without any noticeable sag in the back.

:beer:
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Shermantank55,

I like the stance of your piggy!! Are those tires 33x9.5? Also are you running the stock F engine?
 
Parts for the add a leaf

I added the two (short and long) leaves only to the rear and just the long ones to the front. The only labor involved was prying the clamps apart from the spring pack, then I used a wire wheel to clean the old leaves, primer, paint and repack including the add a leaf kits. I put in new shackles, greasable pins, poly bushings and new u bolts. I have been very happy so far including with towing a trailer and some moderate off roading.

MAF part numbers:

40412K - short spring set x 1 pair
60412K - long spring set x 2 pair

Sherman was "remodeled" last winter. He's got a 1984 2F engine and runs 33x9.5 BFG A/TsHere is the thread link:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=153628
 
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FineWynsFJ40 said:
Let me get this straight: by spending $160 to add the 2 different add-a-leafs to each suspension pack, it gave a lift of approx. 2" over stock? I am definitely going this route!! Throw in greasable shackles and poly bushings, I think that this is probably a great way to do it!

Brian
Click to expand...

I did something similar to that with my BJ60 about a year before I put in the lift kit. The "add-a-leaf" I think may have contributed to the failure of the main leaf a year later. Remember, the "add-a-leaf" is going on a 30+ year old set of springs.

Before going that route look CAREFULLY at the old springs for any wear and if you see wear I'd recommend to get a lift kit instead.
 
FineWynsFJ40 said:
Let me get this straight: by spending $160 to add the 2 different add-a-leafs to each suspension pack, it gave a lift of approx. 2" over stock? I am definitely going this route!! Throw in greasable shackles and poly bushings, I think that this is probably a great way to do it!

Brian
Click to expand...
Howdy! I have used both Add-A-Leaf and Recurving as ways to restore and/or increase the ride height on my rigs. Cold recurves don't last very long if you work them very hard. Hot recurves do last longer, but it still seemed to loose height after a couple of years. The addaleaf worked OK for a while, but it too lost height after a while, and by adding another leaf to the stockers it seemed to make it ride a lot harder. Considering the way some of us pound the trails, it's no wonder they don't last forever. Even new springs can only hold up to just so much abuse. John
 
Worn Springs

I agree with CruiserGuy. The main reason I wire brushed the individual spring leaves was so I could make sure they weren't bad. They were flat and had surface rust, but no cracks. I guess they led a pretty mellow life up until then. If you've already beat the stock springs up pretty badly, you should probably look at new springs.
 
I believe mine has been used, but not abused. I fully intend on driving off-road, but not abusing it or beating on it. How hard is it to pull apart the spring pack and then put it back together?
 
Took my rear ones off "worse ones" wire wheeled them and found pitting under the rust; a lot of pitting!, that kinda made up my mind to go with new alcans..........my undersanding is that these springs are "tempered" steel and with pitting that is lost.........done well since the alcans ........but no heavy wheeling; mostly gravel or dirt but very very benign!; overall very happy with the alcans + OME shocks, greasable shackles & poly bushings

Lou
 
FineWynsFJ40 said:
I believe mine has been used, but not abused. I fully intend on driving off-road, but not abusing it or beating on it. How hard is it to pull apart the spring pack and then put it back together?
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It's not hard to pull apart but make SURE you have a strong clamp on them BEFORE you remove the center bolt!

My '60 springs were heavily worn where the leaves below ended and dug into the leaves above. They did not break there though, they broke right at the spring center pin.
 
I've got the ironman springs on mine with rancho 9k adjustables.

33x9.5x15

Happy. 25k on thus far.
Click my sig for visuals.
 
have put in about 2000 miles on 9.5/33/15s w/o lift, with poly bushings/greasable shackles and no problems with clearence but have not done any heavy wheeling either.....HTH
Lou
 
I'm seriously considering throwing my springs away altogether and having some new ones made that are longer, doing the shackle reversal, and putting in poly bushings. From my understanding, longer springs will make the pig ride much better, and since my springs are almost 40 years old, the add-a-leaf + re-curving thing isn't really worth it.

The main thing that you have to worry about with the shackle reversal though (as i understand it), is making sure the front drive line doesn't get pushed into the transfer case when the suspension collapses.

has anyone else done this? i know people have put 60 springs in, but i think you have to re-drill those yeah? there are some places around here that manufacture springs, so maybe that's the best route for me, since they'll last another 30+ years, i can get exactly what i want for lift, and i can put on longer ones for a better ride.
 
The OME hzj 75 springs still seem to make the most sense to me. I have been really happy with OME. I have SOR's 3"(1.75 spring and 1" shackle) but never driven it. The PO said it was a big improvement over stock. He wasn't really a car guy but really liked the springs for what its worth. Hopefully I can find out how my springs feel this summer.
 
I have the SOR springs (they do not show up in the latest SOR catalog so maybe they are discontinued). I've been running with them for the last two years down here in Central America and I have no complaints. They have not sagged and they seem fine for me. I have the 1" extended shackles, poly bushings and greaseable pins.
 
Well, I finally got my Alcans on yesterday and they are perfect. They lifted the truck about 4 inches new, so I expect them to settle a bit. PLENTY of room for the 33's..could have easy gone to 35's if I wanted to.

So far I've only driven it around the block because it doesn't have the bumpers on it yet (being painted today), but they rode really well. Really stiff compared to the flat stock springs it was on, but really nice.

They were super easy to install, with the exception of one bushing that wouldn't cooperate because of a little alignment issue with the front driver side bracket, but with a little work, it went in fine.
 
Bumping this up, since appears the only that discussed the questions I have, based on a post on a 40 thread.

Intent is 2.5" max lift on a 72 and 76 with utmost importance of ride quality on a OE weight Pig.

No off road intentions, to speak of.

Have discussed re-arching with the HD shackles, but this post has me questioning how that's possible, without caster or pinion angle.

65swb45 said:
OK, I HAVE to jump into this thread to ask what I think is an intriguing question. This is based on the fact that I have just replaced a broken spring on my 45 [see post in the 45 forum] that I was really happy with until it broke.

One of the things that really impressed me about the Alcan design was the fact that the anchored end of their springs were much flatter than the shackle end; in other words, the springs were NOT symmetrical. Having the anchored end flatter made for less castor issues in the front axle, and what I believe to be a better pinion angle in the rear axle.

Soooooo, my question is, would you ask the shop their opinion on de-arching only the anchored half of the spring as a compromise that will net you better shackle angle AND castor without giving up all the ride height that a full de-arch would.

Subscribed

Mark A.
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I would ask Mark, but.......

I guess my question is this.

Regardless of who makes the springs, is it possible to maintain the OE frame mounting points (distance between), nominally lift (just enough to clear 33s) be it 1.5" or 2.5", keeping the OE mounts and distances, and still expect to maintain within OE castor tolerances and pinion angles?

With a heavy emphasis on ride quality?
 
Delancy said:
Regardless of who makes the springs, is it possible to maintain the OE frame mounting points (distance between), nominally lift (just enough to clear 33s) be it 1.5" or 2.5", keeping the OE mounts and distances, and still expect to maintain within OE castor tolerances and pinion angles?

With a heavy emphasis on ride quality?
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any proper spring manufacturer should be able to do that. you shouldn't have to get into shiimming stuff until around 4". that said, you will have to find someone who engineers springs as opposed to just building them. i've ran into a few a/m companies who's lift springs are no longer than a stock spring, which will obviously affect shackle angles, then you have to get a longer shackle.
 
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