Leaf pack questions

Ok, so I'm cleaning up the leaf packs and have a couple of questions.

1. The bolt in the middle that holds them together and sets in the spring perch on the axle was pretty bad off. Can I just replace it with something in grade 8?

Was thinking of this. ( OLD on top) It's a insert hex head and nylon lock nut.

2. My packs did not have the bolts that go on the ends to hold the pack together. Was it just a bolt on there or is it a sleve and bolt?

3. I'm missing a few of the plastic square pads on the end of the springs, where can I buy these?

:cheers:

You can replace the center pin with something like that, but that one in your pic is pretty big so I'm not sure it will fit. You need to check and be sure it will go through the springs and that the head will fit in the perch properly.

As far as the plastic pads...I don't know where you could get those as they always fall out and I have never even tried to replace them. Never noticed them making any difference on anything anyway.

When i did my xj i used the same center bolt you did. It should be fine.

The plastic or nylon pads were clear gone out of my mj so i just put the springs back together without them but check a spring shop.

There is a bolt and a sleeve on the other part. Can also get the sleeve at a spring shop or make your own.

Ok, so I'm cleaning up the leaf packs and have a couple of questions.

 

1. The bolt in the middle that holds them together and sets in the spring perch on the axle was pretty bad off. Can I just replace it with something in grade 8? Was thinking of this. ( OLD on top) It's a insert hex head and nylon lock nut.

 

2. My packs did not have the bolts that go on the ends to hold the pack together. Was it just a bolt on there or is it a sleve and bolt?

 

3. I'm missing a few of the plastic square pads on the end of the springs, where can I buy these?

1. Yes, that will work. Actually, your center bolt looks pretty good. When I pulled mine to insert some shims, it looked like a corkscrew. Is your center bolt a 5/16" or 3/8"? MJ leaf springs came with either. Mine looked so bad I did some checking. In 1993 or so Mopar abolished the smaller 5/16" bolt and started using the larger 3/8" bolt because of failures (unpublished dealer-only bulletin). So while I had mine apart, I reamed the hole out a bit and used 3/8" center bolts. Might last longer. :eek:

2. Don't know. I have D-clamps with a 3/8" rivet through the leafs on mine.

3. NAPA carries these, at least they did last year. Or you can get them from a spring mfg. shop.

Ok, so I'm cleaning up the leaf packs and have a couple of questions.

 

1. The bolt in the middle that holds them together and sets in the spring perch on the axle was pretty bad off. Can I just replace it with something in grade 8?

2. My packs did not have the bolts that go on the ends to hold the pack together. Was it just a bolt on there or is it a sleve and bolt?

3. I'm missing a few of the plastic square pads on the end of the springs, where can I buy these?

:cheers:

#1 I guess you could, or you could buy the correct bolts. Dealerships might have them, parts stores might have them. I have a local company that specializes in brake, hydraulic and suspension work, mainly on (semi)trucks, but other stuff as well that has a bunch of different (diameter) sizes in different lengths. They get them in 5 gallon steel buckets... Last time I needed a replacement for my F100 they handed me like 5 free of charge.

#2 I just checked what is left of my F100 (became a trailer), my MJ and my Suburban. They all just have bolts without sleeves.

#3 Dunno.

3. I'm missing a few of the plastic square pads on the end of the springs, where can I buy these?

Expensive little ba$tards!

http://motionoffroad.com/catalog/index. ... cts_id=271

The bolts I got are 3/8 by 2 1/2 in. I noticed when I pulled the old one that it was just barely long enough and a little small for what I would expect to hold the pack together. The new one fits through all the springs and sits into the perch fine on one side but may need the head ground off a little on the other. This may not be the case once I get the D44's new perches welded on. I'll get some bolts for the for the ends and if I come across some sleves, great, if not I guess it will do. As far as the pads,

Expensive little ba$tards!

Wow. At $12 a piece that would be $96 plus shipping to replace them. I think I'll look around a little or pull some from the JY and clean them up.

Thanks for all the help.

:cheers:

I noticed on your bolts that the thread pitch is different. I always thought that the fine thread had more holding power. Hence would not be a downgrade in holding ability to go to the coarse thread. Just a thought. I could be wrong.

I noticed on your bolts that the thread pitch is different. I always thought that the fine thread had more holding power. Hence would not be a downgrade in holding ability to go to the coarse thread. Just a thought. I could be wrong.

Your correct, the fine threads do have more holding power. They didn't have a fine threat in the inset hex heads, at least where I bought them.

From taking the old ones off, they really don't seem that they really need the holding power as much as they need shearing strength. You figure once they are clamped down by the U bolts, they are just there to keep them aligned to the perch.

:cheers:

Are the nuts grade 8 too?

Are the nuts grade 8 too?

You caught me. No I still have to get grade 8 nuts (that just sounds weird saying that) I just threw those in to give an idea about the nylon lock nuts.

:cheers:

I'd use lock-tite.

Ok so the center pins are bolts? When I had my axle out I tried tightening the driver's side one and it wouldn't budge... I figured they were just rivets and it had streched. Am I going to run into troubles? and with the brackets that hold the pack together... I don't have mine bolted down because of the aal. Is it ok?

Didn't your AAL come with new (longer) bolts? The ones on my Sub did.

Anyway, if the bolts are old, they will break before the nut lets go. Relieving the tension on the springs that fast can cause one or more leafs to break. Don't ask me how I know,..

I would not even think of driving a leaf sprung vehicle without the center bolt. The U bolts might hold things together, but the center bolt keeps everything aligned and in place.

Before trying to take the nut of, use a couple of C clamps, one of each side of the nut to keep the springs compressed if the bolt breaks. Then use can loosen the clamps to decompress the leafs slowly.

Every center bolt I have seen that was more than a few years old looked either like a corkscrew, or zig-zagged back and forth, and needed replaced even if it didn't break.

mfpdm, i'm takin apart a cherokee leaf set today to add the main leaf as an overload leaf to my cherokee, so pm me if you need the little nylon pieces...i'll send them your way.