Springs - what we need to know and Jeep Lean

I took the time to watch the video this morning. Boy did I learn a lot. I highly recommend people watch this. Thanks for posting Steve!!

Very informative video.  It makes me wonder about the quality of the currently available CJ2A springs from Omix, Crown, Walck's etc.  Mine has a little bit of lean with the original springs.  Been thinking about getting a new set.

My cj2 has a substantial lean on the driver's side rear and I've been thinking about a new set of springs. After watching the vid I looked at Eaton's site... Jeepster only under Willys. So I'm wondering now also, are all of the available replacement springs junk?

ggordon49,

Walck's site says their springs are USA made, "not foreign junk that will sag in a few years". They are also $145 vs aprox $100 that other vendors are selling springs for. 

Just put the cj away for the winter and as I walked away I looked back and thought I saw the "lean". Measured it and I have a 2 inch dif. Only 6,000 miles on the springs. New springs solved it back then. Don't remember if they were made locally or from walcks.

Springs and twisted frames are the cause of the lean if I remember right?

I know I have gained weight the last few years and my wife has lost some............... going to have to feed her more?

   I have to chime-in on this thread:

   I made it as far as the guy saying we should have 1-inch of travel.
That is where I learned he was talking street machines. I stopped there.

   My experience and observations back in the early '80's navigating the Rubicon jeep Trail was the hot-ticket Rancho Lift Springs. What a joke for articulation. Those rancho's would have qualified for that YouTube video with no-compression and about 1-inch of droop at best.
   I like the stock flexy springs and I keep mine oiled with WD-40 for good smooth and even flex.
   I like the idea of the graphite imbedded paint.

   Yep, I've owned a Corvette with 1-inch travel suspension and the car was like riding in a buck-board.

Found this on the cj3b site from good old doc vern. anyone remember him?


I found the Service Bulletin I mentioned yesterday. It was from
1971, but other than specific part numbers it should be applicable to
any Jeep model before that.

It said that any lean less than 3/4" was considered normal. The
measurements were taken from the body to a level surface, such as a
concrete pad. If the lean was over 1.5", new springs were required.
If the lean was between 3/4" and 1.5", spacers could be used under
the spring perches on the high side.

The spacer was 1/2" thick and had a hole drilled through the center
to fit over the index pin sticking up from the leaf pack. The pin
protruded only about 1/4" above the spring pack, so there was a
remaining 1/4" left at the top of the spacer. A short pin was
inserted here, to mate with the receptacle in the spring perch above
to keep everything aligned. It might make more sense to fabricate a
longer replacement pin than to mess with a little extension piece.

Longer U-bolts were specified, but if you already have an extra 1/2"
of threads you should be all right.

You could even do a little math and determine exactly how thick the
spacer should be, instead of taking a guess with 1/2". Measure the
body side to side and determine how much of a lean exists for that
width. Keeping the same ratio, determine how thick the spacer should
be for the width between the spring perches instead.


Regards,

Dr. Vern

willys54wagon wrote: Found this on the cj3b site from good old doc vern. anyone remember him?