newbie...flex questions

[deruberdork]

hi everybody...i new to the jeeping scene and ive got some question. i just purchased a 92 yj, and it came with it seems to be a 3-4 inch lift with 33's. other than that it seems like its all stock. i just bought a tc lowering kit which will be installed next weekend to help correct the angles. my main question tho has to involve the suspension. its stiff as all hell and has practically no flex what-so-ever. now when i went out i didnt disconnect the sway bar, or the rear trac bar. ive seen on these forums that they can just be completely removed, but wouldnt that make the rearend sway? anyhow these springs are 4 leafs up front, with the first 3 leafs having what looks like little teflon plates on the edges, and the bottom leaf just free floating. the top three also have a military wrap. the back is five leaf, same configuration as in front but with the bottom two being free floating(ie no teflon sliders). I have no idea as to what the manufacture is or why i've got no flex. any help would be appreciated, ive already had so much fun in just 2 days out! id really like to improve how this thing is offroad

 

[TwistedCU]

Pictures of the springs/hardware might help determine who the manufacturer is.

As for the trackbar leave the front, ditch the rear.

 

[TwistedCU]

Oh, and welcome to Jeepz!

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Oh, and welcome to Jeepz!

Yeah, welcome aboard!! How old is the lift? Was the Jeep a mall-crawler for the past owner, or did they actually wheel it? Some (or all, I don't know) springs really need to be broken in to get them to ride a little better. Keep in mind that you'll probably have a much rougher ride than stock no matter what lift or how you break it in, or so I've heard.

 

[Junkpile]

Is the problem simply that you have no flex, or are the springs really too stiff? How does the ride compare to say a factory sprung Jeep similar to yours? Almost all lifted Jeeps are a little stiffer or bouncier than a stocker, but it shouldn't be excessive. A cheap 4" leafspring lift is going to be pretty rough usually. If the problem is a lack of offroad articulation, you may just be getting fooled by the anti-swaybar and trackbar. The sway bars on the YJ are the number one reason those things flex about as much as your average car when factory. Disconnect it and try it out.

 

[deruberdork]

the ride isn't brutally rough, my main issue was that i had practically no flex. ive only ridden in a few lifted tj's, so i know its no comparison. my main issue was with the lack of flex. this weekend i will disconnect the swaybar and toss the rear trac bar to see the difference it makes. how long till the springs break in you think?? oh and thanks for the warm welcome8)

 

[dingus]

you can't really compare the suspension of a TJ vs. your YJ because TJ's have 4 coils. they're going to behave MUCH differently than your leaf springs.

 

[TwistedCU]

because TJ's have 4 coils. they're going to behave MUCH differently than your leaf springs.

Right... kinda like a car :twisted:

 

[deruberdork]

i realize tj's have coils which is why i said i couldn't compare it to the yj. ive also noticed a kind of a clunking noise as i let out my clutch in first, and sometimes from off idle acceleration. think it could be transmission mounts?

 

[LVRockCrawler]

nevermind.... mis read the orig. post - edited out the reply

 

[David]

I've heard of lots of guys "breaking in" new lifts by removing the shocks and driving around for a while like that (I'd be careful, though).

 

[88Wrangles]

I've heard of lots of guys "breaking in" new lifts by removing the shocks and driving around for a while like that (I'd be careful, though).

That and always parking with a tire up on a curb if you can (and switching wich one is on the curb each time). Some people are against it, but taking off the sway bar(s) and trac-bar(s) helps a lot too.

 

[TwistedCU]

The best way to break those leaf springs in is to flex it out on a trail with the swaybar disco'ed and the rear trackbar gone.

 

[deruberdork]

took the sway bar off, tracbar is coming out this weekend, and shes already flexing like a champ! thanks for the advice...now to get her dirty tonite:twisted:

 

[currupt4130]

Make a quick disconnect for the front track bar as well and she will flex a lot better. Just go get a clevis pin

from lowes similar to the size bolt that holds the front track bar to the axle, two washers to fit it, and a hitch pin clip (i dont really know what they're called, the clip you put in the clevis pin for a hitch receiver)

. Remove your old bolt, and replace it with this assembly, and pull it whenever you go offroad and zip tie your front track bar up, youll flex a lot better.

 

[TwistedCU]

Make a quick disconnect for the front track bar as well

Excellent idea. I used those same (but different diameter) lynch pins and cotter pins for home made swaybar disco's on the old '92 YJ.

 

[currupt4130]

Thanks, I actually picked this up from a buddy and this is how I made the quick discos for my YJ, and on my dads Rubi cuz he only has a budget boost. You do the same thing for the discos, the big trick is stacking the right amount of washers on the clevis pin so the hitch pin holds it snug.