4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/Leaf Springs

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Expert: - 4/2/2004


Question
I am looking at buying a super cheap Cherokee for the sole purpose of going offroad for next to nothing in price. I found a jeep but the rear leaf springs are bad, It is an 86-87 model year 2 door cherokee. I dont want to buy this jeep and then put in 200 dollars worth of leaf springs. I do have however, perfectly good leaf springs I'm taking off a 1986 CJ7 we are restoring. Any chance at all that a CJ7 leaf spring would fit a 86 or 87 cherokee? Thanks.

Answer
Brett,
First of all, you can measure the CJ7 springs, and see if they match up with the Cherokee's springs.  Remember to measure where the centering hole is located.  As far as a "super cheap" Jeep of any kind, if it's super cheap, then you can be assured that it will need some money invested to make it a dependable off road rig.  There is nothing worse than being 50 miles from no where, and having a broken Jeep, with no way to get home.
     Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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