Add-a-Leaf

Today I finally got around to fixing the sagging rear end. Although I had added a lift kit, the weight of 950 pounds of batteries in the rear end was just a bit too much for them. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to get an additional Old Man Emu leaf spring to insert into the pack.

The first step, of course, is the same as the original lift - remove the old springs. Jack up the Jeep and add heavy-duty jack stands. Also, put jack stands under the rear axle. Unbolt the shock from one side, let the axle droop (being careful to avoid breaking flexible lines), and then unbolt and remove the leaf springs, with a liberal application of elbow grease.

Here are the springs next to the add-a-leaf. The new leaf is nearly as long as the whole pack, designed to support the main spring. The "pointy" end goes on the rear, where the shackle attachment is. The "blunter" end goes toward the front:


To prevent sudden explosive unspringing of the pack, I clamped it and then unbolted the center bolt. I then gradually unscrewed the clamps, allowing the leafs to separate:


And here is the pack disassembled. The add-a-leaf is shown placed between the main leaf on the left and the rest of the pack on the right:


Assembly, as they say, is the reverse of disassembly. Before assembly, though, I applied liberal amounts of grease to the new leaf. To keep the leafs aligned I inserted a screwdriver in the bolt hole, and then clamped down. When it was clamped down tight, I removed the screwdriver and replaced the bolt. I then alternated clamping down even tighter, and tightening the bolt:


And then, I replaced the leafs on the Jeep. This went a lot easier than last time - not sure if I'm better at it, or if the year of sitting on them has made the leaf pack "remember" the approximate distance between the front and rear eye:


And here is ElectroJeep, all happy and level with its new add-a-leaf. It rides very nicely, now, too!


Edit (Jul 31 2009)

By request, here is what the Electrojeep looked like before the add-a-leaf (this photo is from a post in January). It actually got a bit worse after this - I added 1.5" spacers to the front springs to get more clearance above the front differential. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the whole Jeep at that point.