Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

Removing a leaf from leaf springs

25K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  Fun2Jeep 
#1 ·
So, the other day I got two new 4" leaf springs for the front of the YJ. Against my better judgment I got Pro Comps. They are so stiff I could lose a tooth driving it. Im 6'3 235 pounds and I can jump on my bumper and can hardly move it. My question is, can I remove the second smallest leaf out of the spring pack to loosen things up a little or is that a no no? Any ideas.
 
#2 ·
i would say if any leaves are going to be removed take out the leaf under the main leaf. my question is why would you put new leafs in the front only?
 
#3 ·
ive done it and worked ok. i usually dont suggest it with soa but sua think it would be ok. it really has more to do with the high arch of the spring pack. spring steel is spring steel. how they are used has more to do with ride quality. make sure your bushings are doing their job. if you have leaf clamps that are tight, bend them up so they only keep the leaves aligned but not clamped together. if you are adventurous, round off the ends of each leaf. the bottom most leaf in procomps 2.5" pack is an overly thick and very short leaf that i have tossed in the past.
make sure your shocks are of good quality. any lift kit company shock i dont consider good quality. they are all made the same no matter if its a samurai or an f350. just makes no sense.
 
#5 ·
Well JACFF7, I slammed the shackle into a rock and bent the rear half of the front right spring and it lowered that side a about an inch.
 
#7 ·
So it seems like everyone agrees that I should do it but everyone seems to have a different opinion on which one should be removed. Any other opinions. Maybe I needed a poll!
 
#8 ·
Yeah my very first lift (did it in 95 on my then brand new wrangler) was a procomp and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. The ride sucked so bad after that I eventually sold it and got a CJ7 (loved that jeep) At the time I was pretty mechanically challenged and didnt try to mess with it any, looking back probably should have since that 95 was an awesome jeep! I had custom ordered it in electric blue and hardtop.

Rick
 
#9 ·
yah.. you can do it..

keep in mind.. thats a preload springs

no ill effects, youre rear will sag a little easier when accelerating, and your load carrying capacity will demise some.. but youll get used to it

ive even removed BOTH smaller leafs at one point.. only to lose the height of the springs themselves.. but when i accelerated, it felt like the jeep was wheelying down the street.. very weird!!!

but anyway..

go for it.. its a good mod.. but keep the spring.. just in case you want to put it back.. i dont have exp with pro comp.. but the pack might sag a little more than desired so you might have to put it back
 
#12 ·
It worked. Took out the second to the smallest leaf out and it flexed great. Lost 3/4 of an inch of lift tho in case anyone is interested.
 
#13 ·
There could be inter-leaf fricntion too, especially since they are new springs. If they are tight, jumping on the bumper may not even budge them past the stick-slip state. They may loosen up with use, so give them a chance.
 
#15 ·
I bought my 95 with the Procrap already installed. Rode like a board. I took out the last leaf and it only helped a little. I put that leaf back in then removed the longest leaf (second from the top) and it made a world of diff. However, after a few trails, the back began to sag badly. So I put the long leaf back in (now a full pack again in the rear) and it still flexes pretty well and lifted the rear 2.5". Removing that spring allowed the pack to break in. The front has not yet sagged.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top