Omix-Ada Replacement Springs - (7)-Leaf

Well, went forward and bought Omix-Ada's since they have a (5) years warranty and Crown only had a (1) years.
Partially good news is that the box says "Made in Taiwan". Bad news is I'm not that thrilled with the spring clamps.
Isn't that quite a bit of space between the clamps and the leafs?
I believe that I'll add a couple of clamps just to keep the the springs from slapping or twisting.
One of them is not even fully formed around the spring pack.







http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/middle_road/Jeep/Suspension/New_Springs_01.jpg

 

I'd raise Hell about those! That ain't right. I'm no expert by any stretch, but my money says they should be wrapped tightly around the leaves. I have my original 1956 springs and a set of new aftermarket M38A1 springs, and the clamps fit tightly on all of them.

I'd bet someone assembled those using clamps for later style wide springs. Brainless assembly line drones.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't even mount those until I had the answer.

 

My clamps fit tight on my factory springs

 

I have seen that clamp design on other aftermarket springs. However, I have not seen the clamps being so much wider than the spring pack. I would be reluctant to accept spring clamps like that - they should be tight to the spring pack, or close to the spring pack in width.

Looks to me like the spring clamps for wider springs have been fitted to these 1.75" springs ... possibly because that's what they had on hand. Pretty much fits with the slap-dash quality issues we have seen before from the Omix products. You could change the clips, but the rivets make it difficult without disassembling the spring pack.

 

Stock YJ springs have clamps EXACTLY like that too. The ones on my 94 sat about 3/4" above the leaf (till I cut them off in order to rebuild the spring packs a few years ago.)

I'm guessing so they can droop a little more vs. having tight clamps.

Not defective IMHO, just not exactly like stock.

Would be nice if that 2nd leaf were longer to support the main leaf more on the ends, but I've seen worse.

 

Went over them after dinner tonight. Here's a gallery up on PhotoBucket -=-LINK-=-
Have a look at the one with a red #4 on it. Looks to me that leaf was the end of the coil - or bad forming.
The clamps are all over the place. I've submitted a support ticket to Omix and contacted the seller on Ebay. We'll see...

You can have quick & cheap, quick & good, just can't have good, quick & cheap. You get what you pay for as always.

All I could find for stock replacements were Crown, General, and Omix. General's website is cagey about not really saying where
their springs come from and Crown only had a one year warranty. After browsing for two weeks I shopped price.

Now to figure out a Plan B...

_Dan

 

I'm wracking my brain here, trying to remember the big name in leaf springs, but I'm drawing a blank. Is it Rancho???

 

Yes rancho .I vote bds the 2.5 lift springs aren't much different than stock and have a lifetime warranty

 

Dang, (26) years ago CJ5's were a tad cheaper & easier to mod... (that was the last time I had one...)

The more I look them over the more I see that Quality in any form is sorely lacking in these Omix-Ada springs.
Unless I take them apart and grind/sand them to fit and nest, redo the clamps properly, they just are not suitable for regular vehicle use. Perhaps on a hay rack...
Then one starts to question whether the steel is any good.

Then I go and look at lifts and the price skyrockets. I guess I need to face the stark reality that you can't do a 'stock' replacement.

A pair of springs in the front, some new poly bushings, shackles from Mcruff, some shocks and I would be on to the next phase. That's all I wanted to do, nothing fancy.

You know somewhere, someplace there's some NOS just sitting on the shelf gathering dust, just some nice old 7-leafers... *SIGH*


_Dan

 

Jeep= Just Empty Every Pocket.
There is nothing cheap about Jeep.

 

Used to be that you could buy replacement springs from domestic places like ESPO. http://www.springsnthings.com/leaf-spring.htm You could give them a call and ask about stock, and advice. You can always get springs made by Alcan http://www.alcanspring.com/ or Deaver (?) http://www.deaverspring.com/ - likely there are other places, maybe closer to you. I'd start with the Thomas Register for TN, and start calling places.

IIRC BDS does not sell pairs of springs, as a replacement. And I'm sure that. if you install just the fronts, they lift enough so that the front of your Jeep will be going uphill all the time. And they advise a 1" spacer under the axle bumper, and longer shocks - theirs of course, but you aren't forced to buy the shocks too. The BDS springs are definitely higher than stock 11-leaf HD option springs, and even higher above the standard 7 or 9 leaf springs.

When I bought my BDS springs from Bob Supplee, I recall I paid about $500 for just the springs - and Bob said I was getting a good deal and asked me not to spread the price around. It's been a couple of years, and Bob no longer sells parts. I'd guess that if you can get your quality replacement front springs for between $300 and $400, you are doing really well.

 

But, but.... (hehe) - Rather like a boat, Break Out another Thousand.

Back in '87 when I was messing around with my second '70 CJ5 I lived in SoCal. The was a nice guy who had a shop in the San Fernando Valley.
He specialized in building axles as I recall. He wanted some special tooling and adapters made up for working on them and I had access to a tool & die shop.
I made up a set of plugs to seat the rings for taper bearings and he traded me a set of springs for the ol' CJ5.
Mint condition except for the bushings of course. They were just a-laying there in a back corner gathering dust. The had come off a wreak, all he had
been able to salvage were the axles and the springs. Dang, I wish I could remember his name.
Another acquaintance had a plastics shop and he made up the bushings out of some urethane rod that he had.
Shame I didn't have Mcruff's shackles then...

_Dan

 

Yeah, it would be nice to ring up Alcan, or Deaver for sure. That would have to wait until the re-model/re-hab of the house is finished.
With all the searching I've been doing I had not come across Alcan... Tim, Thank You for all your valuable information. You should do up a guide-book.

Now on another note, I just got off the phone with Matt at Quarter Ton Parts, Super friendly and helpful. I'm going to be in Chattanooga this afternoon so after
that I am headed his way. He said he might have something. One thing that he did mention he had was a fresh built V6 Dauntless. ( :drool: )
Now that would break the budget.

Thanks All!!!

_Dan

 

*GADS* this will teach me to shop price instead of quality. I know better but was trying to save money here and there to be able to repair/upgrade the
steering and tune the engine.
Omix-Ada is claiming that the springs are made properly. Their definition of proper and my 35 years experience in manufacturing and metal working beg to differ.
I went through a couple of salvage yards today just to verify. I did not see ANY of these ear style clamps that were not snug. And the only clamps I saw that had a
space between the top of the leaf pack and the clamp were of the 'U' type with a pin or bolt though them.

Learn a lot about jeep springs in the last few days though...

_Dan

 

I know it shows the bottom of the spring but this is how I got the factory springs back from the spring shop

 

Now that, in my opinion, is how I believe they should be. Nice & tight. The style where the 2nd leaf is good and long and ends under the eyes is desired.
That looks like a (9) leaf Front HD.
I wasn't able to find a spring shop here in the Knoxville area but then again one of my main leafs is in really poor condition at the rear eye end.
The ones I have the 2nd leaf ends inches before the eye and that's where it is twisted and bent.

_Dan

 

There is an old school leaf spring manufacturer here in Omaha. He can make up anything you want from custom to stock. I believe he makes the springs for Rancho or Superlift. Might be worth a call if your interested. Linale Manufacturing 402-341-3036.

 

Dan,

Maybe this thread will help - http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/showthread.php?107640-Leaf-spring-advice. I ended up going with the 10 leaf spring from Stanley Spring and have been very satisfied (they came with a military wrap which was a nice surprise).

Matt

 

Thanks Matt.
So you are running 10's, and they're not harsh? Can you post a pict sometime?

Now why didn't that thread show up in all the bloody searches I've been doing...? Even when using Google to do the crawl... *SIGH*

Is Stanley in Colorado Springs? hmmm... The in-laws live in CS and have been threatening a visit. Father-in-law says he's got ( 8 ) rims...
Don't really need rims, needs springs.

I've got a line on }supposedly{ (2) intermediates that I need to go check out. Maybe just maybe they'll have springs worth salvaging.
I have this off the wall idea that if it pans out I'll need to post it..

Meanwhile is other news, Omix-Ada has dug their heels in saying 'that's how they're made...'. Which puts the Ebay seller in a difficult spot.
There is no way I'm putting these pieces of crap on ours.

_Dan