lifting a 73 cj5- help

This is my first post. I hope you guys can help. I have a 73 cj5 with a 360. I bought Rustys offroad 3 inch lift and the front springs are way to short! The shackle is backwards riding on the frame. I called bds and rough country and there springs are about 4 inches longer eye to eye then the ones i have. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks

 

I bet the springs you got are 36" eye to eye . The FSM say intermediate use 39 3/4 eye to eye . The short ones are go early cj. how long are the ones you had on jeep before?

 

I tossed them 2 months ago. But I think the new ones are around 34 inches. Why do some lifts show different springs for 73 to 75 and others dont? I thought that 55 to 75 had the same springs?

 

I learn the hard way. my 74 had springs that were 36" and my shackle were pulled to the inside and the ride like a tank, i had to get springs from Rancho because they were the only ones who knew what I was talking about .When I ask about 39" springs. Now my shackle are to the front and the ride so soft it is hard to belive it's the same jeep.

 

Yeah, I agree, you must have gotten the wrong year of spring, Or maybe who you bought them from does not make the the right ones.
If they will not take them back, refund your money or give you the right ones...You may have to just sell the ones you have to someone who needs that length and buy the right length from Rancho. You could get into a big battle with who you bought them from...but I'm sure you have an idea of what that will turn into and how long it will take...and you want to drive you Jeep. I have been in many similar circumstances and feel for what you're going through.

 

Thanks for the info. I need three inch lift springs to match the back. Does anyone know what length I need or where to measure from? Ranchos are only 2 and half. I would like 3.

 

You can put a plumb line center of bolt hole to center bolt hole and that your length. about the lift I don't know because I brougth whole kit . I checked and the # that i see is front RS44062 and back are RS44162 AF I hope this helps

 

http://forums.4wd.com/4wdforums/showthread.php?t=30085

 

All I that I know is that I brought a cj5 1974 that it shackle were to the inside and it had hard ride . Everyone say the spring were 36" eye to eye .Later I got 1974 Technical Service Manual copyright 1974 printed by Jeep Corp. and page 12-6 under suspension ..it says leaf spring 1 3/4 X 39 3/4"..I measure my spring 36". measure bolt hole to bolt 39" so I went to 4wheel warehouse in Riverside ca.and talked to them and they got a rancho set .I took them home and pulled out old springs and laid side by side and measure again the old ones were 3" too short . I put the new ones in and they went right in and shaclke are to the front and it got great now!!..that's all know I know. I don't call myseft a pro. Like it say is" You lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

 

Black Diamond has a 3" kit with military wrap springs. Don't know if they'll sell just the springs.

 

If all the springs are the same from 55-75 why does rancho have different part numbers for different years? Also I looked at the holbrook long springs and the show a different measurement for 73-75. I think my springs are just to short. Almost like stock length re arched springs. Shouldn't the make the springs longer as the lift gets higher? The only way to make my shackles close to stock position was to put 500lbs. of salt bags on the bumper but the shackle still flips back when the weight is removed. Thanks for the info - So what springs should I get?

 

Just ran out and measured the distance from the hanger bolt to the upper shackle bolt....39 inches. Called BDS and thier springs are 38 inches eye to eye. My Rustys springs are 34.5 inches eye to eye. When i put all the wieght on the bumper the jeep looked to be stock, maybe my springs are stock length just rearched. Anyway they do not fit and I need new ones. Dont buy Rustys crap!

 

I have a 69 CJ5 and a 73...A little later this morning I will run out to the shop and measure the spring hangers on both and will get back to you.
How about if you made a fancy aluminum box to keep the salt bags in? HAHAHA...anyway, I always thought there were different lengths (but not sure)...I'll get back to you in a bit with the measurement of both.

 

Okay...so I just went out and measured. The center of the bolt on the rear hanger to the center of the bolt on the front hanger on my 73 is 38 1/2 inch...and the 69 is exactly the same 38 1/2. So it would appear to take the same spring...but trying to use a spring that is four inches shorter seems a bit "off".

 

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll probably go with bds because I can get it local and if there is a problem I can take the jeep to them. The shop is Burnsville Off Road. They make some nice jeeps. Oh yea Rustys Off Road SUCKS!

 

What did the folks at Rustys have to say about your spring length?Interesting to see if they stand behind what they sell.

 

I have a 1973 CJ5, and I used the 3" lift like Dana has on her Jeep, and I'm happy with the lift and the ride. I'm running 33" tires, but I think she might be running bigger tires.

 

I originally had 35", but the rear tires had me thinking that if I hit a really big pothole it might rub up on tub- traded for 33"s.

 

All I heard from rustys was BS. He said he was going to send me new shackles at no charge to see if that would help. I never saw them. Everytime I would call he would say that he just sent them and his computer tracking was down but he would call when he knew something, never called. This has been going on since october and he says he sends me stuff all the time! When I first got the lift it had 3 matching small shockes and one big shock. He sent me a new one right away. It also came with 2.5 inch wide shims. Wrong. called him on that said he would send the right ones, never saw them. I called him again and said send me the right stuff and new shackles and I would pay for them because I need them. He said no you dont have to pay, I'll send them right out, as soon as the UPS site is back up. Whatever. Everything was bs so I'm giving up. I bought a lift for my xj from him years ago with no problems, so I thought this would be okay. Well it wasn't. Do a search on rustys and you will find many have had the same problems with him. I should have listened to the others. Dont buy Rustys!!!!!!!!!!!!