I have not been happy with how this one rides, the 1" Superlift springs are too stiff. I could have tried some replacement springs, but not sure on who makes quality/replacement/stock/no-lift springs?
People seem happy with the Old Man Emu springs, BUT they are 2.5" lift springs, and you end up having to buy a whole bunch of other parts/pieces/bushings to make them work on a CJ. No big deal, but I am getting lazy.
So, I decided to give BDS a try. They make a "CJ to YJ spring conversion kit", and they sell 2" YJ lift springs. I bought a few other things from them, and basically built a brand new suspension.
Parts I purchased from them:
BDS 124021 (x1) - CJ to YJ Conversion Kit
BDS 004200 (x4) - YJ 2" leaf springs, front or rear (same springs at all four corners)
BDS 074000 (x4) - YJ Spring Bushing/Sleeve Kit (one kit for each leaf spring, shackle hanger bushings come in conversion kit)
BDS 124109 (x2) - CJ rear shackles, 1/2" lift (boomerang style) (each kit contains two shackles)
BDS 85900 (x2) - 13.4 - 21.7 FRONT shock (what they recommended)
BDS 85950 (x2) - 14.65 - 22.95 REAR shock (what they recommended)
BDS 55410 (x1) - steering stabilizer with bushings (must reuse your OEM brackets)
BDS 124002 (x1) - sway bar links with bushings
The above parts list cost around $1,400 from the local BDS dealer. Using the above parts, the only suspension parts you must reuse are:
1) the four 9/16" main eye leaf spring bolts
2) the OEM steering stabilizer brackets
3) upper rear shock nuts, upper and lower front shock nuts and bolts
4) upper sway bar link bolts/nuts
All other suspension parts/bolts are new, and provided, so pretty complete one stop shop.
All the goodies:
Parts contained in the "CJ to YJ Conversion Kit": u-bolts, spring plates, shackle hangers, shackle hanger bushings, drop brackets for front shackle hangers, all new nuts and bolts, grease fittings, spacers
Longer sway bar links with bushings:
Shackle kits:
Leaf spring bushings and sleeves:
I am not going to do a "step by step", but will do the high lights.
All four leaf springs are the same. There is no "front or back" to the springs. They are four leaf packs. They are YJ springs, they use a much larger bushing then a CJ spring. The 9/16" sleeve goes to the fixed frame hanger, the 1/2" sleeve goes to shackle end of the spring.
I decided to "cheat" and start on the rear suspension first, since it would be "easier". Well, in my haste, I did this:
Broke both capture nuts on the driver side rear shackle hanger. This Jeep isn't rusty, but I still should have heated these old bolts up with a torch, makes removing them much easier.
I ended up dropping longer bolts down through the frame to fix this, but ended up revisiting this repair later. It is a PIA to fish bolts, with washers on them, at this location:
Besides that, the rear went together easy enough.
Note orientation of rear shackles. This is how they go. Also note the shackle hanger, the part with the "triangulated reinforcement" faces out.
The BDS kit came with this spacer to install under the rear brake line "T-Fitting":