Originally posted by NOTAJP
The rear shackle mounts were not in the correct location. Too far back so the shackle flipped fwd when the suspension flexed and wedged against the frame.
The springs were 4.5" Rubicon Express YJ Extreme duty with two add-a-leafs added in that pack.
The drag link for the steering was "bent". Meaning is had an 'S' shape to try and clear the leaves. Not a good idea.
Sorry, but there is a lot of incorrect info there.
My YJ 4.5" REs (without AALs) did not flip forward under droop, they flipped backwards under compression. This would normally indicate a condition of the shackles being placed too far forward, but with my rig, front-to-back placement made no difference. The shackles were moved to several locations along the frame to help remedy the situation, nothing worked. Those particular packs simply couldn't handle the weight of the front of my truck (the height of the shackle mount may have been a factor, but I didn't test that). Actually, with the use of a proper bumpstop, this situation would have never occured.
The RE 4.5" packs are 5 leaf. I had two leafs (same thickness) fabbed up to create a 7 leaf pack, which should be close to the equivalent of the Waggy 7 leaf packs, which have been proven to handle the weight of a 2nd Gen X. From my research, I believe that Lizardtrac originally tried to use a 5 leaf pack from a Waggy, and they couldn't handle the weight also. Remember, when referring to Waggy leafs, there were several versions stuck under them. From what I have seen/heard, only the 7 leaf packs work well. Although, my revised packs with the added leafs were never tested under my rig. My plans had changed by the time I got them done. I believe that the YJ RE packs, with the added leafs, would be close to Waggy 7 leafs in regards to flex and strength (subtract difference in length).
About the "z" draglink. Bent links aren't optimal, but a properly bent link wil handle the stress and work well, especially when compared to a straight link with too much angle and the pitman and knuckles. Bent draglinks will basically eliminate bumpster, but at a cost of strength. I had my draglink fabbed up as a temporary, until a high-steer setup was created. But I doubt that that link would cause any trouble if used permanently. A link, bent properly and with a gentle curve, is VERY strong. With a SOA leaf setup up front, the only good setup is going to be a bent link, or high-steer.
