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Rear Spring Options For Lifting Your WD21 Pathy


88pathoffroad
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I believe Aaron threw a torch on his pigtail and beat it out to the proper diameter rather than cutting it off. That would make a better seat and the heat should only affect a few inches of the spring and not change the characteristics significantly.

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I was going to cut my springs today (I don't have a torch but I do have a grinder with a brand new cutting wheel) when I discovered that one of the coils that I bought is thinner than the other - the same thickness as the stock Nissan coils! BUMMER!!!

So it's off to the JY tomorrow to exchange the mismatched coils. There's no V8 JGCs at the JY and there's no more Comanchees either. I'm not interested in going with Ford coils so I'm going to bring my micrometer and tape measure and check the I-6 JGCs in case there's a set that will work. If I don't find any I'll exchange my coils fro a credit on a MAF sensor since my 'Finder fluctuates at idle and I want to eliminate that as a cause. There's another wrecker not too far away that I'll visit if need be, and again, I'll check all possible coils over for the best dimensions.

 

***Here's a wierd thing. My measurements indicate that my stock Nissan coils are approx. 16.5" long and 4" I.D./5.25"O.D., 8 coil springs as I expected but they are .523" thick - not .5" thick as indicated in every relevant post I can find on the subject. I'm using a good quality, reliable, manual micrometer (and yes, I know how to read it). Anyone heard of this before???

 

Stay tuned for breaking news!

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Your measurement should be correct, the FSM shows .52" as the wire diameter of stock coils. The ones I first measured were actually .50, could have been a manufacturing error?

 

Count the coils when hunting for springs. The ones with 8 coils are NO GOOD! :D

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I found some better detailed info. on the TRW CC782 coil spring.

It seems, judging by the specific vehicles that this spring fits, that the TRW CC782 WILL PROVIDE NO LIFT AT ALL. As you can see all of the listed vehicles have either 4 or 6 cyl. engines - not a V8 among them! Although I haven't been able to get the actual specs. on this spring it seems clear that it's not a choice for a Pathfinder lift.

 

 

Compatibility Chart

 

 

Make Model Year Engine Position Notes

 

Jeep Cherokee 1984-1986 2.5L L4 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

LIMITED

 

Jeep Cherokee 1987-1988 2.5L L4 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

 

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Cherokee 1987-1990 2.5L L4 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

 

Jeep Cherokee 1984-1986 2.8L V6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Cherokee 1987-1988 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Cherokee 1989-1990 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY EXC SPORT

 

Jeep Cherokee 1991 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Cherokee 1992 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Cherokee 1992-1993 4.0L L6 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

 

Jeep Cherokee 1993 4.0L L6 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

 

Jeep Cherokee 1994-1996 4.0L L6 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

 

Jeep Comanche 1986-1988 2.5L L4 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

 

Jeep Comanche 1986-1990 2.5L L4 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

 

Jeep Comanche 1989-1990 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

COMANCHE & PIONEER

 

Jeep Comanche 1991-1992 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

 

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1993-1996 All Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

 

Jeep Grand Wagoneer 1993 All Front Front Variable Rate Springs

4WD

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1984-1986 2.5L L4 Front Front Heavy Duty Variable Rate Springs

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1987 2.5L L4 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1984-1986 2.8L V6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1987 4.0L L6 Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1988 All Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY

 

Jeep Wagoneer 1989-1990 All Front Front Variable Rate Springs

2WD

w/HEAVY DUTY EXC SPORT

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Then I found these listings (already posted in this thread as a stand-alone list) with the description below included. This description is also posted in this thread, but not refering to the TRW CC782. Does anyone know if these measurements are accurate for the CC782???

 

TRW VARIABLE RATE SPRINGS

 

Part Number: CC782

 

This product fits the following vehicles

JEEP

1984 - 1996 CHEROKEE

1989 - 1990 GRAND WAGONEER

1986 - 1992 COMANCHE

1984 - 1990 WAGONEER

1993 - 1996 GRAND CHEROKEE

 

The springs are just over 17" long.

The wire is .54 to .55 inches in diameter

OD of spring is about 5.25", ID is about 4.00"

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Went to the local JY today to check the 3 JGCs for useable coils. 2 vehicles had already been robbed of them and the third had coils that were exactly the same thickness as my stock coils (.52"). No go there. So off to the next closest JY - none at all. A third wrecker wasn't sure if he had any but if I did, he wanted $150.00 CAD for them if he pulled them or $100.00 CAD if I did it. It will be a frosty day in hell befroe I pay more than $50.00 CAD for a set of 15 year-old coils! And the search continues... if it continues much longer I'm just going to buy the damn Calimini 3" coils and call it a day!

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Drove an hour and a half to yet another junk yard today. Finally found a pair fo useable springs! They're from a '96 JGC Limited, 18.0" long and .56" thickness. I couln't find any .58" but what the hell, at least they're an upgrade.

I took me less than a hour to have them installed and they gave me exactly 2" of lift. I still need to do a 2" body lift but this evens out the vehicle and gives me the potential for a bit more flex. Onward and upward from here... literally.

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but they are .523" thick - not .5" thick as indicated in every relevant post I can find on the subject. I'm using a good quality, reliable, manual micrometer (and yes, I know how to read it).

You are almost exactly .025 off, sounds like operator error... Use calipers. :D

 

18.0" long and .56" thickness. I couln't find any .58" but what the hell, at least they're an upgrade.

It's the length as much as the diameter, they should work fine...

 

B

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im curious as to what everyone did for their track bars after lifting. is it easy enough to just make a drop bracket? i dont feel like paying calmini 90+ dollars. i was told without the drop bracket your pass. side will sit lower, or higher haha cant remember but your vehicle wouldnt be level on each side.

 

and im guessing that the 84-96 front coils from a normal cherokee will work now? or maybe forget that and ill just keep hunting for some 9x.56"x17"

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im curious as to what everyone did for their track bars after lifting. is it easy enough to just make a drop bracket? i dont feel like paying calmini 90+ dollars. i was told without the drop bracket your pass. side will sit lower, or higher haha cant remember but your vehicle wouldnt be level on each side.

 

and im guessing that the 84-96 front coils from a normal cherokee will work now? or maybe forget that and ill just keep hunting for some 9x.56"x17"

Im not too sure yet, but when it comes time to get a drop bracket, i think it will be cheaper to have a local shop fab one up vs paying for a blue one...they can probably beat 75 bucks, maybe even below 50

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Im not too sure yet, but when it comes time to get a drop bracket, i think it will be cheaper to have a local shop fab one up vs paying for a blue one...they can probably beat 75 bucks, maybe even below 50

 

 

I'm trying to figure exactly the same thing out... I'll keep posting on it.

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just a recommendation, if you are going to have one made or make one yourself. you will be better off in the long run if you figure out a way to lift the axle side track bar bracket rather than lowering the frame side. it's raise the roll center of the suspension system and you should get less body roll.

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just a recommendation, if you are going to have one made or make one yourself. you will be better off in the long run if you figure out a way to lift the axle side track bar bracket rather than lowering the frame side. it's raise the roll center of the suspension system and you should get less body roll.

 

Interesting thought, thanks for the advice. I'm learning a lot about simple suspension geometry as I go but man, there's a lot to it!

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that's what she said

 

I know... :D

 

just a recommendation, if you are going to have one made or make one yourself. you will be better off in the long run if you figure out a way to lift the axle side track bar bracket rather than lowering the frame side. it's raise the roll center of the suspension system and you should get less body roll.

 

Interesting, but IIRC, it would be considerably harder to do well...

 

B

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I made my own out of 4mm steel plate and a cheap borrowed Lincoln 110 welder. Cost me about $10. It sleeves the stock mount and uses two very beefy bolts to attach to the stock mount. Doesn't slip, no problems yet. I think mine gives 2" of drop...at least it's closer to horizontal than it used to be.

 

115625_195_full.jpg

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MY pan-hard-drop;

1/8" 304 stainless folded on a press and 2.5" lower than stock. The top hole is elongated and there is a "push-tab" screw on the rt side for precise axle centering. Once center is set all the 14mm bolts are torqed down, I put spacers on the inside they are 1/16-1/8 shorter than the oem bracket so everything compresses b4 it clamps down on the spacers so it won't go anywhere.

th_PHDbracket.jpg th_PHDclose.jpg th_PHDinside.jpg

My Panhard is now nearly parallel and my axle.

th_PHDdifferances.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

A couple of notes that I'd thought I'd relate to everyone from my experiences pulling JGC coils so far:

 

The shocks are easier to unbolt from the bottom, not the top. Trying to unbolt from the top you have to fight with engine components and more often than not you just end up spinning the shock cover (not sure exactly what it's called, it's the long cylinder at the top). To unbolt from the bottom you have to remove two bolts that hold the shock to the suspension, use a small ratchet and wrench, it's a tight fit.

 

The springs DO NOT just want to fall out. I'v found it's easiest to have another person (preferably somebody heavy) to stand on the hub while you twist the spring off. Jumping up and down on the hub helps unseat the springs too. I haven't tried using a pry bar yet, I think that would help a lot.

 

The tags are on about 90% of the springs I'v looked at. To clarify what the tag is it's a piece of paper attached to the springs (that confused me at first just reading the first post of this thread). Check all the springs! I'v found FN (.56" diameter) tagged springs on I6 pathfinders! So don't just disqualify a JGC because it doesn't have a V8.

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on I6 pathfinders!

really, like an L28 motor or do you mean the 4.0 cherokee.

 

ALSO, why hasn't this thread been pinned? this is a great reference/ resouce and It would make finding it easier.

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really, like an L28 motor or do you mean the 4.0 cherokee.

 

ALSO, why hasn't this thread been pinned? this is a great reference/ resouce and It would make finding it easier.

 

Beats me I'm not a Jeep guy :lol: I'll I know it was on a Grand Cherokee with an I6 engine (pretty easy to tell the difference between I6 and V8 beyond that though I'm in the dark :tongue: )

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  • 3 months later...

ok soo im a bit confused reading 6 of these 8 pages... but i think i got it....

 

JGC I6 front coils gives 1.5" of lift in the rear the pathy's?

 

JGC V8 front coils gives 3" of lift in the rear of the pathys?

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