I recently posted something new in the Pathfinders forum concerning the use of Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 front coil springs on the rear of a WD21 Pathfinder for lift. Here's the results!

OK! Coils have been installed and driven around on. Prognosis: Awesome fit. Same amount of lift I had with the Ford coils, almost the same stiffness-wise. I'd highly reccommend a set of JGC front coils for lifting over the Ford coils.

I was wrong about the length of the JGC coil being 2" longer than the Pathy coil, but it IS a higher spring rate. That more than makes up for it. After cutting the top 3/4 coil off, the Pathy spring and the JGC spring are almost the same length. The JGC spring was about 1/2" longer.

In short: 2 1/2" to 3" of lift over stock Pathy coils, longer than Ford coils, higher rate than stock Pathfinder coils, cheap($10 each), and very very easy to find. There were at least ten wrecked JGC's in the junkyard when I got mine.

PICS!

A stock Pathfinder spring, a JGC spring(before cutting), and the old Ford spring(with the pigtail coil cut off). You can see how much burlier the Ford coils are, spring wire diameter-wise.


This is how much of the JGC coil I cut off. I used a $20 angle grinder from Harbor Freight Tools. Then I beveled the inside edge of the cut and deburred the edges of the ground-off coil end to clean it up.


Installed coil springs...nice shiny black powder coat from the Jeep factory.


Passenger's side spring, this is the one that droops the most on the trail because the panhard rod on the other side of the axle limits droop a bit more over on the driver's side. Note that there is no looseness! I've been having some nasty problems with the Ford coil dropping out of it's socket on the passenger's side on the trail. FIXED!


The only thing I would like to mention otherwise was that the stock spring isolator/seat that goes on top of each stock coil spring wouldn't fit back in after installing the JGC springs. They're a tight fit, which is a good thing. I used two rubber donuts cut out of an old mud flap in it's place on both sides. I had to jack up the driver's side with TWO jacks and unbolt the lower shock mount & panhard rod to get the axle to droop low enough to get that damn coil in there(with the aid of a prybar and some heavy twisting). Then I had to pull downwards on the coil with one hand while shuffling the rubber donuts in under the end of the coil on top. I don't believe I'll have any problems with that, I just wanted to mention it. The passenger's side coil is easier to get in there, because that side of the axle droops more with the shock unbolted.


33x10.50" Swampers
RS5000's/steering stabilizer, deleted swaybars
MSD 6 Offroad ignition,
See me @
http://www.damagedreality.com
"Roads? Where we're going, we won't NEED roads...."

Nice!
Now I don't have to clean the rust off of the Ford springs I found.
I think I will stop by Harbor Freight and pick up a pair of spring compressors to get the JGC coils in easier.
Thanks for the tips.

sleep is good

How does it ride? My pathy is pretty heavy and was terrible with the stock coils.. The ride improved a lot with the heavier Ford coils when I put them in. The Jeep coils look like they'd give about the same ride as the stock coils? What are your impressions so far? Any noticeable difference in spring rate?

It rides just fine. A little(very little bit) softer than the Ford coils, but infinitely better than the stock coils. I like it!


33x10.50" Swampers
RS5000's/steering stabilizer, deleted swaybars
MSD 6 Offroad ignition,
See me @
http://www.damagedreality.com
"Roads? Where we're going, we won't NEED roads...."

..
88pathoffroad;
… That was a great article and PICs. You didn’t say what model JGC the springs came from.
AFAICT the ZJ GCs through 1998 springs are different from the WJs 1999 and newer. The WJs have a different spring front and rear. ZJs and
... WJs also had an option of a one inch ‘upland’ lift but I don't know if it was the springs or bigger pads. Two inch BB kits (budget boost pads) are available and fit between the spring and upper pad.

Have a good one, and … CUL.. Don S..
… “Chaos is only slightly impeded by well planned organization.”

'99 4x4 3.3 KC & '04 Sentra
'99 4x4 4.7 WJ & '76 4x4 FSJ

They make different MODEL JGC's? Like what, the Laredo and the Grocery Special and stuff? That's the first I've heard of it.

All I can tell you is that I got them from a mid-90's JGC V8. The junkyard I go to doesn't accept anything newer than 1995 or 1996. If the springs are different on 99-newer ones, then I couldn't say, but after looking thru the JGC's on hand in that yard, they all appeared to be equipped the same.

Most add-on lifts for those things seem to be spring spacers, yeah. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that that's all it is. Why would they want to spend more on different springs for model options rather than just use the same springs with a spacer or pad?


33x10.50" Swampers
RS5000's/steering stabilizer, deleted swaybars
MSD 6 Offroad ignition,
See me @
http://www.damagedreality.com
"Roads? Where we're going, we won't NEED roads...."

quote:

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Originally posted by 88pathoffroad:
They make different MODEL JGC's? Like what, the Laredo and the Grocery Special and stuff? That's the first I've heard of it.

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..
88pathoffroad:
... I don’t mean to highjack your thread but would like to update the INFO about 1999 WJ Grand Cherokee V-8 Grocery Getters. Out of 11,000 + parts only 127 interchange with the older ZJ models. The body, suspension, V-8, Tranny, T-case, Diffs with LSDs front and rear and even the lug pattern on the wheels were new in 1999.

Have a good one and CUL.. Don S..
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Yes!.. I Get Blown away by TNT .. Texas Nissan Trucks

'99 4x4 3.3 KC & '04 Sentra
'99 4x4 4.7 WJ & '76 4x4 FSJ