Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

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Topic author
candymancan
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Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

Ive searched high and low, i cannot find offical numbers for what the GRAND wagoneers that were built by chrysler had for front leaf springs. The older wagoneers specially with the 6 cylinders and some of the 360s i know had 5 pack leafs in the front, i have seen them in JY's with only a 5 pack leaf spring in the front and the only 5 pack OEM springs were rated for only 960lbs per pack. Then the Grand Wagoneers were changed to 7 pack leaf springs. I was told for "comfort" but in reality the 7 pack leafs have a much higher load rating. But there are two different OEM models. The first would be OEM number 5362951, or 97-400 rated at 1330 lbs capacity. Then the second would be 5362952 (note the 2 vs 1 on the end) or 97-402 rated at 1455lbs capacity. For example

The Grand Wagoneers weighed more then wagoneers did, so that would make sense on why they had higher rated springs. as well as chrysler changing the suspension slightly for better handeling, but i cannot for the life of me figure out what weight capacity my 90 would have had. I order 4 new leaf packs for my GW a week ago the rear 97-485 1150lbs which all wagoneers had, and the front i ordered the 97-402 1455lbs springs. But they called me today and said their supplier doesnt have any 402's and refuses to "fire up the forge" in his own words to make only 1 set and it could take 8-10 weeks if i do want them still. But they had the 1330lbs ones in stock so i would get them next week... The only 3-4 websites that carry OEM GW springs say the same thing they dont have the 402's and it would take 6-10 weeks to get.

So my question here is.. Should i settle for the 1330lbs springs, or wait for the 1450lbs ones. Also does anyone have any offical numbers what my 90 would have come with ? The only documents i can find are block charts showing every Jeep made and what they came with, but the chartisnt specific on which years had different springs.

Would the loss of 200lbs of load carrying in the front affect anything ? Would you guys wait 8-10 weeks or get the 1330lbs ones now ? Since my 90 is one of the last model years i would assume with confidence it would probably have come with the last model higher load springs am i right ? Ima try call wagonmaster and other companies that restrore these things to see if they have any offical information on the front springs
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

rocklaurence
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Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by rocklaurence »

ALso, you'll find that you can't get the flexy 7 leaf springs anywhere. Most of the springs you'll find have 4-5 leafs and are stiff.

Topic author
candymancan
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Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

No they sell the 7 springs, those 5 leaf springs are BEEPY made in china crown springs. I have done some c razy re-search for the last 2-3 weeks now, and it seems no one realizes on both FSJ forums except me that they do have some companies who make/sell the 7 leaf springs.

at truckspring.com or SDtrucksprings.com and generalspring.com


There are 3-4 websites that have the OEM springs, Here is the one i ordered from below in the link. Also wagonmaster called me back and the guy on the phone said the 89-91 model grand wagoneers came with the 1455lbs 7 leaf springs. The wagoneers from 88-85 came with the 7 leaf 1330lbs springs, and then everything under that came with those 5 leaf 960lbs front springs.

Which means i was right, that my 90's 7 leaf pack fronts are 1455lbs capacity springs and not 1330lbs. The website below has them in stock for $150, i ordered a pair today and should get them next week. The 7 pack leafs are 97-400 for 1330lbs and 97-402 for 1455lbs. Look on google with that number and youll find a few sites selling them.

So if anyone wants to get new springs stock height you can thank me for doing all this re-search.. it was a PITA to find original OEM springs and not those chinese 5 pack leafs that go flat in a year or two

https://www.generalspringkc.com/product_p/97-402.htm
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

rocklaurence
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Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by rocklaurence »

Kool, once you get them I'd like to hear back on how they compare to EOM. For example: are the leafs tapered and if they ride as well as the stock one.

Topic author
candymancan
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Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

Will do. But i also habe 4 coil load csrrier shockd im adding to the front snd resr.. well i slready out the resr ones on. But ill let you know how it rides with my old standsrd shocks first.

And ill post before and afyer pics too. Im sure itll ride better ny old springs are inverted and have big gaos between em lol
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

Okay rocklaurence like you requested i got the springs today and they are made in Good ol USA. They have less of an arch then the oem springs on my jeep which means my Jeep came with the 97-400 which hold less weight and have a higher arch. The metal on the new springs is thicker and holds more weight thus less arch is needed. The new ones weighed like 10-15 lbs more too it felt like

Image

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1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

Blutarski
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 12:50 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by Blutarski »

candymancan,

Thanks for sharing the information on the springs and various suppliers. I ended up ordering from General Spring as well. Ordered set of rear springs yesterday at 3PM and were delivered this morning. I should note this was via the standard UPS (cheapest) shipping.

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

You got the 97-485 right ? Were they also made in usa like mine were ?.

Fyi i suggest you paint the silver spring clips i did mine.. they arent painted and will rust quick. Also the torque on the u bolts i believe was 100ft lbs. I called and double checked with them. They said to not torque any higher then 125ft lbs.

Also my front springs thr center pin on then was bigger then thr hole on the axle its suppose to pop in.. took me 4 hrs of wrestling the spring to find that out. I bought some wrasps from harbor freight and bored out the hole on the axle mount to fit the pin.. dont use a drill bit you could possibly go into the axle.. use wrasps on a drill assuming you encounter the same issue i did.


I still havent installed the last rear spring.. The first three took me a week to cut off and install and the last one on the gas tank side of the frame will be a pita because if the bolt is like all my other ones.. then ill have to cut it off and to install it ill need to be able to get the nut on thr bolt which means drop the gas tank and ive been too lazy to do that.. Also the side i did do in the rear the bolt on the shackle was seized like all the others so i had to cut my shackle mount off the frame to get the shackle off.. thrn weld the shackle mount back on to the frame and then install a new shackle.

And fyi if youre wondering the rear shackles are identicle to the ones that XJ Jeeps use i got mine in autozone

Its kinda funny the way my Jeep sits now. It leans on side where i didnt replace the spring. You can stand 20 feet behind and look and see it tilting an inch or two lol.


Also id recomend you get the gabriel load carrying shocks for the rear at least. They gave me an extra inch in ride height back there and when i sit on the tailgate the jeep no longer drops 3 or 4 inches and also with the new spting and shock i can shake thr jeep when bouncing on the tailgate and it doesnt jump up and down wildly anynore it just goes down an inch and back up and stops imediatly.

You can get a set of 2 gabriel load carrying shocks from

Autoanything.com. they are cheaper then amazon and they have free shipping too. Got my 4 coil spring shocks in 2 days

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And here is the ride height before my new leaf springs and shocks

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And after, huuuge diff after... I gained 3 1/2 inches of ride height from the saggy springs it did settle down about half an inch or so but its still wayy higher

Image
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

Blutarski
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 12:50 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by Blutarski »

Yep Dayton US made springs, got the 97-485. General Springs shows the # 97-493 (discontinued part #), so I called to confirm I would be getting -485.

Thanks for posting the pic's and tips.

I have purchased the same shocks for all 4 corners. Originally, was planning to do just the shocks to compensate for the worn leaf springs but realized that was just a band-aid and since i have the tank out I figured I'd kick myself for not doing the leaf springs now. Will be doing the front leaf springs soon after.

Nice wagon, looking forward to getting mine on the road. Will post up pics once complete. Currently redoing suspension, brakes and polishing rims for new tires. Then it's onto installation of new manifold, 4 barrel, and HEI ignition. That should get me on the road and discovery of what's next

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

Yea im glad i spent time researching springs to find oem ones, made in USA. there is no way in hell i was putting those crown made in china springs on my jeep.

What are the 97-493 load capacity ? I never saw those
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

MReese Wagoneer
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:14 am
Location: St Louis, MO

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by MReese Wagoneer »

Candyman
Thanks for all that research !!
Great info as I also would much rather buy local than some over seas junk !!


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:fsj:
New 83 Wagoneer Brougham
old 99 Grand Cherokee Limited
http://www.mandgoilandlube.com

mikebrown3040
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 11:05 am
Location: Cleburne TX

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by mikebrown3040 »

thanks for all the information. Are the front and rear springs the same?
FSJ Newbie
68 1414X
83 J10
77 J10
89 Grand Wagoneer

Topic author
candymancan
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Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

The same ? No the front on later years like your 89 are 7 pack springs. The rear is 4/1 meaning 4 leafs and 1 overload.

97-400 and 97-485 is the springs you want for your 89. I went with 97-402 on the front for the added weight capacity though
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

MReese Wagoneer
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:14 am
Location: St Louis, MO

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by MReese Wagoneer »

candymancan wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:39 pm The same ? No the front on later years like your 89 are 7 pack springs. The rear is 4/1 meaning 4 leafs and 1 overload.

97-400 and 97-485 is the springs you want for your 89. I went with 97-402 on the front for the added weight capacity though
So how does yours ride with the heavier Springs up front?
looking through i saw the 960 1330 and 1455 springs
I will be doing my '83 shortly
:fsj:
New 83 Wagoneer Brougham
old 99 Grand Cherokee Limited
http://www.mandgoilandlube.com

Topic author
candymancan
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Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

It rod rough originally, but that was because i still had those coil over load assist shocks on you see in my pictures lol. I finally years later took them off, and i installed some Bilstein black max hydro (hydraulic) shocks on and the ride got much much softer boaty feeling.

But i also have an add a leaf right now, for a 2 inch lift, so the add a leaf also makes it stiffer due to increase load capacity. So i honestly cant answer how it rod with normal shocks and the 402 springs. But right now, with the hydro black max shocks, and the add a leaf in the 402's its fairly comfortable. Bounces around on the roads like a boat but i do still feel the pot holes pretty bad. I blame the add a leaf though.

Also the heavier my Jeep got the better the ride quality got. Right now i have the factory brush guard, a roof basket, the wiring, and brackets for 7 round halogen lights, the 200 lbs of tools in the back. My trailer hitch i installed, the 31 inch spare tire on the steel factory spare rim, and thee folding spare tire hitch carrier i made and i weight 290lbs. All these little things like wiring, lights ect adds weight, The add a leaf weighs alot and yada yada. The two 5 gallon jerry cans on the roof..So my Jeep right now weighs over 5,000 lbs fully loaded

I decided to get Hydraulic shocks because they ride smoother, and with the add a leaf on i needed smoother. Im glad i got the 402 though, with all the weight i added to my Jeep. The extra stiffness also helps with cornering at higher speeds, prior with my old bouncy leaf springs i couldnt corner very fast on ramps, or circles ect..

They are also pretty high quality springs, ive had em for 4 years now, and i havent lost any ride height or ride quality, besides the initial settling they did. One interesting thing though about the 402's is the 2nd leaf under the main leaf, seems to extend to the eye of the first leaf, so basically both springs are the same length almost. While the original leaf springs, the 2nd leaf is about 2-3 inchs down the eye of the main leaf. Look at my 2nd picture on this thread youll see the 2nd leaf is longer on the new springs vs the old ones

This actually caused a problem with my add a leaf, the long add a leafs i got were made to match the 2nd leaf length on the stock springs, not the longer leaf that this company made on the new springs. So i had to put the add a leaf under the 2nd leaf to keep the springs in length order. But i was told by the owner of stanly springs that i could put the add a leaf under the main leaf, even if their 2nd leaf isnt touching the spring anymore.. make sense ? Like 2 inchs of it would be in the air, he also said i could cut it off if it bugged me but im not going to mess with it.

I asked why they made the 2nd leaf as long as the main leaf and he said they did that for added support for the main leaf. He said the main leaf tends to bend on the original springs with no support.. so they extended the 2nd leaf to give more support. I dunno if i believe that, it makes sense.. but ive never seen a main leaf bending near the eye on wagoneer leaf springs. But hey I dunno lol.

I've actually been debating on putting the add a leaf back under the 2nd leaf, so its in position 3 and not two. It just looks wierd to have a longer leaf under a shorter one. And after i swapped them originally i didnt notice any ride height difference. I just didnt feel like moving them back again because its alot of work removed all the leaf springs like that to swap them out.

Another issue i had was the so called 2 inch lift i was suppose to get from the long add a leafs, only gave me 1 inch of lift in the front and 1 inch in the rear.. BARELY 1 inch actually for the front. When i called Rustys off-road to complain the owner claimed hes never in his life heard of this before and hes the one who designed this add a leaf to work with new springs..

I then had a call with the owner of stanly springs, and he told me the reason the add a leaf didnt work in lifting the 402's was because they are the 1450lbs springs, meaning they already give a little lift, and they are stronger springs than factory.. So the add a leaf has a harder time lifting the vehicle.. This kinda ruined my plans. So i had to put a 1 inch lift block in the rear to make the rear match the front a little better.

Overall im really happy with the springs i dont regret buying them. And i am siding more with the stanly spring owner than rustys.. if you look at my pics with the 402's on youll notice how high my Jeep sits, it sits much much higher than any factory wagoneer ive seen in old pictures


Sorry to blabber on, i think the springs you want will depend on what ride quality you want, the 960lbs will be stiffer, they are 5 leaf springs in the front those were on the early 80's models i believe, and then chrysler went to 7 leafs the 1330lbs ones for a softer ride.. more leafs can mean a softer ride as they have more bounce to them. If you want softer i would stick with the 1330lbs ones. If you plan to add a crap ton of weight to the Jeep i would get the heavier ones, and possibly look into rear add a leafs or rear load assist shocks for better weight capacity. One thing i noticed with the original rear springs i had and the new ones, was the rear still dropped alot with me sitting on the tailgate.. with the load assist shocks or add a leaf.. i could sit on the tailgate and the rear would drop only a 1/2 an inch. Remember i weigh near 300lbs
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

MReese Wagoneer
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:14 am
Location: St Louis, MO

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by MReese Wagoneer »

Thanks @candyman
Lots of info there
Can you measure to your wheel well lips tall me what that is , I can compare how saggy mine are and where I might end up
I agree with your 1330 suggestion
I do current have the 5 leaf


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New 83 Wagoneer Brougham
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Greg72
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Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2023 10:52 am

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by Greg72 »

candymancan wrote: Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:23 pm No they sell the 7 springs, those 5 leaf springs are BEEPY made in china crown springs. I have done some c razy re-search for the last 2-3 weeks now, and it seems no one realizes on both FSJ forums except me that they do have some companies who make/sell the 7 leaf springs.

at truckspring.com or SDtrucksprings.com and generalspring.com


There are 3-4 websites that have the OEM springs, Here is the one i ordered from below in the link. Also wagonmaster called me back and the guy on the phone said the 89-91 model grand wagoneers came with the 1455lbs 7 leaf springs. The wagoneers from 88-85 came with the 7 leaf 1330lbs springs, and then everything under that came with those 5 leaf 960lbs front springs.

Which means i was right, that my 90's 7 leaf pack fronts are 1455lbs capacity springs and not 1330lbs. The website below has them in stock for $150, i ordered a pair today and should get them next week. The 7 pack leafs are 97-400 for 1330lbs and 97-402 for 1455lbs. Look on google with that number and youll find a few sites selling them.

So if anyone wants to get new springs stock height you can thank me for doing all this re-search.. it was a PITA to find original OEM springs and not those chinese 5 pack leafs that go flat in a year or two

https://www.generalspringkc.com/product_p/97-402.htm


THANK YOU!!!

This thread is absolute GOLD. I will be reading through it a few more times to make sure I understand all the nuances of what you have put here... but the details and breakouts by year, leaf count and spring weights is awesome stuff. 8-)

Appreciate you putting all of this together.


-G
1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer - !! NEW !!

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

MReese Wagoneer wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:55 am Thanks @candyman
Lots of info there
Can you measure to your wheel well lips tall me what that is , I can compare how saggy mine are and where I might end up
I agree with your 1330 suggestion
I do current have the 5 leaf


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well since this thread got revived. Its 18 inchs front 16 rear from the lower wheel well to the middle of the caps (it sits 2 inchs lower) mine is 17 though now as i added a 1 inch block to get it to (look) less sagged . But rear is due to the lower quarter panel wheel well. Not a sag in the springs.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

letank
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Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by letank »

Out of curiosity, I counted 8 on the front and 7 in the back, on an 86 and 85. I strongly suspect these to be oem, all tappered, the 8th is really a short skinny one on the front pad. Too much rust for a pict, but I can try latter
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)

Topic author
candymancan
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:32 pm

Re: Anyone have any offical numbers for grand wagoneer front leaf springs ?

Post by candymancan »

Someone did an add an leaf i bet that isnt factory
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
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