suspension issues on the bj42

[Wilko76]

hi All
i hope someone can clear up a dillema for me. my brother and i were fitting a new suspension kit on the bj42. now for the dillema, the leaf springs did not fit. The rear ones were at least inch and a half out from meeting the shackles.
We called the supplier to see if the wrong parts were sent. He confirmed we had the right ones. he asked us to measure from the ends to the centre of the existing shackles so he could look up the measurements to see what we had on. they did not match up to anything he had on his system.
The closest he could identify the "rear springs" were a 75 series front spring. his comment was " some strange sh**t going on there.

Now to my question. what leaf springs could be on there? could the rear diff and axles be off a later model? to my knowlege it was all standard suspension when i bought it.? Is there a way to identify if the rear diff and axles are off another cruiser ie a 75 series?

I am not sure if i was able to explain this clear enough but hope someone may be able to put some light on the issue !

thanks

[Tojo]

Are the springs too long or too short? If they are too long they could be 75 series fronts. If they are too short they are most likely 40 series that are set too high. When i fit them i usually have the axles supported on axle stands. Bolt up the fixed end of the spring. Then lift the other end up toward the shackle. Use a bottle jack under the spring and wind up the jack untill you can fit the shackle (this saves having to hold it up with your hands while you try and fit the shackle). Usually if you fit lifted springs it can be hard to get the shackle to fit. When everything is bolted up and the weight of the vehicle settles on the springs they often settle down. Sometimes you need to go for a drive and flex it up in order for them to settle in. Just be carefull you don't invert the shackles. Hope this helps

[AZZA FJ40]

diff width would be the easiest way to tell the difference

75 series are a lot wider than a 40

will measure my 40 diffs and get back to you

[shorty_f0rty]

the length of my old 2" lifted 40# springs at the rear (eye to eye in a straight line) is 1080mm.

this was on a 1984 bj42.. stock spring mounts, and resulted in a close to verticle rear shackle angle.

hope it helps.

[Wilko76]

thx all.

the new springs were fairly close but still a bit to short. The centre bolt on the spring was 3" outt. My brother took it to a suspension guru in town and he confirmed/believed that they are 75 springs and fit back to front.
We have ordered new 75 springs to suit as the kit was 40 series 2" lift

Shorty, from memory the rear shackles were near vertical also