Spring saver

[MuddMachine]

Well this has happened to me a number of times. A nose dive off a steep rock is enough to do it if ya start to slide. So what I was thinkin is to make a trac bar on the inside of each springpack up front. Would be on the axle centre line and the other end would be right beside the leaf spring eye. Bushing on the axle end and a slider type unit at the spring eye wich would let the trac bar slide with droop and bottom out on a nose dive. This is what I wanna eliminate:

[MuddMachine]

Make a bracket similiar to the spring hanger bracket with a slot so the trac bar can slide a bit, and let it slide more one way for the droop factor and give it like a 1/2 inch to bottom out on a nose dive. Whatya think ?

[Fullload]

Makes sense to me. May take a bit of tweaking to get the droop slide factor and the bottom out factor correct. You would not want that to be your flex limiter. I suggest a rubber grommet of some kind that will soften the blow from the impact and keep it from "clanking" when it does hit.
Are you sure that 1/2 an inch is not too much play for a spring to play before it will bend like the first time?

[MuddMachine]

The droop slide factor isnt a problem, the drawing was basic. Id make the droop side of the slot longer so it wouldnt be a problem. 1/2 inch might be too much, Im not sure, all depends how much room I need for stuffing. Like I said, it'll be a rubber bushing at the diff end. The only time it MIGHT 'clank' is when the truck nose dives so I wont worry about the clank, it wont happen under most circumstances.

[Depot]

isnt this what the whole shackle-reversal craze is about? pound away, u wont fold a main like that then since the back will give...


D

[MuddMachine]

Always been scepticle on the shackle reversal, dunno if I wanna go that route. Cant even tell you exactly why but its stuck in my head that i dont want a SR. One reson is cus it droops away when your front end flexes extending your shafts more than normal.

[Depot]

true but so is the opposite... if u pound an obstacle pretty hard and both front springs compress, with a normal shackle it'll pull ur shaft apart. i used to drop my front shaft right out when i landed hard with normal shackles and stock springs spoa. i tried the reversal and didnt actaully like it at the time.. turns out my spline was too short for my style and i kept bottoming it out sending the stress down the line to the t-case. I believe that shackle reversal is the shit now but u need to have good spline travel on ur shafts and it has to be set up right. me, i'd rather spend the 40 bucks per pack and add a miliary wrap on both ends of my front springs and pound away all day. its quick, its easy and its tough.. no welding required :)

my $0.02

D

[MuddMachine]

Originally posted by Depot
me, i'd rather spend the 40 bucks per pack and add a miliary wrap on both ends of my front springs and pound away all day. its quick, its easy and its tough.. no welding required :)

my $0.02

D

But its also much stiffer and right now im quite happy the way the pos is flexing. I think if it was stiffer I wouldnt go as far as I go with open diffs.

[Depot]

hey i dont deny, my front end is stiff and that is my preference for my riding style but i dont see why u cant add a full military wrap on both eyes and still maintain a flexy front.. just remove a mid leaf or something.. after all, doesnt the stock zook front spring have either a 1/2 or full military wrap as it is? if ur gonna put a military wrap on both ends, jsut dont put em tight tight against the main wrap.. leave a bit of room for flex.. just not enough for the main to bend.


D

[drtysuzuk]

speaking of springs, where can i get a decent add-a leaf for the front ....the ones i have know have sagged out....is it worth re-arching these or should i buy new ones?

[Fullload]

Age old question drysusuk. Some people just re-arch and some just add a bunch of new leaves and some just buy new springs. Of course newer are better but i personally re-arch just a bit and then add a new fresh leaf. then when they flatten out replace the last "new" leaf with another new one and re-arch the old stock ones. works so far I guess.

[MuddMachine]

Originally posted by drtysuzuk
speaking of springs, where can i get a decent add-a leaf for the front ....the ones i have know have sagged out....is it worth re-arching these or should i buy new ones?

Ive got 2 fresh leafs sitting here for a front pack. They are brand new. PM me

[MuddMachine]

Originally posted by Depot
after all, doesnt the stock zook front spring have either a 1/2 or full military wrap as it is? if ur gonna put a military wrap on both ends, jsut dont put em tight tight against the main wrap.. leave a bit of room for flex.. just not enough for the main to bend.


D

The front has a wrap, yes, But Im running the rears up front. And the main leaf is where you get all your flex.

[Depot]

hey mudd.. andrew was just checkin out ur bent spring pic and he came up with n accute observation... thats the same effect u get on springs when u cut the wheels hard and boggers grab the spring. cut ur whels hard and take a look, u getting close? got any shine on the spring in that area? even if they dont touch when u crank the wheels all the way, how bout under compression or severe flex? now that andrew mentions it, i bent a few of mine in the rear just like that b4 i put on thos military wraps.


check it out and let us know... we dont member u punding anything that hard.


D

[MuddMachine]

Dude, have you seen the offset on my rims ??? They dont rub AT ALL !!! My tire caught something in the mud hole and brought me to a dead stop when Superzuk and I were out monday. Same spot he broke his spring. Same mud hole too. Upon further inspection I came to realize that Superzuks spring was cracked where it broke.

[Superzuk]

That sounds pretty accurate...
big wall of mud, bang...... stopped the truck dead