120" of leaf spring

[CyberSniper]

I have 64s (actually measure 64" main leaf length) in the rear and 56s in the front.

Shackle angle in the front didn't turn out too bad but the springs are damn near flat even though they have 7 leaves in them. They're out of a 77C20 HD I had... 9 leaves in the pack. The shackle is 5.5" long. No, the spring doesn't hit the frame. It inverts first then gets further away (duh). A sharp eye will notice that the cab is moved 3" rearward... the motor is moved 2.5" rearward.

I moved the front spring hangers 6.5" forward.

The rear springs are out of some late model 2500HD. I pulled one leaf out of the pack (leaf #4). They're still stiff as hell. I'm going to pull the overload out to lose some more lift even though I hate removing overloads. The rear hanger I arbitrarily put where it is based on the shackle keeping the spring from inverting. I figured I'd end up with more droop than I got out of them, that's why I left the pinion pointed down. Since I'll probably end up running lift springs in the front I'll probably drop the rear spring hangers and end up with the pinion pointed up more. I had to grind on the yokes on the driveshaft.

I moved the rear spring hangers 2.5" forward.

If you see something that isn't kosher, I'm not surprised. A lot of stuff was just thrown together so I could get it on the trailer (including the hockey puck body lift and none of the new plumbing being fastened). It's currently on its 11th day of its build... at day 1 it was a bare frame.

 

[suthrnchvyguy89]

lmao yeah i noticed your custom body lift, other than that all i can say is good job i guess

 

[rubbinz raczn]

awesome how bout the front spring shackle mounts did you move em forward also?

 

[jekbrown]

holy crap dude... make a list of stuff that hasn't been moved forward or backward... my guess is its a reaaal short list! lol!

j

 

[CyberSniper]

awesome how bout the front spring shackle mounts did you move em forward also?

I was going to when I was going to run 52s... but then I realized if I ran 56s I could leave them in the stock location and they'd be perfect. I could've saved myself removing 8 damn rivets by measuring first.

Besides, it just sounds cool to say you've got ten feet of leaf spring. Yeah, I'm a wee bit

 

[CyberSniper]

holy crap dude... make a list of stuff that hasn't been moved forward or backward... my guess is its a reaaal short list! lol!

j

You betcha...

Steering box
Front crossmember
Front of the bed crossmember
Front gas tank crossmember
Rear gas tank crossmember

The rivets have been removed on the front gas tank crossmember back when I was going to lift the tank up into the "bed" but I dropped that idea. I tried moving the steering gear a while back (might remember my post about it).

The funny part is how the back of the cab is closer to the rear tire than the front of the cab is closer to the front tire. I live on US41 and a lot of people are rubbernecking at my abomination. It looks real funny having the cab so close to the rear tires and having so much frame in front of the motor. The front axle tube lines up with the pulleys.

It's going to be kind of weird to drive. It's big like my truck but it's like my Dad's Jeep in that you pretty much sit on the rear tires and that the rear bumper is closer than the front bumper.

I'm at $2,250 right now. About $800 of that into the clutch/transmission/transfer case. I still have a bunch of stuff to buy. I'd really like to have some nice driveshafts and put another motor in it that isn't a wannabe mosquito fogger but it won't be feasible anytime soon. Especially driveshafts.

 

[jekbrown]

cool. oh yeah, I like your battery-mounting location too.

j

 

[ntsqd]

Looks to me like the front spring failure mode will be when the front eye breaks off the main spring. If it can go away, that first leaf under the main might want to sit on the sidelines.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

what does it have for a motor?

 

[Goober]

Cool man!


I saw that front shackle and thought "what a dumbass" ..... then I read your description ..... how the spring inverts and the shackle pulls away ..... and I felt like a dumbass.

Looks great, keep taking pictures and keep us up to date.


I really like your battery location ..... I think I'll try that!!


.

 

[CyberSniper]

Looks to me like the front spring failure mode will be when the front eye breaks off the main spring. If it can go away, that first leaf under the main might want to sit on the sidelines.

Eh? I don't get it.

The only thing I can think of that you're alluring to is the fact that it doesn't have a "military" or secondary wrap... but I've never seen any english eye spring with military wrap. I've broken a lot of rear shackles on my pickup (3 pair to be precise) and have always managed to limp it home by the fact that the leaf spring just rubs on the frame and the other leaf spring locates the axle. I imagine the same thing will happen in the front. I'll have bumpstops that hit the spring plates before I drive it so as to keep the U-bolts out of the pitman arm and they should help keep the leaf pack from going AWOL. The bumper (if I ever get time to make it) should wrap around and will probably keep the leaf spring from pointing outwards too far if it should break.

I'd rather have military wrap springs so I don't have to worry about it... but nobody makes military wrap rear springs to my knowledge. I'm sure most of us running rear springs in the front have the same problem as me. The springs will eventually get replaced as if I get two people jumping up and down on the frame it inverts the springs. They're pretty well shot. They flex like crazy though. With the axle having no tires on it and laying on the ground I can lift using the front crossmember on a Hi-Lift and the axle never leaves the ground.

what does it have for a motor?

It's got an oil-burning TBI 305 in it. I miss the throttle response of fool-injection and my Quadrajet pukes out on me on either inclines or declines (depending on where I set the float level). The intention is to pull the 305 out of my truck this summer and put a computer-friendly cam in it and then put it in this project rig. I have broken axleshafts with my truck on 33s with the 305 so with 40s and the 305 it'll probably be more than enough to break stuff. Plus the fact it has double the crawl.

cool. oh yeah, I like your battery-mounting location too.

j

Yeah, the goal is to get the weight as low as possible and offset my fat butt a little. That's why I left the gas tank in the stock location (I'd rather have a 24 gallon tank instead of the 30something I've got). Most of my friends move everything up high on the body... Jeep people moving their batteries to the top of their wheelwells in back and various people putting tanks or fuel cells in the bed of their trucks or Jeeps. You can put the batteries behind the transfer case if you don't move the motor back. By moving the motor back you end up with the battery trays continuing past where the frame begins going up. If you put the batteries outside the frame you have plenty of room for two full size batteries. I'll eventually put the other one in.

The air tank will end up going on the passenger side behind the transfer case. On the driver's side outside of the frame is where I'm going to put my spare axleshafts and spare driveshafts. On my pickup, you can definitely tell that you've got the extra 175lbs of spares sitting up high in the bed so I'm hoping by putting it under my butt it'll be less noticeable. Still trying to figure out where I can mount a Hi-Lift, my ax, and my shovel that is nice and low yet easy to get to. I gave up on keeping the rest of the spares down low... same goes for recovery equipment. I might try to put my spare starter/alternator/waterpump somewhere above the rear axle between the framerails.

 

[jekbrown]

agree with ya on the military wrap thing... not really necessary. I've never had a leaf spring with a military wrap on it. With the 52s I'm putting up front, my bump stops and limiting straps will be appropriately installed and I doubt I'll have a problem. I think most failures of the main spring probably are the result of either a) neglected rusted-away springs, b) crazy abuse like jumping a rig 50', c) a lack of bumpstops or d) a combination of the above.

i hear ya on keeping weight down low. I will probably end up adding a fuel cell that sits higher up on my rig though, I just don't see to many other options. I want a near 90 degree departure angle, so the tank can't sit behind the rear axle... doesn't leave toooo many other options unless you make your own crazy-shaped 1-of cell. Th standard shaped tank won't fit in front of the rear axle if its below the body... driveshaft/tcase would be in the way.

j

 

[rubbinz raczn]

cool. oh yeah, I like your battery-mounting location too.

j

actually if i am seeing the pic of battery location with respect to rockers correctly ( tray is level with rockers) battery is in harms way! if it is even, rocksliders may help but i would want the battery a bit higher.also if you have room as far rearward as possible for weight balance

 

[CyberSniper]

actually if i am seeing the pic of battery location with respect to rockers correctly ( tray is level with rockers) battery is in harms way! if it is even, rocksliders may help but i would want the battery a bit higher.also if you have room as far rearward as possible for weight balance

The problem is that the floor support would be in the way of the front battery if I dropped the body down. It has a 2" body lift right now to keep the tunnel off the transmission (automatic 2wd cab). I can't move the trays any further back because of the spring hangers. In theory, it should keep them from getting rained on.

I'm going to have "rocksliders" out of 2x3 box that go out just past the top edge of the rockers. Then I'm going to run a flat skidplate from front spring hangers to rear spring hangers the complete width from slider to slider.

The way it sits now, they're in harm's way. But not as bad as factory saddle tanks. And I lifted up on the trays with the floorjack to see how strong they were. The trays themselves are pretty weak but I can lift the rear tire up using the angle iron. If you notice, I spaced them out from the frame a little so I could put the batteries backwards in their trays so the wires were protected.

I'm more worried about the batteries being submersed in water and getting contaminated than anything else...? I don't know how well "sealed" sealed batteries are... I know they'll vent fumes but will they let stuff in?

 

[rubbinz raczn]

The problem is that the floor support would be in the way of the front battery if I dropped the body down. It has a 2" body lift right now to keep the tunnel off the transmission (automatic 2wd cab). I can't move the trays any further back because of the spring hangers. In theory, it should keep them from getting rained on.

I'm going to have "rocksliders" out of 2x3 box that go out just past the top edge of the rockers. Then I'm going to run a flat skidplate from front spring hangers to rear spring hangers the complete width from slider to slider.

The way it sits now, they're in harm's way. But not as bad as factory saddle tanks. And I lifted up on the trays with the floorjack to see how strong they were. The trays themselves are pretty weak but I can lift the rear tire up using the angle iron. If you notice, I spaced them out from the frame a little so I could put the batteries backwards in their trays so the wires were protected.

I'm more worried about the batteries being submersed in water and getting contaminated than anything else...? I don't know how well "sealed" sealed batteries are... I know they'll vent fumes but will they let stuff in?

if they vent they will also let stuff in ie water! not sure about optimas though! the battery brackets you have do look beefy i am going to mount my batteries behind the cab between the frame rails. you only need about a foot if you turn them sideways! as far as weather you could cover em? i am planning on a boatside treatment so thats my plan! just a thought

 

[ntsqd]

The reason I questioned it is b/c the downward bend in the main starts right where the second leaf's tip is. Looks in the pic like maybe it's started to bend beyond the factory's original bend. Am thinking removing or shortening the second leaf a little might be a good plan.

Or I could be talking thru my shorts and the leaf is fine, but the pic skews what it looks like.

Military wrap is a good thing, but I don't see custom springs fitting into this project.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

think about how a leaf spring compresses... it will be moving away.

 

[CyberSniper]

I didn't know if the batteries only allowed gases out... IE: only let stuff out and not let anything in.

If you look in the pictures... the leaf springs are damn near flat. They're shot. I can get them to invert by jumping up and down on the front of the rig. That doesn't even include having a front clip on it. That's with 7 leaves. It used to be even worse with 5 leaves.

I'm guessing that you're talking about how the main leaf is "M" shaped. If I were to remove the second leaf in the pack it'd only get worse because it'd be putting the force further away from the eyes.

I'd like to find some 2" lift springs to run... but I don't think anybody makes any. So that leaves me with running 4" lift packs and removing a leaf. I actually don't need any lift whatsoever I just need a leaf spring that isn't going to break.

You can see it even more in this picture: