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saw something interesting...

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K5dreamer

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in a relatively new issue of 4 wheeler magazine, there was a red first gen (1972 i think) blazer that was being presented as a "cheap" build. The one thing that really got my attention was the full elliptical rear spring setup.

I tried doing a search but all i get is 1/4 elliptical applications for jeeps.

Is there a benifit? negative? or reason we dont see more of these full elliptical setups?? seems like a very cheap way to put a lift on the trucks. without buying an add a leaf, or lift kit springs, just hit up the junkyard and grab a second set of factory springs, then install the second set upside down linked at the ends, to turn the semi, or half elliptical stock setup, into the full elliptical setup. it seemed to give the truck in the artical pretty crazy articulation capabilities. but it was only on the rear.
 
I'm thinking maybe you have the terminology and description messed up?? I'll have to look again but I believe the truck in question maybe had a "buggy spring" setup. This were popular back in the early days of "extreme articulation" suspension, and similar to operation to Revolver shackles. Basically, the shackle is mounted to a short section of spring that allows it to drop away from the frame during extreme droop.

Not what I would consider a full eliptical setup, nor a meant to provide lift.
 
I saw this ad in petersons and they did refer to it as an ellipticl setup.
 
Saw the article too. Said the owner did it and was for the most part a custom home jobby. I have the mag at home and can clarify what was wrote about if you like.
 
the article refers to it as a 3/4 elliptical which from the photos it sure appears to be
 
I am more used to 3/4 eliptical being an unusual upside down portion of a leaf spring that has no attachment at all in the rear other than at the axle. That guy's setup reminds me more of a revolver shackle without the wristed portion.
 
have a picture of what your describing?? because as I was told that blazer has a "3/4 elip." or "buggy spring" setup . which bascially acts the same as a "revolver" or a "AK-57" style suspension
 
I stand corrected, the Blazer in question most definitely has what is known as a 3/4 eliptical buggy spring. I was confusing it wit 1/4 eliptical like in this photo if you can see it.
t_Image10.jpg
 
I thought an eliptical setup was when leafs were mounted with one end clamped to the frame and the other attached like a link to the axle. I also always thought they needed added placement via control arms?
 
Stomis said:
I thought an eliptical setup was when leafs were mounted with one end clamped to the frame and the other attached like a link to the axle. I also always thought they needed added placement via control arms?
Click to expand...

Yes and no, what you are thinking of would be a 1/4 eliptical set up. Think of it this way, a regular leaf spring set up could be refered to as a "1/2" eliptical , chop that spring in half and mount it back wards and upside down and you would have the 1/4 eliptical (half of a half eliptcal).

A full eliptical would basicly be 2 leaf springs, making an almost circle, one being attached to the axle like normal and the other being attached to the frame in the center of the spring.

Now if you take 1/4 of that setup away, leaving 3/4 of the "circle" you end up with what the k5 in the mag has. A leaf spring mounted "normaly" to the axle, but instead of a solid shackle hanger in rear, the hanger is a part of a leaf spring attached to the frame. :D If that makes any sense :crazy:
 
please explain why this isn't a good idea on full sizers? i've read it on here a couple times, but can't remember. it sure seems like a killer method.
 
If you could stick a pin in the shackle to make it work like a normal leaf spring, then it would be plenty safe and work out great. The full size revolver shackle does exactly that (they have a pin that renders them into a normal shackle) Without a pin when you hit the brakes the nose of the truck would dive like crazy and the rear of the truck would extend like crazy leaving you completely out of control in a panic stop. I can definitely imagine how and where such a double shear pin could be placed to turn the 3/4 eliptical system into a normal leaf spring for road driving conditions. A rig with coilovers and no limit straps would be equally as dangerous in the panic stop department, it might even be potentially dangerous with limit straps as that is still quite a bit of travel that occurs during the weight transfer in a panic stop.
 
interesting. i can't visualize the pin you're referring to, tho. i'd like to know more.
 
ok, i went back and looked at the mag, it is indeed the 3/4 elliptical setup.

so there are obviously some concerns regarding the road handling of a truck with these style springs. would this mod fall into the category of a sway bar disconnect? where the disconnected swaybar is great on the trail, but on the road its more desireable to connect that sway bar setup?

so for a trail only rig though, would 3/4 elliptical make sense on all four corners? or would this stricktly be applied to the rear suspension?
 
The pin would have to lock the swing shackle/buggy spring (the part of the 3/4 eliptical that lays flat on the frame under compression) to the frame so it could not drop away from the frame when on the highway for instance. Once pinned in this manner it would be no different from the leaf spring and rear shackle you already have. When you get to the trail you could release the shear pin and the other moving components of the system could then drop away from the frame when articulated as designed. I wish I had some better skills with MS Paint, it would be easier to draw than explain. I have a set of full size revolver shackles for another build that uses a shear pin to immobilize it when not on the trail.
 
i'm following you. i like that idea alot! very cool. so how would a guy go about doing it on a blazer suspension? the springs are outside the frame rails - do you move them to directly under the frame?
 
You have to have something for the swing shackle/buggy spring to lay flat against in compression. I will have to see how the guy did it in 4 wheel magazine because that is an interesting question. I have seen the setup most often on jeeps because their springs are directly underneath the frame rail and therefore very easy to setup that way.
 
i see. so, potentially you could move the spring hangar forward and build a "gusseted flat frame widener" and you'd be good to go!
 
I would imagine that the front spring hanger could remain as is as longs as all your mods to the rear were outside of the frame. I took a good look at the image number 1 in the article and you can see that he used some small multi leaf portion of a spring pack outside of the frame (turned upside down). In tension the only leaf that matters is the long leaf that attaches to the upper part of the shackle. He needed the multi leafs so that it would be very solid and mostly unyielding in compression. If the mod you made to widen the frame area at the rear shackle was good and solid you could just use a long shackle that drops away from the widened frame area instead of a buggy spring.
 
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