thoughts of front springs and mindless wandering....

[55Willy]

I'v heard of people running s-10 springs, wagoneer hybreds, 52's and 57's up front.

thoughts and opinions on each and flex pics if possible.
also what combos do need cross over steering and which don't
I'm in the ball park of about 4-5" lift.

I don't want to do crossover til I get a 60.
so i'm thinking of just flatting out my stiff ranchos and adding a zero rate.

/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif /forums/images/icons/frown.gif /forums/images/icons/confused.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
TIA
-Jeremy

 

[BurbinOR]

Tho all the ideas are great engineering ideas, what is wrong with ramping 1000 with mere 4" springs up front? How much more do we need? /forums/images/icons/confused.gif

 

[tRustyK5]

Nothing wrong with ramping 1000 Frank, for myself I'd like the truck to ramp 1000 with as little stress on the body and frame as possible. The stiffer my fronts are the more the body and frame twist...if I can come up with something that rides nicer and flex's easier it would be a positive thing for me.

Rene

 

[Twiz]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
what is wrong with ramping 1000 with mere 4" springs up front?

[/ QUOTE ]
Nothing wrong with that at all...if you can
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
How much more do we need?

[/ QUOTE ]
Who's to say. Ask 10 people, you will get 10 different answers.

Thats what so great about the wheeling thing. It's relatively new tarritory.
Just like back in the day. When the average-dude was hot-rodding flat-head Fords and later the Small Block Chevs.
The muscle-car era, then the monster trucks. They were all "new" at the time and everyone had a different way to go. Every step, even if it worked or not, was a step forward. Just look at the advances in the past year.
Try to tell me that isn't something thats not going to go down in the pages of history.

Boys, it's a great time to be alive





*goose bumps*

/forums/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[55Willy]

Frank, only problem is.. My body is roughly 1000 pounds lighten whichs makes stock springs even more rough let along soft springs. my front clip is half as wide and a foot shorter. i need the softest springs i can get.


-Jeremy

PS i want a "holy grail " **1000** front and back.

 

[Greg72]

Jeremy,

I have spent a lot of time staring at the bare K5 frame in my garage.....it leads to interesting theories, and helps to quickly dispel ideas that will never work.

The problem in the front (unlike the rear springs) is that there isn't much room to relocate the front spring hanger. If you want a LONG spring, you want it long on both sides of the centering pin, not just a "long tail" out the back.

When you start to lay the tape on the frame and take measurements, you see that there's not much room to move that front hanger, unless you are willing to move them so far out, that you can't re-attach the bumper, etc.

Plus, with a really flexy front leaf spring, I am theorizing that the arc of travel becomes really weird and the tire will rub REALLY bad on the footwell area of the body. I am still amazed that even with an offset centering pin (moving the axle toward the front bumper) the tire STILL hits the footwell area.

Now I am starting to appreciate the benefits of a coil-sprung 3-link/4-link suspension up front. It would be much easier to control this type of issue.....

How's that for a "few random thoughts" back at ya! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[BurbinOR]

Good points, all you guys. I'm impressed to say the least with the engineering/brainstorming ability of this collective group of people (PC way of saying men/women). Truly no way I would have gotten this far without following the buildup of the UAV and reading what everyone else on here has done. Amazing............. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

The Jeep guys never, ever in their wildest nightmares would have believed full size rigs get as capable as they are - and a hybrid Burb/Blazer win TTC, with another Frankensteined Blazer in second place? Would have caused them to wake up in a cold sweat! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[tRustyK5]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
The problem in the front (unlike the rear springs) is that there isn't much room to relocate the front spring hanger. If you want a LONG spring, you want it long on both sides of the centering pin, not just a "long tail" out the back.

[/ QUOTE ]
I dunno Greg, the 57" long Ford springs work well and they have an asymetrical design. From the front mount to the center bolt is 25"...from the center bolt to the rear eye is 32".
Moving the rear mount back would be easy.
Moving the front mounts on a second gen is pretty straight forward too.

I will likely try 57's up front and use some extended bumpstops to limit compression as necessary.

Rene

 

[Greg72]

Rene,

No offense intended.... /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

I just remember hearing that you are going to be limited by the shorter side of the leaf....in your case the 25" side (which is still effectively a 50" spring, 5" longer than stock I believe)....If you could get a symmetrical spring that was 57" long, you'd be even better....but it does become a question of "how much is enough"???

I know I find myself designing stuff that's WAY more than I'll ever need, just cause I get excited about it. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

 

[tRustyK5]

All I know is how well the 57's compress and droop. They easily go into an agressive negative arch under compression and droop very well which is much more than my rancho's currently do.

Obviously the ideal spring would be a symmetrical design but this is a trade off that I can live with. I'm more worried about having too much flex up front...but limit straps and bumpstops could be used if necessary.</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
No offense intended....

[/ QUOTE ] LOL...I don't get offended over truck parts./forums/images/icons/smile.gif This is just a great thread for discussing all sorts of spring theory and different possibilites as well as the possible problems along the way. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

I'm still not sold on any custom front spring yet...but I am open to all the possibilities. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Rene