Art & Inspiration suicide front end questions

Guys, I'm looking to build a truck rod from a tank engine using a suicide front end. My question concerns the front springs; The center of the leaf spring will be fixed to the frame and the forward end will be shackled to the front axle; the spring will be the lower link. What do I do with the back end of the spring? Can I fix it solid to the frame or will I have to use a shackle so it can move as the spring flexes? The spring has rubber bushings in the end...
Thanks!!

 

I'm guessing from your description you're talking about a 1/4 eliptic spring setup??
If so this pic (not mine) is from a Google ''Image'' search, plenty of pics to check out there...

 

I saw this one at a cruise night a few days ago. Extremely well thought out. I'm not sure how they work on it but there were shackles on the back side of the axle that connected to the spring as far as I could tell. I intended to take a lot more photos of the suspension but the owner interrupted me and started telling me about the rest of the car and I didn't get back to the front end or take close ups of the rear end.

 

If you're going to use the 1/4 elliptic spring as a link [part of a 4 link] Use it on the upper link.
That way any brake torque will prevent the spring trying to "wrap up"

 

I'm not sure if I can build a sufficiently strong structure to support the spring at the top. I'm also using a dropped axle so the forces causing spring wrap won't be as great.

 

This is my idea, but I won't cut the spring off; the other eye will be fixed to the frame.

 

You can use cantilever leaf springs, as used on the back of some '50s Jaguars a**** other things.

 

???? Why ???? You need ballast on the front ???

 

What is a Truck Rod?
This?

What is a tank engine?
This?

This?

or this??