When I first got MoFo..my avatar...it was a seriously rigid ride. Crossplies and lots of spring, and gas shocks in the rear. I got great results in the rear by removing leaves and replacing the shocks with new but weak oil shocks...and those bad, bad, radials. Now I'm looking at the front end and thinking this is also oversprung. This rod doesn't weigh anything like the 42 jailbar it once was...... I've removed three leaves from what was about an 8 leaf pack already, but I'm looking for softer still. What are the do's or don't's in this area....how many leaves are a safe minimum on an original spring pack.......possibilities of breakage if you get it wrong?...after market options?.......... The steering is great, and there are no deth wobble issues ...it's just that the rear is now nice and compliant but you can jump up and down on the front ch***is rail and not get much movement at all, so the two ends are not matched spring rate wise.....matching them closer would surely improve ride and handling?? Please don't tell me to do a search...
I usually like to leave the main leaf and the next one to it, then start removing every other leaf as a start. I would try that and see how it feels. Ch***is Engineering makes slider ****ons that slip in between each leaf so you have no metal to metal contact. Turns a regular spring into a Posies type setup. All you do is drill a 5/16 hole in the end of each leaf and insert the stub part of the ****on, then it gets trapped in there when you re***emble the spring pack. I have used them and like them. Don
How many leaves would you consider a safe minimum? It's a slope six in there, so not real heavy anyway. I would hate something to let go up front......
6 is about right. Post a picture of your setup. Here is a link to those slider ****ons I mentioned. http://www.ch***isengineeringinc.com/page7.html What air pressure are you running in your tires ? I have mine at 28, but if I go any higher I can feel much more stiffness. Don
Don is giving good advice here. If you need an actual number the only way to do it is with scales then use one of the many available calculaters out there. The slider ****ons are a lot of help. Another trick that I use is to dis***emeble the spring that I have at hand and polish them bothe top and bottom where the leaves slide against eash other rounding the ends in the process. Sometimes I have found that the springs have actually worn a groove where the leaves are supposed to be sliding in thos instances the offending leaf needs to be replaced.
Yes. As the spring goes up and down the leaves shouild slide on one another slightly. As ****** mentioned, over time grooves and gouiges form where the ends of each leaf digs into the one below it and start adding friction to the movement. It is a good idea to take a spring apart and examine the leaves for any evidence of that happening, and even if it is minimal, take a disc grinder and slightly reshape the underside of the ends of the leaves that ride on the one below it into something that resembles a "sled". Not drastically reshaped, just enough to let that leaf p*** over the one below it more smoothly. You want to slightly round the edges too to further promote smooth sliding. Or, you can clean the ends up a little and drill a 5/16 hole in the end of the leaves so you can insert a slider ****on into that spot. Ch***is Eng. sells them for about a buck each, and they come in 1 3/4 width and 2 1/4 width to fit most springs. I have used them and like them. Don
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