Rear Flex
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Rear Flex
This subject has probably been beat to death, but I went wheeling this past Wednesday. I figured out that my rear leaf sprung axle really has no flex.. In all honesty, it has less flex than my front IFS 4x2 suspension.
What can I do to improve its flex? plans right now are in the works to remove the overload leaf (I can make it bottom out on the overload leaf by just pushing the bedrail with my hand) and adding a leaf off my Ford Explorer's spring pack (probably one of the midlength or longer leafs) also in the plans is an soa.. The truck currently has 2" lift shackles.
Probably can't tell too much from this picture, but the rear right tire is about 10" above the ground....
What can I do to improve its flex? plans right now are in the works to remove the overload leaf (I can make it bottom out on the overload leaf by just pushing the bedrail with my hand) and adding a leaf off my Ford Explorer's spring pack (probably one of the midlength or longer leafs) also in the plans is an soa.. The truck currently has 2" lift shackles.
Probably can't tell too much from this picture, but the rear right tire is about 10" above the ground....
#3
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are your shocks fully extended, if theres a possibility that they are, take them off and try it again, you should be getting more drop than that, my stock '84 Mazda pickup flexed better
j/k
j/k
Last edited by superjoe83; 08-15-2004 at 01:41 AM.
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even when i took my shocks off to change them, nothing really happened, the suspension is just plain stiff i guess... my springs are probably fatigued after 20 years
#7
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my '84 2wd had pretty soft springs and it would flex really well(for a 2wd). you'd really have to get some weight in the back though, as it was really, really light
maybe time to upgrade your springs? or build new packs?
maybe time to upgrade your springs? or build new packs?
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if you look at the left rear of my truck above, that is full stuff! so there is just no travel in the rear of my truck... the overload leaf is about an inch away from the regular leaves and i can push on the bed and make it bottom out on the overload leaf... thats why im going to remove it and put in some springs off my explorer, they are longer and appear to have more of an arch to them, they are also 2.5" springs... well supposedly, they really endup being like 2.65" wide
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Your springs are probably sagged out, but that should soften them not make them stiffer, and I would think they'd droop better. One thing that's probably happening is the stock spring packs were very flat and that doesn't make for much built-in "spring" to flex out (un-spring if you will.) If you have a few bucks a good way to get a nice soft spring that will flex, as long as you aren't using your truck to carry heavy loads, is to get a lift spring about and inch higher than you want (get a 4" spring if you want 3" of lift) and remove the first leaf above the main leaf.
#12
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Just a guess but, Youre shackles dont seem to be moving. They should have a lot more movement that they appear to have. Check to see if they are frozen (rusted) in place or if they are too tight or being limited in movement. Again, I am only guessing
#13
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Originally Posted by Flamedx4
Your springs are probably sagged out, but that should soften them not make them stiffer, and I would think they'd droop better. One thing that's probably happening is the stock spring packs were very flat and that doesn't make for much built-in "spring" to flex out (un-spring if you will.) If you have a few bucks a good way to get a nice soft spring that will flex, as long as you aren't using your truck to carry heavy loads, is to get a lift spring about and inch higher than you want (get a 4" spring if you want 3" of lift) and remove the first leaf above the main leaf.
Last edited by mt_goat; 08-16-2004 at 08:41 AM.
#14
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Originally Posted by seaflea
Just a guess but, Youre shackles dont seem to be moving. They should have a lot more movement that they appear to have. Check to see if they are frozen (rusted) in place or if they are too tight or being limited in movement. Again, I am only guessing
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how tight should thos eshackle bolts be? they are huge bolts! like well over 1/2" in diameter..... also, not sure if you can tell, but they flex inward instead of H shaped they more do \-/ so should i loosen the bolts up or replace them and bend the arms of the shackles back out to an h shape?
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