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....

 

For comparison, here is the other side of the truck in the exact same spot. Thre truck didn't move, I did to take the picture.

 

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

 

My guess would also be that your shocks aren't long enough and they are fully extending before your springs are fully drooped.

 

http://www.aor4x4.com/shockmts.htm

 

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

 

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?

 

My Stock Rear Flex...

 

And this

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

I think Flame hit it on the head, those springs are flat and have no arch to "un-spring". Of course a set of new custom Alcan springs would do the trick nicely, but if you don't have the $500 for that right now I think a set of cross-linked air shocks would help out a lot. They will put some arch back in those leaves for about $60.

 

That's a good point. A little silicone grease works good on the shackle bushings to free up movement. I am suprised the stuffed side isn't going to a negative arch, so maybe that's it.

 

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?