[Wile E Coyote]

Warning! Softcore tech follows!



I'm askin the hardcore crowd, as y'all are the most comfortable away from off-the-shelf stuff.

If a guy were to lift a 62 3-4", with the main goal of increasing offroad prowess, while using scrounged springs from a boneyard, where would he look? I would use new u-bolts, shackles, etc, just looking for spring sources from anyone who might have already traveled down a similar bend.

Update 11-24-09. I completed my project, but bumped everything to follow over to my related thread in the 60 section:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wa...ml#post4998134

[alkaline747trio]

Are you prepared for cutting/welding to relocate spring hangers and shackle mounts?

[Pacer]

Originally Posted by alkaline747trio

Are you prepared for cutting/welding to relocate spring hangers and shackle mounts?

Yes I am... More input on this please. I know people have run fullsize 63" springs on the rear of many Cruisers.... from?

Originally Posted by Wile E Coyote

Warning! Softcore tech follows!

I'm askin the hardcore crowd, as y'all are the most comfortable away from off-the-shelf stuff.

If a guy were to lift a 62 3-4", with the main goal of increasing offroad prowess, while using scrounged springs from a boneyard, where would he look? I would use new u-bolts, shackles, etc, just looking for spring sources from anyone who might have already travelled down a similar bend.

WEC, check out Boot's thread, he is currently tuning his hybrid spring packs.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-cor...ly-haulin.html

[Wile E Coyote]

Originally Posted by alkaline747trio

Are you prepared for cutting/welding to relocate spring hangers and shackle mounts?

Yep, quite willing to earn a little sweat equity in exchange for something not found on a shelf.
I'll check out Boots' thread, thanks.

[boots4]

Are you staying SUA or are you going SOA?

[alkaline747trio]

Just go look in a junkyard for a set of high arch springs from whatever truck/van/suv you like and make fit, add/remove leaves as needed...

[Wile E Coyote]

Originally Posted by boots4

Are you staying SUA or are you going SOA?

Def. stayin SUA.

Just lookin to see if I can narrow my jy searching based upon other folks' experiences.

[boots4]

Originally Posted by alkaline747trio

Just go look in a junkyard for a set of high arch springs from whatever truck/van/suv you like and make fit, add/remove leaves as needed...

I agree, you'll need some with high arches and you'll most likely be taking them apart a time or two for tuning. American leaves tend to be thicker than foreign leaves which will retain more height under load for the same number of leaves, but that also makes them more stiff. By getting something longer than stock you can get more travel.

I've tested out chevy 63" before and am very happy with their performance for the rear and depending on how you mount them to the frame you probably could get the height you're looking for. They certainly ride better than stock. For the fronts you don't have to stick with "front" packs. You can use whatever you can fit and I'd definitely try for something longer. If 60 and 62 springs are the same length then the fronts are ~44" and the rears are ~47" There's just too much room underneath not to take advantage of longer springs.

[Wile E Coyote]

I know I could wander the yard w/ a tape measure, but I wanted to be spoon-fed the easy answer, sheez! Could one of you guys come over and pull em off the donor truck for me, too. hehe

The 63" chebbies would require new u-bolt plates due to their increased width when compared to 60/62 springs, right? I wouldn't necessarily mind, as a u-bolt flip could be done at the same time.

To take this idea to a new but similar direction, how would a new lift spring pack for said chebbie springs compare in $ to the 60 specific ones from OME? I'd just make my own shackles, sway bar link extensions, shock mounts. etc. if I were to adapt a chebbie-specific lift onto my Cruza.


Anyone gone this direction? I know I can get custom spings from Deaver, Alcan, etc, but wonder about the above none-the-less.

[Wile E Coyote]

Chevy 63" Rear Spring Swap FAQ

This applies to Taco's and earlier Toy mini's but it should lay some great groundwork for a newb like me.

Whatchoo say? Whaddaya mean search the www, THEN post any lingering questions? Pshaw!

[bustanutley]

The only stock springs I can think of that have any sort of "significant" arc are Z71 springs off an s10. I believe Leaf springs are made pretty flat for a reason.

[Wile E Coyote]

Bumpage. Sheez, I totally forgot I even asked this last year. It seems this thread has become newly urgent for me. I'm hitting the local JY's tomorrow.

[Wile E Coyote]

Went to the jy Monday and picked up 2 Blazer rears and one S-10 rear. Went back Tues for the 2nd S-10 rear. The S-10's will be the main pack, with the other 2 Blazer springs cannibalized to add spring rate. For 5 springs, I figured the rate at 257 lb in, I need to compare that to stockers and then to OME heavies.

[Wile E Coyote]

1. Here's the packs mocked up. Starting from the #2 spring, the leaf length will stagger 5" to 4" to 3" shorter each successive leaf. Note the pen marks for each cut, if it helps clarify my plan.

2. Here's the first front shackle hanger. It will sit within 1.5" of the end of the frame, and the spring eye centers at 6" drop. Progress is stupid slow, but it's progress nonetheless.

3.Here's one completed pack, save for a properly sized center pin.

Edit: Yes, I know I jumped the gun and painted it b4 welding it to the frame. I got ahead of myself, lol.

[Slowerthanu]

So, thats the front SPRING hanger correct? Are you mounting the shackle below the frame in the rear?

I'm gonna give my two cents here. I've been down the road of long shackles and obnoxious hangers that drag on everything. Truth be told, I eventually went back to a six inch long shackle that sat in the frame, not below it and stock height hangers for the reversal on my FJ40. I had 4 inch lift springs on it for maybe two years and then I finally listened to the hardcore guys and sprung it over. I will never go back.

On my 62 I kept it simple. OME medium (Upgrading to heavy for winch) including their shackles and 31's. If I ever want to go bigger (part of me does) I am going to spring that over too and run some 35's with a hybrid flat spring pack (keeping it as low as possible) and sell the OME. I probably won't do a shackle reversal on my 62.

A lot of people take your route for money savings and most of them end up redoing it.

Dan

[Wile E Coyote]

Yep, that will be quite the rock anchor, won't it? It turned out very similar to MAF's 4-plus SR kit, obviously. And yes, the rear hanger will weld under the frame. I'll start testing the resultant caster and spring motion with just the 4" long OEM S10 shackle I pirated along with the springs. Then, I'll build a permanent replacement of appropriate length.

This project is about specific compromises I'm making. I came back to this idea hastily as a response to a recently broken stock spring pack on my DD'd 62. Being needed for daily duty, I feel I can't leave it sit on stands for 2 weeks while I do a proper SOA. By 'proper' I mean frenched and or very short spring hangers, nearly flat springs, etc.

Not going spring over and wanting to use common JY springs leads me to two choices as I see it. Stupid long hangers or welding a zero-rate block ( or two) to the perches. (Well, a third choice could have been to simply replace with used OEM springs, but I decided that was too simple hehe)

For it's intended use (DD, hunting rig, and moderate wheeler) I'm hoping I'll be able to stand the way it turns out. If I get a year or so of acceptable performance outta this current mess, then I'll be satisfied.

Slower, for the time you were rockin it 1980's style with the rock anchors, what were your biggest complaints?

[CruisinFJ60]

Id make that SR spring hanger much much much lower profile....

one of the P.O.'s of my 42 put the maf SR on there and i like how it rides but HATE the fact the front spring hanger sits nearly as low and possibly lower than the stock front shackle.

I will be Redoing it once i have money to spend on new spring hangers and will take those off and run some normal right up against the frame spring hangers and burn them on.

[bustanutley]

Originally Posted by Wile E Coyote

Not going spring over and wanting to use common JY springs leads me to two choices as I see it. Stupid long hangers or welding a zero-rate block ( or two) to the perches.

Why don't you just cut the old perches off and weld new ones back on in the correct orientation?

[dwrtoy]

Fuck the naysayers...keep plugin away mike, and see where you end up once its on its tires. Its not like this hasnt been done before. This isnt a hardcore type rig(yet) so bellyrockskiddynamics arent a giant concern. I'd worrie about your exhaust draggin before the spring hangars. Looks good. Put some triangulation(or crossbar) somewhere in the middle of the hangers. You could also build it bulkhead style so it can be removable if you dont like it.

[Wile E Coyote]

I think the guys are just trying to help me out, so their opinions are welcome.
However, I do agree I'll continue with my plan as I feel it fits my needs and intended use for the time being. The biggest discord is where our opinions are coming from. I did ask this in a hardcore section, so the answers are gonna reflect that. The idea that any fix must be back on the road in less than 2-3 days max is just not a common concern in this crowd (as I see it anyway).
As I noted, this fix is about compromises. If I had planned for such a problem, or if I weren't as stubborn to charge ahead and instead just repair with stockers for the time being this would be simpler. Simple is good, unless you are just stuck to seeing an idea to it's end like I am.

If the only major drawback is the low hanger height, then I can live with that for the time being.
I think this statement may explain my intent to continue as planned, along with the knowledge that an angle grinder and an afternoon can remove all of this project for any future stages.
How'z that all sound?

[dwrtoy]

Larger diameter tires will eliminate your soon to been seen, approach angle delema. Standard shackle configurations ride like crap at anything above 15 miles an hour...

[Wile E Coyote]

Bumped over to the 60 section:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wa...ml#post4998134