I'm thinking about building a pre runner out of an f150 or a ranger and started thinking about how nice deaver springs ride and the massive amount of travel they have. I wonder how they would work for a cruiser. They also hold up very well even with the extreme stress in a long travel setup. There available in a variety of sizes. My friend had a set in his ranger out back and 70mph in the desert was sooo smooth. He jumped a 20 ft canal along with numerous other jumps with it as well and they took it perfectly. Not to mention there 100% made in U.S. out of U.S. steel.
Anyone ever run Deaver springs on a cruiser?
- Thread starter Kurtis
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FJ60's weigh a lot more than a Ford Ranger. That's my first thought, but they would be able to make springs heavy duty enough.
You could look into it. But if its more expensive than OME or equivalent, I'd just go for the tried and true.
You could look into it. But if its more expensive than OME or equivalent, I'd just go for the tried and true.
- Thread starter
- #3
Well I'm already sprung over. What makes me think it would rock is they make them for pre runner explorers and 4 runners. I know jeep guys like them as well. I'm just wondering if anyone has used them and how it worked out. Money isn't really the issue if they give a cush ride and are made in the U.S. The cool thing about Deavers is there even made for 3/4 tons they just use thinner leaves but more of them letting them flex like mad. That's what I liked about the mojave but i'm already sprung over so I cant add to much height.
ntsqd
technerd
With SOA you're limited in up travel by the springs themselves. If you want the springs to live anyway. They should never go past flat and a good friend on mine insists on leaving 1" of arch in customer trucks when the suspension is at it's metal to metal up-travel limit.
We get about one season or less out of a set of Deaver springs on the race truck. It cycles to something like 1" - 1-1/2" negative arch in order to get the max travel allowed in that class. We broke a main leaf this last race.
What I would suggest trying first, if the existing springs have plastic tip sliders, is to make & install thin (sheet metal) spacers between the leaves. These need only be about as long as the outside to outside measurement of the u-bolts. You're trying to build an air gap between each of the leaves so that they only make contact at the center and at the tips. Expect that your damping rates will be too low if you are successful. I had to change my Bils from the leaf spring std valve stack of 255/70 to 275/78 when I went to the 63" GM springs on the rear of my Mini, and at times it is still under-damped.
We get about one season or less out of a set of Deaver springs on the race truck. It cycles to something like 1" - 1-1/2" negative arch in order to get the max travel allowed in that class. We broke a main leaf this last race.
What I would suggest trying first, if the existing springs have plastic tip sliders, is to make & install thin (sheet metal) spacers between the leaves. These need only be about as long as the outside to outside measurement of the u-bolts. You're trying to build an air gap between each of the leaves so that they only make contact at the center and at the tips. Expect that your damping rates will be too low if you are successful. I had to change my Bils from the leaf spring std valve stack of 255/70 to 275/78 when I went to the 63" GM springs on the rear of my Mini, and at times it is still under-damped.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thats a pretty interesting Idea. I'll have to give that a shot. I don't have a lot of faith in the stock springs to hold up forever in a SOA setup either so I was wondering if I was replacing if anyone had given something like this a shot. So I guess what your saying is if I want to get some motion I'd have to go with at least a couple inch lift spring so I had enough up travel to absorb some of the bumps. The ride is defiantly much smoother after spring over but i'd like it to be smoother yet. Some bilstiens are probably in the near future as well.
ntsqd
technerd
I am convinced that those spacers are a good part of why the GM63's have the smooth ride rep that they do. They work very well for me too! This mod to my OME's is on my long list though well ahead of any traction aid so it might just happen in this decade!
Crawlers (generally speaking) are after droop travel where desert racers need (roughly) an even split between compression and droop travel. Where wheel travel is limited by the rules you start seeing the available droop travel decreased to get as much up travel as possible w/o resulting in a ridiculous ride height. Still, there is a reason that 5-1600 baja bugs are roll-over prone.....
Crawlers (generally speaking) are after droop travel where desert racers need (roughly) an even split between compression and droop travel. Where wheel travel is limited by the rules you start seeing the available droop travel decreased to get as much up travel as possible w/o resulting in a ridiculous ride height. Still, there is a reason that 5-1600 baja bugs are roll-over prone.....
