That can make a big difference, those pads ride between each leaf and reduce friction. Its a marked difference when you get them greased up. They grease through the bottom of the leaf spring with a needle attachment on a grease gun.
Is it supposed to be so rough?
- Thread starter rstoddard
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
That can make a big difference, those pads ride between each leaf and reduce friction. Its a marked difference when you get them greased up. They grease through the bottom of the leaf spring with a needle attachment on a grease gun.
Flotation is the greatest benefit of a wide tire off road. A wide tire will roll over beach sand instead of plowing through. With high HP a big wide tire can blast over deep mud without sinking.
A narrow Tall tire will cut through 6-8" of slick clay to the firm ground underneath instead of sliding around on the surface. A narrow tall tire aired down will conform/deform to rocks providing a long soft contact patch to pull over rocks. A narrow tire provides greater pressure/weight to your contact patch to grip and bite when there is something to bite to vs. bouncing and spinning. IE: A 70 series with 32X9 mud tires aired down will grip and bite on rocks, dirt, and slick muddy roads, but will sink in deep mud. The same truck with 33X12.50's may bounce and slip more on rocks and dirt, have less directional control on slick mud, but may be able to blast through/over deep mud with enough power and speed.
If you don't intend to do alot of beach driving and you don't go out mud bogging specifically targeting giant mudholes narrow is better. A smaller narrow tire with the money you save spent on lockers front and rear is better than big wide tires for must things except cruising Wal Mart parking lots.
Last edited:
I went with Skyjacker springs, Bilsteins up front and soft KYB shocks in the rear. Very happy with it. I subscribe to the notion that you want a soft shock in the rear shince there is not much going on there, especially with the top off. My rear end no longer feels like it wants to pogo off the ground when I hit a bump. I took out a 4" Rough Country lift which had terrible shackle angles and rode like it was on blocks, I do not recommend those springs. I did take apart the skyjacker springs and slip plate between them to facilitate relative movement. Full writeup with links here.
- Thread starter
- #84
There certainly is a wide range of opinions. I’ve been reading and seeing several well-researched pieces that support the narrow tire argument. There is a lot of empirical data to supports it. Then there are a number of long-time Wheelers who argue that wider tires “can make all the diff in the world offroad.”
It’s something for me to think about for my next set of tires. I probably won’t go 12.5” again. The question is whether I’ll go as narrow as 9.5”. Have to think about that. 10.5” could be a compromise
77mustard40
SILVER Star
Love my 40 with 33/10.50/15's although they are getting harder to find. It's not a hardcore wheeler but with a locker in the rear it will go places and is fine around town.
jim land
SILVER Star
I build my fj40 20 years ago , it drive smooth and as straight as arrow with one finger
SR with skyjacker 2.5" front, 4"rear , longer shackles , saginaw PS , old doetsch shock , 35x13.5 krawler on weld-on beadlock
SR with skyjacker 2.5" front, 4"rear , longer shackles , saginaw PS , old doetsch shock , 35x13.5 krawler on weld-on beadlock
HeavyD
GOLD Star
Also, what is the condition of your driver seat? New foam could make it a little less harsh?
- Thread starter
- #88
What is the “15’s” part?
New SCAT Seats.
- Thread starter
- #89
It's a total non-issue, we've paired hundreds of OEM setups with Bilstein shocks for lighter weight applications. OME springs with higher end shocks work really well too, we've paired with Dobinson IMS, some Fox options back in the day, etc. All about matching the setup to your load and driving.
OME 13 and 14 leaf springs are very old, but if they are low mile and still have life (as we previously discussed), run em'. I know my tech guys dug into the parts you need to service the clip liners and interleaf liners for you (I had to help them find the 2002 application guide), did you end up ordering those parts? New interleaf liners will help compliance as much as anything.
Kurt, what is the Spec Free Arch on the OME-13 Springs? I pulled my drivers side spring and measured it at 5-3/4”. Is that still a good Spring or should I think about new Springs? What is the Free Arch on new Springs?
So, after a year + of rebuilding my rig, I have had the chance to drive it the last two weeks and I gotta say mine just isn't that rough.
I replaced all the bushings, but kept the original springs. Running 7.00 x 15 STA Super Traxion bias ply off road tires at 32 psi.
Put the Monroe-matic standard duty shocks all around.
The only thing it really doesn't like is 6" or so sharp linear rises, like a curb or where they are pouring new asphalt.
Picture for attention:
I replaced all the bushings, but kept the original springs. Running 7.00 x 15 STA Super Traxion bias ply off road tires at 32 psi.
Put the Monroe-matic standard duty shocks all around.
The only thing it really doesn't like is 6" or so sharp linear rises, like a curb or where they are pouring new asphalt.
Picture for attention:
If you like that old school tread pattern Tirecappers in Nasheville offers their "extra grip" pattern retreads for $144. They are retreaded on a radial core so you will get the MPG and ride bennefits of a radial and they bulge and grip nicely when you air down to 12psi. That price is free shipping I"m guessing if you go to Nasheville and pick them up you can get a much better price. Based on my wear experience they are perhaps a 30-40K mile tire.
I did not know that. Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #93
@robmobile73 what is the benefit of the graphite paint? I bought a gallon of that stuff, and its a PITA to paint on. it goes on pretty thin, so I wonder how much protection the metal is going to get from that stuff. what is the point of the graphite coating? I wouldn't thing the springs slide very much , if at all, once they are torqued together into a pack. I guess I don't understand the benefit of the graphite on the leafs. seems like the stuff will just rub off in short order.
Not sure where/what you bought as a gallon. I just bought the spray can at tractor supply. EZ-Slide graphite spray paint. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ez-slide-graphite-based-coating-12-oz-aerosol Never been difficult to spray on at all. It's quite good a making a sliding coating. It will wear off in time, but a coating on bushings shackles and springs would help with the slipperiness after the grease washes out. I painted the top of one of my table saws with it and boards and the fence still slide around smooth after 5 years of use.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
I've disassembled many leaf springs where the lower leaf end has worn a ridge into the upper spring it rides on. When wheeling the springs compress and extend all the time. A flexible suspension is the goal. Quality springs will have Teflon pads at the end of each leaf and/or the end of the leaf will be tapered to prevent wear. I also remove the limiting bolts or loosen the steel wrapped clamps for more flexibility. .
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #97
But what is the benefit of painting the spring leafs? They don’t slide once they are bolted together.
POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
As the leaves flex the length changes so they have to rub together. Reducing the friction would help smooth the ride.
- Thread starter
- #99
Thanks! I was looking for some explanation as to how the graphite would help. I guess it makes sense that as they flex there is friction especially on the outer edges But isn’t that what the greasable interleaf liners are for?
POPO AGIE
SILVER Star
That would be one way to deal with the friction. But would also attract dirt.
