Leaf spring slider kit

[D17840]

Just got my old 78-40 back up and running after a short 5 year hibernation. Thanks to Rob and Chris T @ 49-tire she has been resurrected. My question is can I put leaf spring sliders on this rig since I want to keep my SUA set up for now. Also it has a 4" hellcreek spring lift and 35's.

 

[65swb45]

You're gonna have to be a little more descriptive. If you mean U-bolt skidplates, then yes, they are designed for SUA. If you're talking about replacing shackles with grease plates, that's a whole other

 

[D17840]

You're gonna have to be a little more descriptive. If you mean U-bolt skidplates, then yes, they are designed for SUA. If you're talking about replacing shackles with grease plates, that's a whole other

Was asking about the can of worms option. My shackles are almost perpendicular to the ground and it rides pretty rough. I'm curious if I can replace the shackles with the spring sliders to hopefully improve the ride and be a step closer to a SOA set up in the future?

 

[D17840]

You're gonna have to be a little more descriptive. If you mean U-bolt skidplates, then yes, they are designed for SUA. If you're talking about replacing shackles with grease plates, that's a whole other

Also Mark I just realized I met you at Katemcy 09' with the cottonland crew

 

[ChristmasMud]

Ironic timing as I'm considering this mod on my SOA 40. I found a thread with a fj55 and the slider kit. Keep us posted if you do decide to go this route.

 

[D17840]

You should check out a thread called Stacey's 40. One of the guys I know just did spring sliders on one of his rigs with SOA

 

[65swb45]

Was asking about the can of worms option. My shackles are almost perpendicular to the ground and it rides pretty rough. I'm curious if I can replace the shackles with the spring sliders to hopefully improve the ride and be a step closer to a SOA set up in the future?

A does not equal B. I would cut off the shackle hangers and reorient them before I would choose the slider option. Spring Sliders like Over The Hill 4x4 used to offer will make your rig a permanent trailer queen, no longer a LAND cruiser.

As of Katemcy '09, I had done this exact mod on Ruftoys (which you might recall also transports me 1300 miles to, and 1300 miles from the event). Angle was vastly improved, and the droop was nothing short of amazing. I was never happier that I had installed a CV driveshaft in the rear. I think it was @Bodean that got the shot of my rig on a rock ledge. The leading edge of the 33s on the rear of my rig actually passed under the trailing edge of my front doors!

 

[D17840]

Mark do you have any pics of how to reorient the shackles?

 

[D17840]

Simple cut shackle hanger off move it closer to the spring hanger until the shackle angle with weight is closer to 45 degrees rather than vertical.

Great thanks for the input!
Still curious if shackle replacement sliders have been done by someone on a 40 w/SUA Also
thanks!

 

[65swb45]

@Lil'John , I never actually SAW the OverTheHill version. But until you posted your pic, it was my only frame of reference.

The way Mark Hawley described it to me, their redneck version of a slider consisted of nothing more than cutting off the shackle hanger and welding a 12x12 steel plate to the underside of the frame on which the eye of the leaf spring would slide around freely. You can well imagine my taking exception to that.

The brackets you have obviously have none of the issues that haunt my memory of what Mark told me.

 

[D17840]

Cool I'll check there also

 

[65swb45]

Great thanks for the input!
Still curious if shackle replacement sliders have been done by someone on a 40 w/SUA Also
thanks!

This is an interesting discussion. The poser shot of @Lil'John 's rig hanging from a forklift is impressive. I would think your natural question would be whether the same result could be expected on the 40 since it doesn't have anywhere near the same wheelbase or weight.

Also keep in mind that @Lil'John has made it clear he is using a very long spring, which you also don't have on the 40. An SUA 40 depends to a fair extent on the flexibility of the shackle to help allow the spring to twist from side to side. The slider he has posted eliminates that flex potential. But the additional length and design of the springs he used compensate for that to some extent.

IOW, we're talking about a LOT of variables.

 

[65swb45]

Mark do you have any pics of how to reorient the shackles?

I actually wrote a whole article about this very thing, called 'The Angle Of The Dangle." I had every intention of having it published in TT, but after the fallout with the raffle truck, I shelved it.

Leave me a message at the shop and I'll take a pic of the ones I did on the front of the Karma Cruiser. They look a little funny at the angle I have them, but the truck rides like a dream and does what I want in the dirt.

 

[handcannon]

I find this discussion very interesting, as I have wondered about using sliders on my 40. I have FJ55 rear springs on both front and rear of my 40, left the stock spring mounts in the stock location on the frame, and then used 3/8ths thick flat bar to make long shackles. The length of the shackles is about 5 1/2", if my memory is working. This shackle length, on stock shackle/frame location, and with longer than stock springs, has the shackles at about 45*. This, according to my measurements, allows the springs to go flat just before the spring eye hits the frame. But, right after I finished this mod I discovered the F head was cracked, with no funds to replace the head, so it has just sat there and I haven't been able to test the mod.

My biggest concern was if there would be too much side to side wobble with this set up. Because of this concern I spent a great deal of time thinking about the set up. Sliders was what I came up with as a possible solution. One affect of sliders would be that the long shackles would no longer be sticking out there to catch on anything. The sliders, configured like the ones that Lil'john has, would also work to let the front suspension slide over obstacles on the trail in a much easier way.

Don