Leaf springs Vs. Shock confusion

[tnagaway]

I know this is an issue tackled many times on mud, but I'm still confused....
The more i search the threads, the more confused i get... I am referring to what exactly the leaf springs do compared to the shocks ... I know that they have a lot to do with load bearing but do they have anythinbg to do with handling ?
My problem is that i want to "firm-up"my ride as i think it's gotten wobblier and i want to do something about body tilt.
I've asked many people and each of them has told me something different, confirming to me that they don't know Jack****.... what would happen if add an extra leaf ? will i get lift ? will the ride become bumpier ? I already have a 2" bodylift on the rig and dont want anymore lift, will replacing the shocks with more rigid ones help ? ... Please help ....

 

[hank14]

I'm no suspension expert, but I'm riding on stock F-L-A-T springs, and there is no bounce in my suspension. I have new Toyota OEM shocks, but the suspension doesn't travel up and down enough for the shocks to do much.

I think in simple terms, the springs give a vehicle bounce and the shocks help cushion and control that bounce.

If you've got the $$, replacing your body lift with a comparable OME suspension will yield about the same lift but greatly improve the ride and handling.

Where does Jacks@!t live, BTW. I've heard of him, but never met him.

 

[5280Hawk]

The leaf springs hold the weight of the body and frame over the axles. Shocks aren't designed to hold any kind of weight, they help Dampen the Hard blows the axles receive from potholes, ect. The shocks keep some of the energy in those bumps from transferring though the leafsprings to the frame, body, seat and your spine.

Do you kow if your truck has its Sway bar still attached? If not, you could add one and that will help your handling, but with a loss of flex when offroading.

 

[tnagaway]

Sway bar possibilty

Actually the sway bar thing is under scrutiny, my truck doesnt have one, but I'm researching SBs on Wikipedia..... it seems possibilties for rolling the truck would substantially increase with sway bars since the basic physics used are simply to lock the rear axle leaving little room for flex ....
But again, if i may trouble you guys, what would happen if i added a leaf ? ..... more bounce ? more lift ? firmer ride ? etc ....
Thxalot ....

 

[5280Hawk]

An Add a leaf will increse the camber of your spring pack, so yes, it will add some lift, but not much. It will also add stiffness.

If your springs are stock, then, like most, they are flat and used up. An add a leaf will help. But a new spring pack would be the best. Your Bushings are shot too, and replacing them and your shocks will help out as well.


My understanding is that a Sway bar is specifically designed to stop body roll when cornering. Body roll is not good if you want to stay on your tires.

 

[Mace]

Springs carry the load.

Shock, dampen the movement. A shock has a valve that only allows a certian amount of fluid through at any time. This stops the springs from acting like a pogo stick.. Getting a shock with "stiffer" valving is easy. But that will nto help of you have bad lean.

A long add a leaf will increase your spring rate slightly and can possibly give a bit more lift. A short addaleaf will not really give much for lift but will increase your spring rate significantly (all this depends on the add a leaf in question). The shorter the length of steel the harder it will be to bend that piece of metal. Hence a "Stiffer" ride.

But, if your springs are sacked out. The best way to aleviate sagging on one side is to just replace the springs.

I have a brand new set of OME springs on my garage floor right now waiting to be installed because my 2.5" lift springs are hashed...

 

[boots4]

Depending on what kind of leaf you add (short aal, long aal, more stockers) it can be yes to all three. It will give you more lift but how much depends how saggy your springs are now and weight carried. An added leaf can stiffen the pack giving you a firmer ride (shackle angle also has a factor in this). If you are worried about body roll then adding leaves may help by stiffening up the pack but your best approach will be a sway bar. Firmer shocks will help too but again a sway bar is what's going to keep both sides compressed when going into a turn and help keep the front end more level. You will still get some body roll with a sway bar but it'll certainly be less than without one. It'll never drive like a sports car but you can improve the handling. I'd focus on a sway bar first, shocks second, and then leafs. If you've got some broken leaves then that should definitely be addressed. Spring bushings and tie rod ends will play a part in sloppy suspension and steering feel. So it might end up being a combination of things that'll tighten up your suspension so a swaybar may not be a cure-all.