Who has ACTUALLY removed a leaf (or two!) from the Springs?

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hecrod

hecrod

40 & 930 Fanatic...
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78 FJ40: My Build AFTER the Build...

Who has ACTUALLY removed a leaf (or two!) from the Springs?

What happened?

I'm looking to both lower my 40 and soften the ride a tiny bit. Following the feedback of many here at MUD I'm about to go through the painful process of removing a leaf from all springs... but would like to hear some experiences first.

Did you notice any difference in the ride? Did the height of the truck change appreciably?

Before and after photos highlighting differences in height (assuming there was a difference) would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks!



Hector

PS. You can find the original thread here.

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photo (3).webp
 
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BTDT.

The ride softens up, the rig flexes better, cornering gets interesting due to nose dig, and the springs wear out faster.

No pictures, but I did it as part of a SOA conversion so they would be pointless anyway.


I wouldn't recommend it for a street driven rig.

Try riding in an 80 or 100 series if you want a softer ride. They ride smoooooth.
 
I took out an Add a Leaf from the front. Does that count? :D
 
hecrod said:
. You can find the original thread here.
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You mean the thread with all the good advice and people telling you that removing a leaf is not really the right solution? :bang:

Buy a new OME 2.5" soft lift kit, swap it out, then sell the rough country junk on ebay or craigslist. If you want it really nice bust out 11 or so Benjamins and get some 3" alcans and a set of Bilsteins.
 
didn't some Alcans have length (or lack thereof to be precise) problems, too ?
 
I removed a leaf from my front and rear packs with no drama. They did flex better, have since went to soa but sold the springs and they didn't reinstall the leaf so they don't have crazy handling either. Yes most times you get what you pay for but I guess this boils down to how much you value your time
 
I'm doing that very thing right now. Picked up and extra set of front springs, cleaned, painted, and covered with slip-plate. Hopefully will swap the springs this weekend. I'll report back with changes. My rig is SOA though, and has an SBC, and sits a touch higher in the front. My thought is removal of a leaf will balance out with the lighter engine weight.

If I don't like it, I can just swap back to my existing springs

Of course your situation is completely different than mine, so I don't know if my results will be any help. :meh:
 
CreeperSleeper said:
It's free to pull out a leaf. Why not just try it instead of listening to all of these guys bicker on theory?
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He ask for info from people who actually did it.

I did it.

I told him what happens.

It's not theory.

It's fact.

If you pull enough leafs out to affect the ride all the things I mentioned will happen.


IMHO if a smooth ride is a priority for you the FJ40 is a poor choice, it's a tractor. The 40 was designed using parts that Toyota had on hand from building military trucks that weighed twice as much. It is one hell of a tough vehicle but it is not a luxury ride.
 
I have added a Rancho 'add a leaf' (Amazon - for early Wranglers) to the OEM rear springs of my FJ40 and removed the two shortest leafs. By doing this, you get about 1.5" of lift and a great ride.

Among the Rising Sun Club (Denver) community this has been done often and seemingly everyone likes the result. I couldn't be more pleased - my rear suspension actually has travel and absorbs large bumps better. The best part is that the AALs only cost $60 or so and give a saggy-butt FJ40 just what it needs - a little lift in the rear. Kudos to Jeff Zepp for outlining this mod in various places.
 
SteveH said:
I have added a Rancho 'add a leaf' (Amazon - for early Wranglers) to the OEM rear springs of my FJ40 and removed the two shortest leafs. By doing this, you get about 1.5" of lift and a great ride.

Among the Rising Sun Club (Denver) community this has been done often and seemingly everyone likes the result. I couldn't be more pleased - my rear suspension actually has travel and absorbs large bumps better. The best part is that the AALs only cost $60 or so and give a saggy-butt FJ40 just what it needs - a little lift in the rear. Kudos to Jeff Zepp for outlining this mod in various places.
Click to expand...
That is a great idea. I have an FJ60, the PO put AALs on all four corners in addition to having the OEM springs re-curved. Pulling out the small leafs one at a time could help with the buck board ride.
 
DSRTRDR said:
didn't some Alcans have length (or lack thereof to be precise) problems, too ?
Click to expand...

As I understand it, every spring is completely custom, so you could have them made a little long if you wanted steeper shackle angles. Not sure though.

CreeperSleeper said:
It's free to pull out a leaf.
Click to expand...

Have you heard the saying, "Time is money"? It's anything but free, especially if you have to put it back.

Diskord said:
Picked up and extra set of front springs, cleaned, painted, and covered with slip-plate.

If I don't like it, I can just swap back to my existing springs.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. Less down-time and more options.

SteveH said:
I have added a Rancho 'add a leaf' (Amazon - for early Wranglers) to the OEM rear springs of my FJ40 and removed the two shortest leafs. ... Kudos to Jeff Zepp for outlining this mod
Click to expand...

Interesting. The shorter leafs do tend to prevent articulation. Got any pics of it flexed out? How long is the add-a-leaf compared to the shortest leafs? (leaves?)

My SOA has fj55 rears in the front. They looked to have an extra leaf in the pack as two were almost the same length, so I pulled out one of those and the shortest leaf. As it sits they are almost flat and amazingly flexy. I've only wheeled it hard a couple times though. I'm a bit worried about how they will last over time. I've got an extra pair for experimentation down the road.
 
rusty_tlc said:
He ask for info from people who actually did it.

I did it.

I told him what happens.

It's not theory.

It's fact.

If you pull enough leafs out to affect the ride all the things I mentioned will happen.

IMHO if a smooth ride is a priority for you the FJ40 is a poor choice, it's a tractor. The 40 was designed using parts that Toyota had on hand from building military trucks that weighed twice as much. It is one hell of a tough vehicle but it is not a luxury ride.
Click to expand...

You did it on a SOA set-up. That is going to handle completely different that what the OP is dealing with...

Fast Eddy said:
Have you heard the saying, "Time is money"? It's anything but free, especially if you have to put it back.
Click to expand...

I have. I also know that money is money.

Here is what we know:
1) The OP has a horrible shackle angle and ride with his aftermarket lift springs.
2) He wouldn't mind if it sat lower.
3) Based on other peoples experience, the "correct" way to fix it would be to buy new springs; either OME or Alcan.
4) You could pull a leaf out of the springs which would lower the spring rate. This would soften the ride and "lengthen" the spring (hopefully enough to help the shackle angle).

I just don't understand why someone wouldn't pull a leaf just to see. If you hate it, no big deal. You already knew that buying new springs was the best option!
 
Ride quality is about matching the spring rate to the weight of the vehicle, so unless you know that your truck weighs the same as theirs and that they have the same springs, you won't get the same results anyway.

Removing a leaf is a trial and error method of adjusting the spring rate and you may get lucky if you have the time to try it. A more sure fire way is to weigh the vehicle and then call Alcan and they will build the springs to match. If it is stock, they will know what it weighs.

A "bad" shackle angle is a symptom of having springs that have too high of a rate. It is not a cause of stiff ride.
 
I pulled the two shortest out of my rear. It softened the ride considerably and a bit too much IMO with a bit of a load and my butt is sagging too much as well. I will be adding one back soon and will see how that goes.
 
It's ball busting work removing and replacing the springs, I did a half dozen times getting mine where I wanted them. Just sayin........:meh:

@Creeper
The springs will wear out fast SOA or no, just a fact with fewer leaves they wear faster.

There will be more nose dig SOA or no, less support = more nose dig nothing to do with the SOA. F=kX Hooks constant.

The rig will flex better SOA or no, F=kX Hooks constant.
 
I did what was done in post 11 (steveh) and worked great so give that a x2 and its cheap :)
 
Good feedback... thanks! :clap:

I will be removing the smallest leaf from all four springs at some point over the next 2-3 weeks (going out on vacation next week) and will certainly report back with before / during / after pictures soon thereafter.

Feedback on ride will be more qualitative of course!

Again, thanks for the feedback... it certainly helped identify options and potential next steps. In the end, if it doesn't work, I'll "bust out 11 or so Benjamins and get some 3" alcans and a set of Bilsteins" as Fast Eddy recommended above... or a version of that option of course!

Hector
 
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