Why do my front leaf springs fan out?

[darwink1]

Ok, might be a dumb question but why do the front leaf springs on my soad shackle reversed one tonned 60 fan out after wheeling?

I know its due to the fact that the front flexes pretty darned good and my leaf retainer dealies are spread out a bit but is this a bad thing? Ive loosened the u bolts and pounded the leafs back all even like before torquin em back down and pounding the retainers back into place several times now but after a good wheeling they are fanned out again. There seems to be no real change in how it rides with either the spring pack fanned out a lil (main leaf is centered then the second mil wrap leaf wanders a bit and so on with the rest) or lined up perfectly. They also still have a good arch to them...

Looking at my new rear ome pack it has some nice beefy retainers, I was thinking of bringing the packs to a spring place to see if they can rivet in new retainers that maybe have a bolt that holds them together like the dakars have?.. or should i just not worry about it and keep hammerin em back in place once in a while? Id ideally like to keep them instead of getting an ome set since i don't need the height.

It flexes great off road while still being good on the road and the only reason i went with the omes out back was for a little more load capability. It was sagging pretty good in the rear when i was all loaded up for camping last few trips.

Edumacate me guys.

D

 

[darwink1]

This hasnt happened to anyone else? Wierd.

D

 

[Scoot Jockey]

The front springs on my troopy would spread out after flexing and turning off road. The "C" shaped retainers were flared out pretty bad. I finally ended up just welding some rod across the top of the retainers, after straightening them out. It worked out pretty well.

 

[lcwizard]

This hasnt happened to anyone else? Wierd.

D

It would happen any time the "clips" aren't in proper orientation or long enough to engage the leafs in full droop. That's the only reason the springs have the clips. An alternate solution is the build a C-shaped channel of about 12~14 gauge about 8" long and tall enough to cradle your leaf spring at the center of the spring. Put in a hole for the leaf center pin and sandwich the channel between the spring and the u-bolt plate. You want the cradle to be snug to the edges of the leaves. The leaves will only be able to fan until they hit the cradle.

 

[darwink1]

Good ideas thanks guys. Coincidentally, i just hammered em back in place last night after fabbin up a bump stop pad that sits above the u bolt plate. I think ill try bending the clips back and welding a strip of somethin across the top, if that doesnt work ill go lcwizards route.

Thanks a bunch guys.

D