Jeepin Jason
NAXJA Member #1100
- Location
- Lewisville, TX
DPG OffRoad has finally released their new TrailGunner line of leafs and coils for XJ's and TJ's. Dirk has been working on these springs for nearly 5 years now, tweaking the design until they work exactly like he's wanted them to and making sure they'll stand up to long term use and abuse. He's been talking to me about his leafs for about a year now I guess, and as soon as he told me they were ready I jumped on a set, and got a set of his new matching coils too. I needed new leaf springs anyway (years of axle wrap have taken their toll), so the timing was perfect.
Right now the XJ springs are available in one height: 5". The reason is this seems to be about the magic height for XJ's. Low enough to maintain good stability and a low CoG, but tall enough to run up to 35's with the proper trimming. For lower lift heights I think Dirk generally recommends OME springs, but he's really aiming at the 33-35" market with these new springs.
Dirk designed his leafs to be used with the stock shackles to keep things simple and stable, but you can use lift shackles if you want or need more lift, or if you've got a fairly heavy rig. I fall in the later category so I'm going to be running his springs with a set of JKS 1" shackles (down from the 1.5" RE boomerangs I'm running now). I've got a set of 3/4" poly coil spacers for the front if I need them to level things out.
To help with axle wrap, sagging, and overall durability Dirk designed his leafs to be a 7-leaf pack, vs 6 leaves like most other springs on the market. They've got rubber bushings of course, and there's an extra spring clamp up near the rear spring eye that Dirk says helps combat spring wrap. I'm not entirely sure how that works, but he's the one that's done the R&D and testing, so I'll take his word on that.
The springs are going to be on the firmer side of things for better road handling and greater stability in offcamber stuff offroad, but Dirk has assured me the springs won't ride "rough" on the road. He also recommends running a quality pressurized shock with them, like OME, RE's Monotubes, or even Bilsteins if you like a tighter feel. I've already got Bilstein 5150's up front, and will probably be going with some OME LT's in the back once I raise my rear shock mounts.
I got the springs last friday, but due to other projects (and the SuperBowl) I didn't get a chance to install them over the weekend. I'm hoping to get them put in this coming weekend though, so I'll have more to report back once I get them installed and see how much lift they net on my heavy XJ (it's not fat, just big boned) and how they ride on the road. We don't have another wheeling trip until the first or second week of March, so I'll probably be a while before I can report on how these springs perform offroad. From what I've seen of these springs in action on Dirk's XJs though, I think they'll do great.
Here's a pic of the leafs and coils:
Here's DPG's 5" leaf (top) vs RE's 3.5" leaf (bottom; I didn't have a 4.5" leaf handy):
It's kinda hard to tell, but the DPG spring does have more arch to it than the RE spring.
Close-up of 7-leaf vs 6-leaf:
The leafs sell for $416/pair plus shipping, and the coils (XJ or TJ) are $175/pair plus shipping. They're available through DPG OffRoad and JeepinOutfitters.com, and they're available by themselves or as part of some trick new JKS/RE/DPG hybrid lifts that Dirk is putting together.
Here's a press release I got from Dirk about the springs:
==============
5 years of R&D at DPG OFF-ROAD has produced a set of springs that are the highest quality available anywhere. We wanted to build springs that were firm enough to provide exceptional handling and off-camber stabilty, while also allowing for excellent articulation and a very good ride. That's not something we've seen in most aftermarket springs available so far. We felt like we could do better than what was available and we set out to design a spring that would accomplish just that.
Our coils are all manufactured to the highest standards on precision mandrels to insure that they consistently meet our rigid design specs. Every coil is load tested and shotpeened to reduce stress and lengthen spring life. Ramp angles are lower, which also allows for longer life and more fluid operation and articulation. DPG TrailGunner coils duplicate the original manufacturers end configuration for a perfect fit on your jeep. Simply the highest quality coils available for your TJ or XJ!
Our DPG TRAILGUNNER LEAF SPRINGS are truly different. A proprietary mix of complimentary leaf spring alloys are combined in our new 7-Leaf XJ packs. At appx 5" of lift, they are a sorely needed addition to the aftermarket leaf spring line-up for your XJ.
Our 7-leaf design and exclusive anti-wrap features greatly reduce axle/pinion wrap under torque. Off-camber stabilty as well as on road handling with these packs is excellent. No more "wallowing" or "porpoising" around corners or when hitting bigger bumps. They provide a firm, sporty feel but still provide a very good ride as well. The added control afforded by these leafs will benefit heavier jeeps too, which tend to have stability issues with less substantial springs. A true innovation in leaf springs for your XJ!
========================
Holy crap this turned out to be a long post! :gag:
Right now the XJ springs are available in one height: 5". The reason is this seems to be about the magic height for XJ's. Low enough to maintain good stability and a low CoG, but tall enough to run up to 35's with the proper trimming. For lower lift heights I think Dirk generally recommends OME springs, but he's really aiming at the 33-35" market with these new springs.
Dirk designed his leafs to be used with the stock shackles to keep things simple and stable, but you can use lift shackles if you want or need more lift, or if you've got a fairly heavy rig. I fall in the later category so I'm going to be running his springs with a set of JKS 1" shackles (down from the 1.5" RE boomerangs I'm running now). I've got a set of 3/4" poly coil spacers for the front if I need them to level things out.
To help with axle wrap, sagging, and overall durability Dirk designed his leafs to be a 7-leaf pack, vs 6 leaves like most other springs on the market. They've got rubber bushings of course, and there's an extra spring clamp up near the rear spring eye that Dirk says helps combat spring wrap. I'm not entirely sure how that works, but he's the one that's done the R&D and testing, so I'll take his word on that.
The springs are going to be on the firmer side of things for better road handling and greater stability in offcamber stuff offroad, but Dirk has assured me the springs won't ride "rough" on the road. He also recommends running a quality pressurized shock with them, like OME, RE's Monotubes, or even Bilsteins if you like a tighter feel. I've already got Bilstein 5150's up front, and will probably be going with some OME LT's in the back once I raise my rear shock mounts.
I got the springs last friday, but due to other projects (and the SuperBowl) I didn't get a chance to install them over the weekend. I'm hoping to get them put in this coming weekend though, so I'll have more to report back once I get them installed and see how much lift they net on my heavy XJ (it's not fat, just big boned) and how they ride on the road. We don't have another wheeling trip until the first or second week of March, so I'll probably be a while before I can report on how these springs perform offroad. From what I've seen of these springs in action on Dirk's XJs though, I think they'll do great.
Here's a pic of the leafs and coils:
Here's DPG's 5" leaf (top) vs RE's 3.5" leaf (bottom; I didn't have a 4.5" leaf handy):
It's kinda hard to tell, but the DPG spring does have more arch to it than the RE spring.
Close-up of 7-leaf vs 6-leaf:
The leafs sell for $416/pair plus shipping, and the coils (XJ or TJ) are $175/pair plus shipping. They're available through DPG OffRoad and JeepinOutfitters.com, and they're available by themselves or as part of some trick new JKS/RE/DPG hybrid lifts that Dirk is putting together.
Here's a press release I got from Dirk about the springs:
==============
5 years of R&D at DPG OFF-ROAD has produced a set of springs that are the highest quality available anywhere. We wanted to build springs that were firm enough to provide exceptional handling and off-camber stabilty, while also allowing for excellent articulation and a very good ride. That's not something we've seen in most aftermarket springs available so far. We felt like we could do better than what was available and we set out to design a spring that would accomplish just that.
Our coils are all manufactured to the highest standards on precision mandrels to insure that they consistently meet our rigid design specs. Every coil is load tested and shotpeened to reduce stress and lengthen spring life. Ramp angles are lower, which also allows for longer life and more fluid operation and articulation. DPG TrailGunner coils duplicate the original manufacturers end configuration for a perfect fit on your jeep. Simply the highest quality coils available for your TJ or XJ!
Our DPG TRAILGUNNER LEAF SPRINGS are truly different. A proprietary mix of complimentary leaf spring alloys are combined in our new 7-Leaf XJ packs. At appx 5" of lift, they are a sorely needed addition to the aftermarket leaf spring line-up for your XJ.
Our 7-leaf design and exclusive anti-wrap features greatly reduce axle/pinion wrap under torque. Off-camber stabilty as well as on road handling with these packs is excellent. No more "wallowing" or "porpoising" around corners or when hitting bigger bumps. They provide a firm, sporty feel but still provide a very good ride as well. The added control afforded by these leafs will benefit heavier jeeps too, which tend to have stability issues with less substantial springs. A true innovation in leaf springs for your XJ!
========================
Holy crap this turned out to be a long post! :gag:
