- Location
- East of Cincinnati
Okay, I've got another "Why won't this work?" type idea, but I'm writing it up at 2am, after a couple beers, so bear with me...
The problem: Spring wrap and axle hop.
The cause, as I understand it: Leaf springs, which do a good job with jounce and rebound, don't do a good job controlling the rotational forces of a driven axle. The front half of the spring flexes, takes on a negative arch, and lets the axle twist pinion-up.
My quandary before the mass: Does the front half of a leaf spring assembly have to be flexible? Could it be replaced with a solid swingarm, leaving the "suspension" to the back half and shackle?
Wouldn't that swingarm eliminate the axle wrap?
Basically, I guess I'm proposing a quarter-elliptical two-link. Or maybe not. The "links" would be solidly mounted to the axle, so maybe that makes 'em "swingarms," I don't know the terminology.
I think I'd have to add on to the springpack, rather than replace it and try to engineer something strong enough to attach the swingarm to the axle, without creating any lateral slop.
It might be as simple as a 24" piece of box tube, with one end in the stock spring hanger, then securely mounted to the topside of the main leaf (with the springeye cut off.)
A very rough sketch:
I'd like to bolt the swingarm right through the springpack, but I understand that springsteel is a b!tch to drill. I may have to clamp it on with square ubolts.
The only drawback I see is that you might lose some flex, since the box won't twist like the leaf. Maybe it would need some sort of heim joint at the frame mount, I dunno.
So would it work? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't anybody already doing it?
Feedback, constructive criticism, mockery and name-calling are all welcome...
Robert
The problem: Spring wrap and axle hop.
The cause, as I understand it: Leaf springs, which do a good job with jounce and rebound, don't do a good job controlling the rotational forces of a driven axle. The front half of the spring flexes, takes on a negative arch, and lets the axle twist pinion-up.
My quandary before the mass: Does the front half of a leaf spring assembly have to be flexible? Could it be replaced with a solid swingarm, leaving the "suspension" to the back half and shackle?
Wouldn't that swingarm eliminate the axle wrap?
Basically, I guess I'm proposing a quarter-elliptical two-link. Or maybe not. The "links" would be solidly mounted to the axle, so maybe that makes 'em "swingarms," I don't know the terminology.
I think I'd have to add on to the springpack, rather than replace it and try to engineer something strong enough to attach the swingarm to the axle, without creating any lateral slop.
It might be as simple as a 24" piece of box tube, with one end in the stock spring hanger, then securely mounted to the topside of the main leaf (with the springeye cut off.)
A very rough sketch:
I'd like to bolt the swingarm right through the springpack, but I understand that springsteel is a b!tch to drill. I may have to clamp it on with square ubolts.
The only drawback I see is that you might lose some flex, since the box won't twist like the leaf. Maybe it would need some sort of heim joint at the frame mount, I dunno.
So would it work? If not, why not? And if so, why isn't anybody already doing it?
Feedback, constructive criticism, mockery and name-calling are all welcome...
Robert
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