spring rate long arm xj

[WESJxj]

im trying to figure out what the best spring rate i should run. Im building mycherokee into a jeepspeed. Priviously i was using 4.5 rubicon coils up front with 165 as the spring rate. I changed to a 3 in coil that had 220 spring rate and i used 2 inch spacer. It seemed good with the standard rubicon arms, now i have full traction long arms. Since im using long arms should my springrate be stiffer. Ive heard alot of people using 5.5 rubicon coils and loving them. I was told the spring rate was 185 by rubicon express! I heard deaver coils are good but why spend the money

 

[grandrunner]

i have long arms on my zj. i have the 5.5 rubicon coils and a 1inch spacer and they are way too soft for my liking. im upgrading to deavers jeepspeed springs soon, most guys on here will tell you to run deavers. besides that you could figure out better valving for your shocks too.

 

[whooprunner]

I think the off the shelf deavers are 250 if that helps.

 

[crazyjim]

I also think the RE 5.5's are too soft, my old full traction springs were quite a bit stiffer.

 

[XJLI]

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/springs-heights-their-spring-rates-613756/

good thread.

 

[DieselSJ]

We ran the RE 5.5" spring for our first season and they were way too soft. We run another RE spring now with about 1.5 wraps cut off which gives us our ride height and a spring rate that is just about what we want. But the new car is heavier and I'm thinking that we might need to go a little stiffer on the front springs.

Spring rate should be the same regardless of short or long arm.

That sounds a little high for Deavers. Last time I talked to them they were a dual rate, something like 220/240.

 

[WESJxj]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[Mike1331]

after trying 5 different coils including RE, i ended up with the 6" skyjackers rated at 235. They settled to 5.5" and their my favorite coil to-date that i've tried. I would have much rather had a dual rated deaver but their pricey. I think i paid $165 shipped to my door from summitt racing.

 

[I Beamed Jeep]

well what do you guys think about a 3in 220 pro comp coil with a coil retainer thingy and a tender coil. What wesj is trying to achieve is a good spring rate and not have the coil come loose at full droop and btw he is pulling 12 in travel.

 

[DieselSJ]

If *I* were building a pre-runner, I'd work out some way to use the bump-stop tube as a guide for a slider and run a short (VERY short) light-rate (180lb or so) spring on top and a 220lb spring on the bottom. I think that is what I-beamed is talking about.

 

[I Beamed Jeep]

Ding Ding Ding Exactly sounds like it could work right???

 

[DieselSJ]

An off-road team did it back in the late 80's/early 90's. It was actually a Ford team that did it by welding a tube into the center of their spring mount. Looked like a stock XJ setup! They said it worked great but took some work to get it all set up.

 

[Goatman]

If *I* were building a pre-runner, I'd work out some way to use the bump-stop tube as a guide for a slider and run a short (VERY short) light-rate (180lb or so) spring on top and a 220lb spring on the bottom. I think that is what I-beamed is talking about.

If you made the tube 2" you could run normal 2" coilover springs. Interesting idea. I'd go a stiffer rate, though, since the primary rate is the combination of the two spring rates and the spring rate drops as the springs get longer with more coils.....rate both coils together. You'd have to make a transition collar like on a coilover unless you were willing to live with the upper coil stopping at spring bind, which would work but would wear the coil out faster. At that point you might as well just get coilovers.


My favorite coil has been the 8" Skyjackers with one coil cut off, which I think bumps the rate up to about 250-260. That's with a heavy front bumpe and winch.

 

[ratboy93]

off the shelf deavers are a straight 300. mike barnett and i had a talk about this yesterday

 

[DieselSJ]

off the shelf deavers are a straight 300. mike barnett and i had a talk about this yesterday

From Deaver -

"Our coils are a variable rate 245/285..."

That was from a conversation with Scott from Deaver last week.

 

[Chase550]

If you made the tube 2" you could run normal 2" coilover springs. Interesting idea. I'd go a stiffer rate, though, since the primary rate is the combination of the two spring rates and the spring rate drops as the springs get longer with more coils.....rate both coils together. You'd have to make a transition collar like on a coilover unless you were willing to live with the upper coil stopping at spring bind, which would work but would wear the coil out faster.

A tender coil is designed to do exactly what you described, and will not wear out quickly, the whole Idea is for Wes to get his 5-6" of lift which is desired and have enough spring length for 12" of travel while no sacrificing spring rate. The tender coil WILL be at coil bind at ride height.

Trent-RSP Shock Prep

 

[Chase550]

WESJ's new track bar bracket, bolts in stock location but compinsates for "frame" strengtheners to be installed, as well as relocates forward slightly for clearance...

 

[crazyjim]

Nice, how much drop over stock? Or compared to the RE brace? I'll be making my own as well.

 

[Chase550]

Nice, how much drop over stock? Or compared to the RE brace? I'll be making my own as well.

I will get some measurements from the bottom of the body to center of bolt, Wes (my brother-in-law) had Iribe from King modify his stock bracket for the RE track bar so I'm sure its close to there's. I used that one to make this one for him, the main difference is that its pushed forward a little for clearance from the axle, well and its all about the bling factor lol.

 

[DieselSJ]

Nice bracket. Not legal for JS competition though until they become an "approved" vendor.