- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
Bringing this back from the dead for awesome tech! :05of5:
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Suspension Tuning
- Thread starter LBEXJ
- Start date
FiveNdime
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Washington
OK, so this thread helped but not exactly what I wanted. I was really looking for some pictures of how people have there shackle angles set to. Mine is just past vertical, I'll get a picture of it soon. Reason I ask is because I just got my RC shackle relocation kit done today so I'm looking for the perfect angle, or close to it.
- Location
- Columbus, In
45-60 degrees
- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
yes as close to 45 degrees as possible at normal driving height. Depending on shackle length and spring pack stiffness you man have to adjust which hole you use to prevent the shackle from hitting the relocation bracket
- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
love this guide - thanks Goatman
Browncoat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Boyertown, PA
Spring Liner
I cannot help but wonder if the leaf spring liner is the way to go (I don't mean to blaspheme, Goatman) since I had such a hard time finding it. I called every shop and spring manufacturer around and nobody had it except a scrap of 2.5 inch, no lip. One man I spoke with at a truck spring shop said that he thought all leaf springs now use the little tabs on the ends instead of the full length liner.
That being said, Eaton Spring in Detroit still had the stuff and as of January 2013 it is still $2 per foot. I had the good fortune of receiving a set of HD Old Man Emu XJ leaf springs but they were pretty rusty, so I will have to blast or wire wheel them, epoxy or graphite paint them and then line them. Wish me luck.
(And in case you're wondering what else I am going to do with the front, I plan on JKS ACOS adjustable coil over spacers--not sure how much lift I will want or need--and new RUBBER bushings in the rear.)
hasta
I cannot help but wonder if the leaf spring liner is the way to go (I don't mean to blaspheme, Goatman) since I had such a hard time finding it. I called every shop and spring manufacturer around and nobody had it except a scrap of 2.5 inch, no lip. One man I spoke with at a truck spring shop said that he thought all leaf springs now use the little tabs on the ends instead of the full length liner.
That being said, Eaton Spring in Detroit still had the stuff and as of January 2013 it is still $2 per foot. I had the good fortune of receiving a set of HD Old Man Emu XJ leaf springs but they were pretty rusty, so I will have to blast or wire wheel them, epoxy or graphite paint them and then line them. Wish me luck.
(And in case you're wondering what else I am going to do with the front, I plan on JKS ACOS adjustable coil over spacers--not sure how much lift I will want or need--and new RUBBER bushings in the rear.)
hasta
- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
I got a roll of 2.5" "I" shaped liner from Deaver for $100 shipped - used about 25' of it and sold the rest. The leafs have been on the truck wheeled and driven daily since June and still performing swimmingly. I also used graphite paint, and cut the top lips of the "I" shape off to make a "C" shape, then put the ridges down so it wouldn't trap water between the leafs.
Browncoat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Boyertown, PA
So is it true that the liner makes a difference? This is for a DD that gets me into some back country, often weighed down with cargo, but it also trucks the family around so I desperately do not want it to be a harsh ride.
Dukie (or "Yoda") do you think the graphite paint as any better?
Dukie (or "Yoda") do you think the graphite paint as any better?
Last edited:
- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
I don't know for sure the paint made a big difference. It seems to be holding up well though and the leaf pack certainly performs well. How much of that is from the liners vs. the paint...i dunno.
The paint is pretty slick stuff though
The paint is pretty slick stuff though
barillms
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Eastern Ohio baby!
Sorry man. There is no way to TUNE coil spring/leaf spung suspensions.
You have a few choices:
1. Coil Spring Rate/lift height
2. Shock choice
There's no actual TUNING possible unfortunately. You can buy an adjustable shock, but that just changes the compression damping of the shock. It's not tuning the suspension.
That's about it.
All Lift Leafs in the rear are going to be VERY STIFF. An Add A Leaf will be a little softer.
There's no "tuning" whatsoever. Just choices.
Cheap shocks are SOFT = good On road ride, poor offroad damping.
Expensive offroad shocks = Stiff On Road ride, good offroad damping.
The only way to have a "tunable" suspension is to custom build a 3/4 link or a 4/4 link Front & Rear and run fully tunable coilover shocks. But, even having this set up... doesn't mean ANYoNE can tune the suspension. It takes a trained professional to not only BUILD the custom suspensiin, but more impoortantly, Setting it up to function properly based on vehicle weight, type of useage, driver preference. It takes a professional to build the shocks with proper spring weights, valving & gas charging.... and to further dial in the settings.
Suspension is one of the most complicated parts of any vehicle.
You have a few choices:
1. Coil Spring Rate/lift height
2. Shock choice
There's no actual TUNING possible unfortunately. You can buy an adjustable shock, but that just changes the compression damping of the shock. It's not tuning the suspension.
That's about it.
All Lift Leafs in the rear are going to be VERY STIFF. An Add A Leaf will be a little softer.
There's no "tuning" whatsoever. Just choices.
Cheap shocks are SOFT = good On road ride, poor offroad damping.
Expensive offroad shocks = Stiff On Road ride, good offroad damping.
The only way to have a "tunable" suspension is to custom build a 3/4 link or a 4/4 link Front & Rear and run fully tunable coilover shocks. But, even having this set up... doesn't mean ANYoNE can tune the suspension. It takes a trained professional to not only BUILD the custom suspensiin, but more impoortantly, Setting it up to function properly based on vehicle weight, type of useage, driver preference. It takes a professional to build the shocks with proper spring weights, valving & gas charging.... and to further dial in the settings.
Suspension is one of the most complicated parts of any vehicle.
- Location
- Aberdeen, MD
and you obviously don't understand it. You can absolutely tune a suspension.
Coils - can just be swapped for another set, or cut (not recommended) to modify the rate for your application.
Shocks - cheap ones can be swapped for ones with different valving, expensive ones can be adjusted on the fly.
Leafs - infinite combinations: swap a few leaves out for others, add overloads, add/remove leafs, add liners, add shackles.
Control arms - i'm not even going to get into this - it depends entirely on the geometry and components you choose, and again the possibilities are almost limitless.
Lift leafs are not necessary stiff - depends how they are built, and AALs will make the ride MUCH rougher, not softer.
