Finally! Here is How To Improve your EX's Ride Quality!

[PPro]

Seems like not too many people have actually tried just flipping the bottom one. Is there any possible damage from doing this? Seems like an easy way for me to make my 00 and soon to be 02 ride a lot nicer. I do plan to tow light trailers with both (2 snowmobiles or jet skis at most) would my bottom spring still function properly to help towing those loads?

Thanks.

 

[FROADER]

No damage will be done. Depending on the tongue weight of the trailers you should be fine.

 

[PPro]

Cool, thanks. Weight shouldn't be an issue as the trailers are light and so are both the sleds. Thanks again.

 

[spta97]

So has anyone actually done the flipping of the leaf yet? I'm curious to see if it is ok. I do not want to remove mine, but would not mind a softer ride. I was under the X this weekend swapping the rear shocks and I noticed mine is not flat but curved up slightly like the picture which appears that the bottom leaf is attached to the top leaf some how.

So what's that story with this? or :thumbdwn:

 

[msmith65]

I've heard of axle hop (on hard acceleration) but not axle wrap. What is it?

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Axle wrap is when the axle twist upwards during hard acceleration. The leaf spring will actualy twist into the shape of an S. This is what traction bars and ladder bars are for.

 

[bikeboarder]

it seems like this would raise the rear end as much as the overload is thick. is this true?

 

[Mud Bug 94]

bikeboarder....if it was spring over axle then yea otherwise ....no.....



msmith65...removing the overload will cause wheel hop and axle wrap

which of coarse causes:roll:

 

[chilly_moose]

Froader
What do you mean by getting another leaf pack and integrating two of the leaves? I have a parts explorer that I can get the leaf packs from but how would I integrate it to my existing leaves? I would like to flip my load leaf to improve my ride but i am curious as to what you mean and i am not that sure of the suspension terminology.
Thanks in advance Ed

Completely removing the overload spring does improve the ride quality but it will also increase the chance of axle wrap. (happened to me on my old Ex). Daily driving uses the overload more than you think, and not just for overload. If you can get another leaf pack, integrate like two of the leaves from that pack it will still be a better ride and decrease the chance of axle wrap. It will also keep the height since the overload is about the same thickness as two normal leaves. I have a stock leaf pack that I'm going to do this with soon.

 

[FROADER]

Cut the eyes off of the main leaf of the extra pack and put that right under the main leaf of your current pack. You can then take another of the extra leaf pack and cut it so it fits somwhere between two other leafs of the current pack while keeping the leaf pack staggered. I still haven't done it, but will hopefully soon.

 

[old mechanic]

We have done this in the past. Only problem we had was that when we added weight to the truck, the truck lowered too much before it hit the reversed bottom spring. That was on a pickup truck.

 

[Mud Bug 94]

good idea...

 

[j85yz]

I would definetly think that flipping the load spring would result in more of a body roll in some of the normal daily driving. I tend to drive my exploder a little fast and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to sacrifice body roll for smoother ride. I don't tow too often but when I do it usually ends up in me romping through the desert with a trailer and it would be too soft for the wimpy suspension. Either way I think the only way to figure this out would be to drive one with and one w/out the helper spring flip.