Coil Spring or Leaf Spring for SAS?

[Explorer_Phil]

My Ex is my daily driver right now, but come the time that I have the ability (and the money) I am going to do a SOA on the back and a SAS for the front. I was wondering whether to use leaf springs or coil spings on the front, as I have seen both on this forum.
So, what's everyone's opinion on this and WHY?

 

[1993fordexploere]

well.. i have did sas on a few of my buddys rigs and i would say that leaf spring is easier then coils. but the leaf springs are a little more rough riding and result usually in less flex then coils IMO.

 

[RockRanger]

Had leafs went to coils, won't be going back to leafs. To get a good leaf setup to truely work right you spend almost as much as just doing coils to start.

 

[Explorer_Phil]

Anyone else?

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

i think, in my opinion, that leaf springs are better. less stuff to go wrong, easier to install, more reliable, and with the right leafs (5 or 7 leaf waggy springs) you can get a lot of articulation and a soft ride as well.

when i get ready to do mine i am gonna start it with the explorer rear springs, then probably move to 63" chevys or the waggys to build it to my personal preference.

 

[IZwack]

Hardest thing to get right on the leaf spring is to get the steering links to not bind with the leaves, the pinion angle to be correct, and the caster angle to be correct. With an armed setup (like a coil sprung one), you dont have to worry so much about the steering links binding on anything, but of course you still have to make sure the pinion and caster angles are within spec.

 

[Stic-o]

COIL!!! Set it like a bronco, and it will be reliable

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

is it easier to set the caster and pinion angle with leafs, since all you do is weld the perches on at different angles?

 

[IZwack]

is it easier to set the caster and pinion angle with leafs, since all you do is weld the perches on at different angles?

Because the inner knuckes are welded onto the axle tube, changing one will directly change the other.

So in a leaf spring setup, say the pinion angle is off by 5 degrees and so you correct for that 5 degrees - well all of the sudden your caster is probably way off spec. So really the best way is to cut the outter knuckle free (the so called "cut and turn" ninja technique), set your pinion angle and weld the perches in to finalize the pinion angle, then rotate the inner knuckles to the right caster angle and then weld those inner knuckles onto the tube to finalize the caster angle. And you have to do all of this while making sure that the steering links do not interfere with the leaf spring (at ride height and flex).

On an armed setup, if you're using the "wedges", you cut the outer knuckles free, get whatever wedge bushing thing that will set your pinion angle correctly and install, and then set the caster angle. Of course you dont have to worry about the steering links running into anything because there are no leaves in front of the axle to worry about.

And there are plenty of Explorers with swapped solid axles that didnt need the "cut and turn" thing done -- and they ride on the road and on the trails just fine. But then again, I've seen some that had the wrong caster angle and became really dangerous on the trail, and I dont think you can pay me enough $$ to drive one of these vehicles faster than 35 mph .

 

[Dannyboy]

coils.
follow the recipe that our trucks came with, add a a track bar, make radius arms fit into a cross member and you're good to go.

I've set up 2 trucks like this with Early Bronco running gear and they are very street friendly. I recommend the wild horses progressive rate coil with a nice stiff shock.


I for sure wouldn't use rear explorer spring packs for a leaf sprung setup, you lose approach angle with shackles hanging down and that requires custom fabbed hangers. Check out Froader's setup, if I'm not mistaken it uses an superlift extended radius arm crossmember with Early Bronco running gear.

*edit- this is my old setup. I would drive it on the freeway at 75 mph in traffic and not be scared. I would have preferred a little stiffer shock to help with front end bounce on braking and acceleration but it was a good running setup.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=100935

 

[FROADER]

I'm not really sure why people think leaf springs are easier.

Check out Froader's setup, if I'm not mistaken it uses an superlift extended radius arm crossmember with Early Bronco running gear.

Mine is the Skyjacker extended radius arm x-member with '78 Bronco axle and radius arms, with one wristed. I can cruise 75-80 on the highway no problem.

 

[Dannyboy]

I'm not really sure why people think leaf springs are easier.


Mine is the Skyjacker extended radius arm x-member with '78 Bronco axle and radius arms, with one wristed. I can cruise 75-80 on the highway no problem.

I agree, Colin's setup and my old '94 were setup very similar. The biggest challenge people had with this setup was creating a trackbar mount that wouldn't get pulled away from the frame. On Colin's setup I remember the builder had a fairly expensive custom piece fabbed (about $250-300) that welded in place, I on the other hand took a very low budget approach using a plate that braced the track bar mount to the engine crossmember and I shaped a F150 track bar mount to fit around my frame and capture 2 of my steering box bolts.

Colin's setup tied into a readily available crossmember with readily available radius arms and is one of the best performing and most used trucks on this site.

Between our two setups you could do a "no weld-bolt-on" solid axle swap. This is not possible with a leaf sprung kit.

Not to be arrogant, but this is on trucks that have a history of wheeling and being street driven, not somebody's opinon or theory.

 

[Stic-o]

I'm just using a Superlift 78-79 Bronco trac-bar cut down a bit. My mount is just a 2"x2" cut and welded to the frame Works fine, drives at 65-70 on the highway with no sway bars just fine

 

[DB_1]

One con for leaf springs is axle wrap unless you fab up a traction bar of some sort. Coil spring set ups benefit from either the links or radius arms that are used and act as traction bars.

 

[Stic-o]

HEYYYY!!! WTF I posted something earlier right here under Danny and now it gone!!! What gives?

Edit: and now it just showed back up? The internet is screwy today...:shifty_ey

 

[IZwack]

HEYYYY!!! WTF I posted something earlier right here under Danny and now it gone!!! What gives?

Edit: and now it just showed back up? The internet is screwy today...:shifty_ey

Whatchooo talkin' 'bout Willis..

 

[Stic-o]

Just did it agian... I click on the thread, because I saw you posted IZ, but when it got here, Danny was the last to post at 12:34. Then I hit refresh, and it all showed back up....

I think I need to tell my boss it time to go home

 

[91ROKKRAWLER]

pros and cons to each eh? i don't know for sure i'm not a professional... lol once i do it i'll probably go back to coils or somthin i don't know... we'll have to wait (a long time) and see...

 

[rabbit91]

Bump bump