question about sas?

[fury]

i just have a question about the difference between the sas that josh c did and the one lizardtrac did on his explorer besides the obvious that one is leaf spring and one is coil spring. Also which one would be cheaper and easier to do. Also how much of a ride difference is their.
just curious.
thank you

 

[taxx]

Its completely up to you and your imagination. Both seem to entail the same amount of work. Some say coils are easier. Neither is going to be "easy" and neither is going to be as "cheap" as you plan. If you plan to do it yourself there is a lot to think about....

Can you design and make parts (ie brackets)?
Can you weld?
Can you use a cutoff torch?
Do you have somewhere to work on it?
Can you afford for it to be down for a while?
Do you have a decent selection of tools availible?
Do you have an idea what you want to accomplish and how to get it done?

I am not trying to put a stop to your dreams. Heck I did it, so it is completely possible for anyone with the desire/motivation. Just realy need to think it through, and it sounds like that is where you are now just trying to decide if it is an option?

Not all my questions above are requirements, you may be an expert at them or you may have a way around it. I don't know you so I can't say either way. But if you want to get an idea of the work involved in an SAS look in the SAS Registry and search for the SAS project threads....

Here are a couple:

Mine
Josh Cs
Robbs
Brainstorming Thread

 

[taxx]

PS... My variable rate coils flex great and ride very smooth on the road. I have no experience with how the leaf sprung ride.

 

[CoryL]

If you know nothing about suspension design, don't attempt it. Your life and the lives of others on and off the road are riding on what you build.

As Dave said, neither is cheap or easy. I personally think coil springs are easier.

If you really want to do some reading on suspension design, which you should, go to http://www.pirate4x4.com and search their forums. There are some excellent reference sources there.