SAS lifting-leaf spring food for thought--interesting

[full foot notch]

i know that the mods are gonna say that this is in the wrong forum, but i thought a lot of people might wanna chime in on what i personally found while measuring stuff on my explorer tonight

alright, ya know im lifting mine even more, pretty much gonna be an 8 inch lift leafspring for my SAS, well, i measured the front, which was a 73-87 chevy p/u leaf spring, measured 2.5 wide, and was 46 long, and was the 4 inch lift leaf spring,then i measured the rear that was a ranger hybrid pack, and it was 2.5 wide and 56 long, then measured the stock leafs from my explorer, both again 2.5wide and 56 long- just as a control to make sure my measurements were correct

well,there are chevy springs for leafs that are 56 long, and they will be 2.5 wide, that are made for the rear of chevy's, cause if you look in most any 4wd publication, at the adds, and look at the chevy lift springs, it will note 52 or 56 inch rear springs


so that got me to thinking that since both are 56" long straight from eye to eye, you could go all the way up to a 12" rear lift using the chevy lift springs, and not having to go thru the trouble of getting custom packs made, or using blocks and a AAL(like my explorer is stuck using right now) and pretty much bolt in the rear, and then with the SAS front, if you went with chevy springs, as i did for the market availibilty, i could go up to 12" in the front, and really clear the 38s on my exploder


anyone wanna chime in, or double check the ford measurements, to make sure my math is correct, and for measuring, it was straight across eye2eye

 

[full foot notch]

only thing i am having trouble with is finding brakelines for the 12inch lift

 

[XplorerKid]

only thing i am having trouble with is finding brakelines for the 12inch lift

i think that will be WAYYY to much lift to do any serious offroading... just trim the fenders....

also for a 12" lift brake line, prolly need to go totally custom....

 

[Robb]

Yep, completely wrong forum. I will be moving it over to Suspensions.

Eye-to-eye distance is only one spec you have to look at when comparing leaf springs. Center pin distance, load specs, etc all have to be considered. Also, the amount of lift that is advertised for one vehicle will be completely wrong for another vehicle. Frame mounting locations vary from maker to maker. I have looked into Yota rear leafs and believe them to be a suitable replacements for Explorers, but actual height measurements between the different packs is extreme. What would be a 3" lift pack on a Yota would be much more lift when the same pack is put on an Explorer.

 

[full foot notch]

Xplorerkid, its gonna be a mud truck since its FL

and

Robb, im going to go and look at the leaf pack to see if it is possible to use them, and how would a yota leaf pack be more lift, cause at least with the p/u's they weigh less than the explorer

 

[Robb]

That is all the part I don't know about them. Correct, they should have less load capacity, being made for the rear of a Yota. I have only gotten an overall height of the pack unloaded. They have much more arch unloaded as compared to an Explorer pack. Haven't had the oppurtunity to actually try one out and see how they work.

 

[full foot notch]

well, in theory, isnt most ever spring pack arched inches to achiceve the lift over a neutral/flat arches springs, which would be no lift, so in theory, the 12 inch one is made to be arched 12 inches, but what is different about each spring pack is the length of the main leaf for the mounting locations, and also the spring rate, as heavier vehicles have a higher spring rate than a lightweight vehicle, so pretty much having a beefier spring pack in a lighter vehicle, is going to have a less of a deflection when not in motion, than with the heavier vehicle, only tradeoff would most likely be a bouncier ride due to the spring rate

 

[Jefe]

Every vehicle has a different amount of arch in stock form. You have to take that into account to estimate lift acheived on another vehicle. Spring rate will also affect final height as well as ride quality and flex.

 

[full foot notch]

well its one of those im using a chevy 4 inch in the front and its a 4 inch lift over the stock explorer leaf, but i guess i will have to do more research, but i was posting a generalized description cause of the measurements that i found

 

[alkaline747trio]

What someone needs to do is just grab a handfull of 2.5"x52" springs for all different vehicles, and see which works the best as per ammount of lift.

Very good info though, and after I look at some more coilover/coil vs. leaf spring SAS conversions, I might be testing out some of this for you. G/L man, and I hope myself to find out more.

 

[full foot notch]

yeah, but you'd need 56" springs, not 52, and come to find out after going to 4wp, that they do not make a 12 inch rear, but that they take a 8inch and stack it on a 4 block, that is ther 12 inch rear

and also that 2wd F150 (not 4wd) has the same spring with as a 4x4ranger/explorer, according to skyjacker's catalog

 

[XplorerKid]

, but that they take a 8inch and stack it on a 4 block, that is ther 12 inch rear

anyone else here the Axlewrap already.....

 

[Robb]

anyone else here the Axlewrap already.....

Well, 12" kits aren't really made to go offroad.

 

[XplorerKid]

Well, 12" kits aren't really made to go offroad.

Come to Mudboggin Country and you will see 12" is for the smallest of people, here people run 25 - 30" of lift, but those are mud only trucks and could care less, but yes i agree, in some wheeling 12" isnt intended for offroading....

and usually they dont have all suspension, they run booty fab 5+" body lifts, or stack frames, or make a new custom frame.....
also alot are running Coils and Coilovers...

PS- Robb im not trying to argue

 

[full foot notch]

hey Explorerkid, Chucks Trucks is down the road from me(city wise), home of the 2.5 and 5ton REO/military Axles , thats where that famous White explorer came from that people talk about on this board, i got a baby explorer compared to some of these necks round here

www.chuckstrucks.net

 

[XplorerKid]

Yep i know bout Chucks Trucks, and im the one that posted bout that explorer, that was quite a while ago, you get your stuff done you gotta head to Bubbas Mud Ranch one night

Make sure to have the phone number of a Wrecker though, unless your gunna beef them axles up

 

[full foot notch]

ya right now i am trying to locate an old F100 or F250 so i can snag the axles from them, ya know what im talkin bout, a POS rustbucket that dont run, but got them axles underneath and i can roll the axles underneath the explorer, either that or im gonna park the explorer for 6 months and do the REO/militaries right and make it street legal, but 44s are my limit, gotta stay with the 4.0, althought id like to build a carb'd 4.0 if possible

 

[Robb]

Well, 12" kits aren't really made to go offroad.

Come to Mudboggin Country

I should have specified...................REAL offroading!!!

 

[XplorerKid]

I should have specified...................REAL offroading!!!

Ill agree there Robb, im not into all out mud boggin, only if i could afford the Monster truck tires, military axles, and a Full Size pickup...

I enjoy more of a trail Ride, where suspension flex is actaully needed....

Ive found out there are actually rocks in Florida Robb!!!!!!!!!

ok this thread has gone way offtopic

 

[NOTAJP]

Spring rates are a huge variable in your equation. Each different spring has a specific spring rate for that particular vehicle. It almost takes an engineering degree to fully comprehend and understand all that has to do with suspensions. funny you should bring this up as I have been compiling information on different springs with the leaf spring sas in mind.