Does anyone know offhand how far the rear axle can be moved back without going to a 1/4 elliptical spring setup?

I would like to try for 6" - is this unrealistic? Anyone have any tricks for doing this?

Thanks,
CAZ

If you have non-symetrical springs like FJ40s, you can reverse them and get about 4". You can also relocate the spring hangers and shackle hangers further back to get a few more. It would be silly, but you could extend your frame as long as you wanted to move the axle and never have to use 1/4 elliptical. If you want to stretch the wheelbase 6" instead of just moving the rear axle back, you can reverse front and rear springs (on an FJ40) to get in the neighborhood of 7" more wheelbase. You could get new spring perches with the center bolt hole further back for another inch or so too.

I am not necessarily just trying to lengthen the wheelbase. I would like the move the axle back to allow for a longer driveshaft - at less of an angle!

So if I reverse the rear springs I can move it 4" without doing anything? Cool!

How does reversing the springs effect the ride? Does it change the amount of wheel travel? Are there any other adverse effects to doing this?

That said, how far can the spring/shackle hangers be moved back before having to extend the frame?

Thanks again!
CAZ

Originally posted by CAZ

How does reversing the springs effect the ride? Does it change the amount of wheel travel? Are there any other adverse effects to doing this?

That said, how far can the spring/shackle hangers be moved back before having to extend the frame?


Yeppers...reversing the rear leaf packs adds 3.5" to your wheelbase. Rides is not effected, tho some claim the longer wheelbase is nicer on the roads (like that matters to most of us!) Wheell travel is very comparable. Adverse effects include mostly the increased axle wrap, and a STRONG suggestion you install a wrap bar on the axle (check the other thread now active on this)

I run FJ55 rear leaf packs...been discussed on here many times and is teched on my website. In short the springs are 3.5" longer and have a centered pin....installing adds 3.5" to your wheelbase and requires you to reverse the shackle hanger on the frame. The rear of the spring sticks out beyond the rear of the frame, just slightly.

Originally posted by woody



been discussed on here many times and is teched on my website. In short the springs are 3.5" longer and have a centered pin....installing adds 3.5" to your wheelbase and requires you to reverse the shackle hanger on the frame. The rear of the spring sticks out beyond the rear of the frame, just slightly.

yeah, you could always do a search or check woody's site and get back to us with any additional question.
www.ih8mud.com

Quoting FeCamel......................."You can also relocate the spring hangers and shackle hangers further back to get a few more. "


I have thought about this myself and wondered if anyone on the list has moved the hangers back. How would it be done correctly?
It would seem the rear hanger would be no problem but the front (rear) hanger would be complex.....moving it back just on the frame would also make you lose some height if you follow the frame. Would you build a 3-3.5" area cantalievered rearward to mantain the same plane and remout the same hanger?
Once it is moved back by just relocating the spring hangers would you still need a wrap bar ?
Open to all suggestions. Anyone got pics or a link to such a project?

bennett

Frosty FJ has inboarded his rear springs and moved the whole contraption back by 5" Then he reversed the springs (3.5") and offset drilled the spring perch.
~10" of rearward movement....

Look up his posts on the subject.

Here's Frosty's post with the info.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1880

Another trick to extend the rear, is to make shackles that are L shaped. This allows you to use the stock rear mount point at the frame but can give another inch or two depending on how you build them. Then you could use longer springs, or just move the front spring hanger back accordingly. No need to extend the frame. :D

Originally posted by 40_Bones
Another trick to extend the rear, is to make shackles that are L shaped. This allows you to use the stock rear mount point at the frame but can give another inch or two depending on how you build them. Then you could use longer springs, or just move the front spring hanger back accordingly. No need to extend the frame. :D

Why make the shackles "L" shaped? Why not just use longer shackles? Just curious as to how the L shape thing works/makes a difference.:confused:

Here's Frosty's post with the info.

I like it! So how does that thing flex with the inboard springs? Is there a lot of body roll on the street (although it doesn't look like much of a street rig!)?

CAZ

Originally posted by KrustyKruiser


Why make the shackles "L" shaped? Why not just use longer shackles? Just curious as to how the L shape thing works/makes a difference.:confused:

It depends on where your rear bumper is. The ones I've seen done this way are for clearance where a straight shackel would run into the bumper under compression.

Originally posted by 40_Bones


It depends on where your rear bumper is. The ones I've seen done this way are for clearance where a straight shackel would run into the bumper under compression.

OK, good point - hadnt thought about that aspect. FWIW, on my 40, which has FJ60 rear springs at the back, I used the stock shackle bracket in the stock location, and long (6"+-) straight shackles. There is no intereference from the bumper, so the straight shackles work.

Krusty.............you got any pics of that setup using 60 spring?
How much longer are they than 40s? 3-4"??

I took the liberty of doing the search for you...

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2199&highlight=springs

I cut my rear spring hangers and flipped them around. I got 4 more inches. So with a spring flip and hanger reversal, that 7.5 inches.

HTH,

Originally posted by warpdriv
I cut my rear spring hangers and flipped them around. I got 4 more inches. So with a spring flip and hanger reversal, that 7.5 inches.

HTH,

Hey Jeff............a couple questions...

Do you have any axle wrap problems. or pinion vibration?

Do you have any pics...I can picture it but would like to see it if possible.

Thanks
bennett

Originally posted by KrustyKruiser


OK, good point - hadnt thought about that aspect. FWIW, on my 40, which has FJ60 rear springs at the back, I used the stock shackle bracket in the stock location, and long (6"+-) straight shackles. There is no intereference from the bumper, so the straight shackles work.

Yes, I am using a "funky" set up like this also. I run 1/2 ton chevy springs (54" long) in a 3/4 ellip config, and I am using the stock rear mounts with straight shackles around 4" long (they kick back to the rear and the bumper doesn't interfere. The front mounts using new fabbed brackets further forward of the originals-obviously....My wheelbase is only a couple of inches longer than stock, though the increased flex is more important to me than more WB. The setup works great....

Happy trails:beer:

Hi Bennett,

I have not gotten that far yet. But soon. :cool: I plan on building an axle wrap bar anyway. I am going with a design like Brian's. See link:
http://woody.ih8mud.com/wrap.html.