A few people asked for a pic awhile back...
Here is one of my Build it out of what ever you have layin' around rear coils. Flex great:D
I am going to add spacers for more height and move the axel back about 6 inches. Then maybe they will be where I want.

Cory

From the front.

Looks interesting... The tow hooks look kinda scary...

Hooks can't/ haven't ever caught on anything and they allow me to sling the rear end to a chain looped over the frame if i need to jack a tire off the ground. Otherwise, a 60" high lift probably won't lift a tire. A 48" goes through about 1/2 or less of the coils travel.

Cory

Is that a monoleaf with a coil set up? Interesting. How does it ride?? Any action shots?

Lord I like the shots and the ideas. Im just checking to see if I am seeing things correctly. The upper spring pads look like a c-channel crossmember welded to the frame. The lower spring pads are welded to the axle and came from what you had laying around. The locating links are leaf springs left in there original location with the rear half wacked off. The leaf springs were combined with what looks like a 2X2 piece of tube. Now I am thinking the springs take care of the fore and aft movement of the axle while the 2X2 takes care of rotation. The spring plates on top of the 2x2 came off what you had laying around and already had the spring mounts on them. the last thing is the pan hard bar which i have know idea where you got it but it looks like it is just attached via hiems. Am I close.

I like alot of the ideas.

arndog

Not trying to be an ass but that looks fucking scary. Maybe i just need to see it in person.

Not trying to be an ass but that looks fucking scary. Maybe i just need to see it in person.
Yea I agree with you there its kinda hard to see whats going on in there

OK, so everything has a thin layer of "Badlands" mud on it :D

I used a single spring from those old "Rough Country"??? 3 pack leaves. The front mount is a stock mount moved up to be even with the rear T-case output. Welded a big/thick washer in the larger shackle pin hole in order for this to work with a straight bolt and so that the springs wouldn't angle back. The single leaves have been straightened. ($10).
2" square tubing to lessen the spring wrap and help bolt the works together. It wraps like mad without the anti-wrap bar.
Anti-wrap bar is part od a 3 point hitch and is bolted to the brace that is welded to the top of the third member and a mount that is fabed to the cross brace just above the front of the rear d-shaft.
(everything is pretty close to the same front pivot point)
The top coil mount IS just a strong piece of C-channel bolted to the frame (moving it back) Coils are bolted in stock form to this.
Bottom of coils are bolted to the Dodge perches that are welded to the axel. I plan on redoing the bottoms to install a 3-4 inch spacer. The springs are Ford Aerostar. The panhard bar is a Class A 3-point hitch drag bar mounted to 3-point hitch mounts welded on to fabbed plates.
The d-shafts under it are for measurement so I can move the works back. I am going to put a stock front shaft on the rear and run that length.
Is this SCARRY....
No, it works well as a trail rig and can place any tire 3-4 feet up on a rock and the others stay on the ground.;)
As soon as I get it dialed into where i want it...I'll probably Johnny joint a couple of bars and use them instead of the flattened springs, but the rest works great.

This pic isn't much action but shows some work....
Soon as I can find the software to read from my dig, camcorder...
I can post real action
:D :D :D :D :D :D

Hell Yeh! thats my kinda job! looks good for what its made out of. i love "make it work" things, alot of fun. i dont think it looks scarry after you look at it for awhile. Still dont know about the camo though:flipoff2: Matt:rasta:

Hey I am putting coils under my landcruiser too. Your idea is pretty good. I used Range Rover coils on mine. What size are your shocks, they only look short. I used 15inch Rancho RS9000.

I will get some pics on here as soon as it is done, hopefully the end of the week!!

My shochs are a couple (maybe 4") of inches over stock...

They are not really very long.
But, due to the angle i mounted them at....
They have more than enough travel.
I don't think they can bottom or over extend.

I developed the suspention for good "tuck" and very good "droop"

Cory

The front looks like this.

And back of front.

With the addition of those new pics i am going to stick with my initial impression and say that looks scary. I am not saying it doesn't work, because it obvioulsy does. I am just saying on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the correct way to do coils on a cruiser - which i have seen) i would rate yours a 6.

despite yours being "thrown together" to it's credit it does look safer than some 4-link 1/4 elliptic rigs i have seen.

I still wouldn't ride in it, sorry.

OK TRD....
It may look scarry....
It does look better in person:flipoff2:

But, My welds are good.
I have NEVER had a weld fail and I have way over tested some.
This is NOT a DD (used to be).
It will drive 70 on the road and is fine....
But, if you had to make an unexpected swerve etc...
You would be on the cage:)
Didn't design it for the road ( I have a trailer) :D
This will never come apart under me.

Function over form is kinda my motto....
:flipoff2:

This truck does everything it was designed to do..

Course it's not done

:rolleyes:

Keep those opinions coming.


Cory

is there a traction bar in there that i am missing, i see the track/panhard bar and the mono leaves to locate the axle but i don't see anything to control axle wrap except the mono leaves.
iam i just missing it?

I am glad to hear that you trailer it. I would have no problem riding or driving it on the trail, i just wouldn't try to drive it on the open rode. I am also not critisising your welds or alything like that. I am saying that things (such as the front shackle) look scary to me. I am sure it serves it's purpose and performs offroad. It just clearly isn't designed to go fast.

my main areas of concern are:
-front shackle (that plate looks scary, shouldn't it go through the frame?)
-Front hangar (welding a hangar to a peice of square stock then welding the square stock to the frame although functional seems like a bad way to gain lift to me.)
-The square stock used as an antiwrap bar (i am sure it works, it just seems unsafe (what if is collapses, bends, or moves, and what about the additional stress it puts on the now very long ubolts))
-the scariest looking thing (which actually isn't that scary) is teh leaf springs used to loacate the axel. ( i understand this is their intended used but it just looks down right scary.

I am comparing your set up (the scale) to other similiar set ups i have seen. A 4 link coil setup that was engineered and looks and is 100% safe (or as safe as anything can really be)
and against a jeep (4-link, 1/4 elliptic) that the owner even admits can't safely be driven on the road.

Originally posted by gunracer1
is there a traction bar in there that i am missing, i see the track/panhard bar and the mono leaves to locate the axle but i don't see anything to control axle wrap except the mono leaves.
iam i just missing it?

the square tubing onto of the leaf prevents axel wrap.

The square tubing is there t HELP with axel wrap, but, it doesn't really do very much.
There IS an anti-wrap bar located on the top center of the third member going to a location above the center of the t-case output.
VERY hard to see in this pic.

Front parts are welded and bolted with grade 8.
I have gone way above and beyond the BTB/Man-a Fre type SR kits...
Mine is at least 50% stronger...
There is a significant brace from front hanger to front hanger.
The 2x2 tube on the front isn't really there for lift, but, more to make sure the steering linkages clear the leaves and allow the leaves to ride flat...
Knuckles are cut and turned...

The rear mono-leaves ...
These are those "unflexable" rough countrys...
When these were on as stock style... I would lift a tire going over a pea:D


Agreed, the pics don't really show how strong or how well this system works...

Also.... It is NOT made for the road even though it is OK on the road. OK = sharp swerve produces crash normal driving is OK.

Hope all are enjoying the pics etc as i love to work off others ideas..

Cory

It looks scary to me as well Why not ditch the monoleaf and do a control arm. Iguess you cant go wrong with box tubing on your leaf springs to control axle wrap:skull: And why even bother running shocks if you mount them at that much angle they are not doing a thing.

I have to agree about the shocks, they would just pivot on the eyes cause they are so flat.
You cant get long travel out short shocks.

I developed the suspention for good "tuck" and very good "droop"

Cory
Would you know what it ramped as I am just wondering how it would compare to mine as last summer I had a 1034 rti on a 30^ ramp.
I know ramps are :rainbow: but it was the first time I ever did it, I was the only cruiser at paragon that weekend and it really got all the jeep guys attention and I even got a little "ramp champ" trophy :D
This is just for comparision and wondering if it's worth while trying something else.
rich

what kind of power steering are you running? the box looks really far back. Wouldn't everything clear if you had done the "standard" GM conversion?

There is a sticker on my truck that says "Experimental" :D
The shocks need to be remounted, but they work for now as a trail truck.
What does it ramp???????
Hell if I know:flipoff2:
I think the badlands ramp is now 30 or 35 degrees and before the truck rolled back a bit my back tire hit the ramp with all rubber on the ground. I could have gone another foot up the ramp it i wanted to mess with tire pressures etc for extreme rampin'.
But, I just drove on the way I wheel.

The mono leaves will probably be replaced with .....
Read the answer above:flipoff2:
(a few posts up)

But, maybe not for awhile as they work great for my needs now.

The power steering is Scout with a jeep J10 pitman.
The geometry is very good...
I don't use the GM style as the box would then be in the way of my winch which is dropped as far between the rails as possible.

I'm havin' fun......How about you :p

Cory

It seems to me that the axle would want to walk foward using this "mono leaf" set up. With just using a half of a leaf spring as a locating arm the spring should bend and alow the axle to walk foward. I see the box tubing bolted to the spring but it does not go the whole length of the spring. I dont see this set up able to work expecally in rocks. Does the axle walk foward? I am not trying to dog on your ideas I just dont think it would work like you say it does. And all this ramp talk... who cares about ramp testing to show how Bad ass your suspension is does it work in the real world is the real question. I think the leaf would bend on yours!

for the most part, i agree with the "scary" grades, but not because of the single locating leaf. i've seen that done before successfully.

i don't like the square stock on the top either,. i realize the need to keep the wrap down, but i've broken ubolts before and it's a lot easier to do than many think.

as for the front, i also don't like the square stock lift or the shackle reversal setup, but i also build my toys to run the road too. for the trail, i'm sure it's fine as long as your welds are the quality that you say.

either way, the suspension kits that are out there stemmed from people doing exactly what you're doing...experimenting.

Do your front shackles hit the frame on compression with that angle??

The front shscles do not hit the frame or even come close at the angle they are at.
But, my springs are pretty flat so they can't really extend too much. The more arc the springs have... the more angle I would need. But these drop alot.

Still don't see the problem with my "square tube lift" on the forward spring hangers...
They are welded and bolted to the frame...
The bottom side is also welded to a very substantial crossmember connecting each side. thus, these can't twist...
A stock frame horn and shackel has way more twisting force that this setup. The rear hangers are also very strong.
Hell, the stock toyota hangers are held with 2-3 rivits on the frame. I have 4 grade 8 bolts of greater dia. than those rivits.

How does it work in rocks?
It flexes, traction is good, and things don't hang up.
I'd say that is good.

As for the axel "walking forward"
I know what you are saying, but, there isn't any more deflection forward than with stock leave systems.

I plan to tune this system and many of the comments share my ideas on things that will change/improve the suspension.
The front however, will stay as is:D
The only change in the front will be to weld a link across the top of each spring clamp so they don't bend out and catch a tire.

Oh yea.... If you did this rear idea with a normal spring
(not the "rough country" spring) I'm pretty sure the entire works would self destruct at the first application of the go pedal:rasta:

Cory

To sumarize: This is basicaly a poor mans 4-linkTHe way he did it does not require calculating and there is realativly little way to "fuck up"

There are obviouse trade off
safety, looks, performance, complexity and money all being key factors.

I guess this sn't such a bad design for someone who doesn't want to do the calculations necassary required for a proper 4-link

I am glad you enjoy your rig (i wish i could enjoy mine more - it is basically stock) So i will say no more about your rig (until i am sober) other than enjoy and to each their own.

Ok I lied one more question: do you have any rear steer, if so how much?

I'm sure there is some rear steer, but, not enough to notice.
I'm locked so the forces are relatively equal on each rear tire....

Actually, I don't notice or see evidence of any rear steer.
But, there has to be some.

Cory

not saying Im going to but if I was to do this I would use a tube with bushing for the front of the leafspring welded to a square tube to make a single leaf. This would take care of some wrap issues and make it look less "scary".

Lord don't get me wrong I think you front is fine and like the idea that you did in the rear.

for me since I don't have the super leaf that you have I would go with sort of a half link or some sort of radius arm. I like the idea of still using the leaf bracket in the front and a similar attachment at the axle.

It doesn't seem like it would be very hard to reverse what you have done.

arndog

Yup, Arndag...
Very easy t reverse or alter .
Don't think i will ever go back to stock front or rear, but, I may/will change the rear around a bit.

As I am often experimenting....
I don't like to pour lots of $$$$ into my ideas as they just might suck:D

Cory

Personally, i love what you're doing. It takes a lot of thought to make up stuff like that. If it wasn't for cruiserheads experimenting, would we know that a p/s box from a chevy impala would work??? I think not. keep the ideas flowing, you might end up with an excellent set up!!
Have one on me!:beer:

Mr. McGee....

Thanks Neighbor :D

Cory (45 min south of you)

Hey Lord I am glad this is a trailer rig, cause that is some scary stuff. It looks to me like you have more travel in the front than in a coil spring rear. The shackles would never hit the frame I understand but how secure is that mount?The front rev shackle must have been stuff you got for free? I dont understand why not one piece of box tube with the right dimensions and a cost of maybe 5bucks would have been much safer. I think if the box tube wasnt on the mono leaf and the spring didnt go past the axle it would look safer but how much did you gain with the coils? It is probably the pics but the rear isnt flexed real well. Maybe if you went a more conventional way with the mono spring and turned it around, making the solid mount at the frame and put a heim joint or double bushing at the axle then it would flex better with the ability to tilt sideways. I dont mean to be so critical but I have had to limp a few people with rigs like this out because they never thought there welds would break.You have a great idea and should be commended for at least trying where others never do, but there is also something to be said for quality and correct materials for a job and not cutting corners to hurry something through. Sorry but no fan here, and I would pass if the opportunity arose to wheel with that rig in my group. To each his own, and this is just another opinion so with that good luck, and hone those fab skills to include pride in the appearance of good workmanship.:D