My cruiser front end sits high and I'm wondering about welding up a lil' hoop on the front axle to winch down my front end like buggy guys do with coilovers to climb hills. Anyone see a problem doing so with leafs?

Because you probably have shackles in the back (could be wrong) I don't think your going to gain much.

if not it might help a little, and I think a lot of it is driving style. Be sure you try to pull it as straight up as possible. Otherwise your going to put a lot of stress on your alignment pin for your springs.

Also being in portland There are really not that many big ledges that it is really needed, IMO.

if you don't have a shackle reversal, it will work just fine. If you do, you'll have to rig up a way for the cable to pull from behind the axle so it does not bind the springs and force them out of their normal range of motion

I think I just needed to think this one through. Didnt even think about the SR. I dont think it'll work well either after thinking about it more. Thanks guys!

I use the winch on my front every once and a while, shackle is in the rear. I've noticed it gets rid of axle wrap when your hammering down, it decreases flex, and makes the susp alot stiffer, lowers it about 3". On the other hand I have had studs rip out of my Front 60, so I don't know if that contributed:laughing:

just my $0.02

I use the winch on my front every once and a while, shackle is in the rear. I've noticed it gets rid of axle wrap when your hammering down, it decreases flex, and makes the susp alot stiffer, lowers it about 3". On the other hand I have had studs rip out of my Front 60, so I don't know if that contributed:laughing:

just my $0.02

Couldn't have helped. I've heard of studs, bolts and center pins breaking when using a suck down winch on SR'd rigs

Man, I'm glad I didn't know this all those years I used to winch down my front end with leaf springs and SR. Here I and many of the folks I wheel with thought that really helped. How could we have been so stupid:rolleyes:

there is a thread in general about this

there is a thread in general about this

yeah, but you guys are less of an abusive crowd.

Man, I'm glad I didn't know this all those years I used to winch down my front end with leaf springs and SR. Here I and many of the folks I wheel with thought that really helped. How could we have been so stupid:rolleyes:

Ah, we have a player. Thanks Jack.

IMO as long as the pull point (pully or tube) is relatively close to being above the axle, it doesn't make much difference is the shackle is fore or aft of the axle, and it should work fine. When I had leaf springs, I tried to get a crossmember-type tube to be located directly above the centerline of the axle, but didn't have the room. I ended up with the pull point being about 1-2 inches in front of the centerline of the axle. It worked fine from my perspective and in three years of hard use, I never broke a center pin.

yeah, but you guys are less of an abusive crowd.

Actually I found it in the ftoy section. Several guys are doing it, but are trying to pull from as directly above as possible. One guy (my old buggy) mentions bending ubolts and center pins. It can be done, it may help some, but not as well as it does with a linked front end, or even with a shackle in front.

brian ellingers f-toy definitely benefits from the suck winch

I used to do it.

I found with shackles in the front, the front axle unloaded LESS than with the shackle reversal on steep climbs. With the SR it always seemed like the axle wanted to push away from the rock face.

I added the suck down tab and it really helped a lot.

I use it on every steep climb now that I am used to doing it.

what, a suck down on the zuki, get outa here.

go get a cruiser then post up. :p

I crawled under the cruiser this morning... I just dont think the location of the winch and the location of the front axle will make this work in my application.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/eeshnab/CIMG4324.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/eeshnab/CIMG4314.jpg

make it so that the winch can exit from the bottom. Then run the strap to the axle. Even if it does not "suck" the front down much, it will still prevent it from unloading on steep climbs..