Biggest and Stiffest!

[redrangie]

Well,

This package came today from this guy named bradley-smith. Seems he thinks he came up with the right math for a 5" (21.5 overal) lift spring with a 300-340 rate.

So I say to my son, hand me that air line and lets see what there like.

THEY ROCK!

I was just able to drive them around and ramp them. Here's the key I think. The number of coils per foot. They actually compress very well, and when the arm max's out, they only come loose about 1" (on a ramp, not wheelin)

I know a lot of you think that these spring rates are too high. Let me tell you once and for all, they are not. Especially if you are running a lot of lift and or carrying loads. Up till now, if you wanted a 300 rate spring, you had to go ome, and they are STIFFER than hell. They are a 17.5" spring, with twice the coils of these from RTE. This kept the sprung weight up, and the tire to the ground, but didn't allow for alot of initial compression. On the ramp (ran backwards) the RTE's were compressing quicker, which allowed for less forced droop on the opposite side front, which means less body roll.

Oh, and empty, they gave me close to 6" over stock, with a tire carrier, tools, rack and recovery gear. I had been using home made spacers and ome 762's to get to 5" in the rear.

[Serious One]

Here's a quote I see on a lot of threads, which is applicable here as well:

"This thread is worthless without any PICS!"

So.....maybe it's time for another Twist Off????

Anyone wanna be in charge? Bueller? Bueller?

Hehe.

[Troutrover]

So I take it these are the 5"ers that RTE has on their website and are now keeping in stock? Has anyone tried them on a D90? Lets see some pics!

Christian

[DiscoDino]

5" Lift? Unless you guys will be running 38"+ tires that is too much! ("its never too much"...I know)...why not lift enough and chop as much? isn't that the ideal formula?

[merv]

There was this one time

at vtxs2003 camp

That I got a chance to spend a day with John in his own Disco with all his goodies on board. We ran some trails similar to what we have a home, off cambers, climbs, drops, a little mud, loose stuff and what have you. Also a few miles on the road.

I gotta say he has this stuff sorted. And he really knows his stuff. I must bored him silly with my easy peasy questions but we had a very educational few hours. I learned more about suspensions, and he learned to call stuff "knackered" if it did'nt work.

John Rocks.

[redrangie]

Originally posted by DiscoDino
5" Lift? Unless you guys will be running 38"+ tires that is too much! ("its never too much"...I know)...why not lift enough and chop as much? isn't that the ideal formula?

Well, I don't know. I think 5" on a classic is just about perfect for the type of driving I do, and most people who go off road for the fun of it, not for competition.

33x12 keeps you from breaking as much stuff, it still behaves on the highway (not a trailer queen) and by going with the correct spring design, you get this neat concept of balanced suspension travel (read up travel and down travel). IMHO limiting up travel is a recipe for tippy-ness.

j

[DieLucas!]

Originally posted by redrangie


you get this neat concept of balanced suspension travel (read up travel and down travel).

Yeah....I'm reading it....

[Old Scout]

Got pics???

[redrangie]

Originally posted by Old Scout


Got pics???

Ok, Ok.

I'll take some pics. It doesn't really look that different. It sit's maybe one inch higher in the rear empty. and I haven't and don't think I will put on the fronts until I use a Steel bumper.

before

[redrangie]

after.

18.5 spring front with aluminum bumper

21.5 rear

[redrangie]

spring shot. noticeably less coils.

j

[DieLucas!]

:homer_drool: Mmmmmmm.......More lift, less coils!!!

[Way]

John,

33" tires that are wide, going taller, roof rack, rear tire carrier.

Am I your hero?

[redrangie]

Originally posted by Way
John,

33" tires that are wide, going taller, roof rack, rear tire carrier.

Am I your hero?

I did not go taller! It's been this tall for almost a yeeaarrr. (oh and uh, I built my rack )

j

[tobbjo]

When you measure 5" of lift, where do you measure?
I would very much like to know the length of the spring itself, when mounted in the RR sitting level with normal (daily driver?) load.

Tobias

[redrangie]

Originally posted by tobbjo
When you measure 5" of lift, where do you measure?
I would very much like to know the length of the spring itself, when mounted in the RR sitting level with normal (daily driver?) load.

Tobias

perch to perch over stock.

simple math: stock spring length 14.5-15.5 inch at about 150#

my fronts = 18.5 at 260-300
my rear at 21.5 at 300-340

[derangedrover]

Im with Tobias, whats the loaded height of the spring.
Since your good at maths, and have the loaded length of your known rate spring (isnt stock 130lb/in) you can tell us what the real rate of your new ones is too....please

Cheers
Daryl

[redrangie]

Originally posted by derangedrover
Im with Tobias, whats the loaded height of the spring.
Since your good at maths, and have the loaded length of your known rate spring (isnt stock 130lb/in) you can tell us what the real rate of your new ones is too....please

Cheers
Daryl

Loaded height perch to perch:
(with 200#'s or so in the rear over stock- filled it up with spare radius arms, springs, recovery gear, tools, plus over a 120# in sliders and skids and empty of people, no SLU and the shocks set to 3 out of 5)

14.5 front
16.5 rear

This is a spring top to bottom measurement.

with a true 33" tire and .5 inch trimmed on the rear fenderwell, I have 6" from the tire to the to the wheel arch.

Derangedrover- No sums needed when you have a tape!

j

[tobbjo]

Thanks a ton for loaded lengths.

Last weekend's screw up left me with a spring no longer seated. That's your reward for increasing travel by cjanging shocks and not following on by retaining the springs in a strong enough way. I am waiting to decide what springs to use and this info is really making me take my thumb out of my rear and do it.

My excel sheet gives me 18 inches and you measure 16.5, which is close anough for me to think the difference´is due to calculation errors. I have calculated with 500 kg sprung weight per wheel.

I look at a loaded spring length of 340-350 mm (14"), but perhaps should up that a bit?

Did a search on your front springs, lazy or not, I could not find the rate. Have it been published here?

Thanks again
Tobias

[lwg]

John,
Sounds like you have room for 35's!!!

Go big or go home!!!