[BEN C.]

After lurking and searching here a long time, I'm soa'n my 800. I'm using a 73 chevy d44 front and 12 bolt rear. The delima is what to do about my springs. I would like to use the chevy springs I got with the axles because they are longer (48" and 52"), twice as wide (3.5"), and have a military double wrap. The problem with them is that I'll have to but all new bushings, extend the frame a several inches, fab all new mounts, wrestle with getting them level and getting a decent pinion angle or cut n turn, etc, etc. A real PITA.

Or I could just knock off the stock spring mounts and move them inboard about an inch and use the 30 year old stock weenie looking springs and have everything pretty much bolt up where it needs to be. Are those stock springs as weak as they look?

What would you do?

 

[Old Scout]

Save yourself the trouble, dump the 12 bolt now!

 

[Buckshot33]

Save yourself the trouble, dump the 12 bolt now!

Ive got buddies with 3500 lb cars running 8.40's @ 160 mph on 12 bolts. that being said, they do have a ton of money tied up in them :flipoff2:


if your gonna tear it all apart I'd put the chevy springs in it. My 800 is soa with SII springs re-arched to 2.5" and they're stiff as a board.

 

[Old Scout]

Ive got buddies with 3500 lb cars running 8.40's @ 160 mph on 12 bolts. that being said, they do have a ton of money tied up in them :flipoff2:


if your gonna tear it all apart I'd put the chevy springs in it. My 800 is soa with SII springs re-arched to 2.5" and they're stiff as a board.

1150 horsepower thru a 12bolt. Yea right. :flipoff2:

 

[CSmith]

Old Scout's bullshit detector works just fine. Besides pasenger car 12 bolts and light truck 12 bolts are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. You wouldn't want to go any bigger than 35's with a 12 bolt and other's may tell you even those are too big.

Maybe he was talking about 1/8th mile?

 

[Binder]

The stock springs aren't as weak as they look. You just need to figure out what you want in the end and build it. Your going to have to do fab work either way.
Isn't a 73 12 bolt a C clip design. If yes, ditch it for sure.

 

[Snoopy]

I've seen more 12-bolts fail from bent tubes than failed R&P ~ but they still fail.

 

[CSmith]

Isn't a 73 12 bolt a C clip design. If yes, ditch it for sure.

You can get C-clip eliminators, but they always seem to leak.

 

[ChiScouter]

After lurking and searching here a long time, I'm soa'n my 800. I'm using a 73 chevy d44 front and 12 bolt rear. The delima is what to do about my springs. I would like to use the chevy springs I got with the axles because they are longer (48" and 52"), twice as wide (3.5"), and have a military double wrap. The problem with them is that I'll have to but all new bushings, extend the frame a several inches, fab all new mounts, wrestle with getting them level and getting a decent pinion angle or cut n turn, etc, etc. A real PITA.

Or I could just knock off the stock spring mounts and move them inboard about an inch and use the 30 year old stock weenie looking springs and have everything pretty much bolt up where it needs to be. Are those stock springs as weak as they look?

What would you do?

1977 Chevy leafs are 3.5 inches wide?

 

[Buckshot33]

1150 horsepower thru a 12bolt. Yea right. :flipoff2:

548 bbc. it dynoed 921 hp on the motor and hes got a 250 fogger and 250 plate kit on top of that.

hes actually under his optimal ET's according to the calculator you found. He ran PSCA in california in a 10.5 dot tire class. ET Streets to be exact.

He had a fortune tied up in the 12 bolt but you dont have to invest near that long to get it to live in a truck.

He lives 5 minutes from my place I'll go scan a timeslip and post it if you like.

 

[Old Scout]

He had a fortune tied up in the 12 bolt but you dont have to invest near that long to get it to live in a truck.

Yea I hear it gets expensive when you need a drum of it! :shaking:

 

[Buckshot33]

what ever dood. Ive seen a lot of crazy shit.

9.60's out of an 8.5 ten bolt
9.0's out of an 8 3/4 mopar
9.60's out of an independent rear dana 44 in a vette.

Theres no reason why a 12 bolt/dana 44 combo wouldnt survive in his truck. If hes going to be doing things that would require swapping his 12 bolt, hes deffinately going to want to swap the dana 44.

Ben C, what do you plan on putting this truck through?

besides, hes got a perfectly good 12 bolt why not use it?

If you read his original post the question wasnt even asking opinions on his rearends. he was asking which leaf springs to use (which I was the only one to give an aswer to btw)

congratz on being able to use MS Paint.

 

[BEN C.]

Being that I dont have any rock piles to play on like you guys out west, 35's are about all I really need (stop laughing). Most everyone seems to agree that the 12 bolt is a pos, but that's all I have for now so I'll just run it until it breaks or I can find something better.

My biggest concern is whether or not those stock springs can take any abuse and is the benefit of swapping in the chevy springs worth all the extra work.

This truck will get wheeled pretty hard, but it wont be climbing over boulders or anything like that.

 

[Buckshot33]

I dont think you'll have any problems with your setup. I'm running dana 44's front and rear with 35's. a rear 12 bolt would be an upgrade over that IMHO.

I would try to stick the chevy springs under there though, maybe pull a leaf from each one if you need some more articulation. they'll be much stiffer than the scout springs. The chevy springs are longer though so your gonna have to do some fab work to get them in there and the rearends where they need to be.

Another option would be to get some decent SII springs, thats what I'm running or Ive read that CJ springs work (check that Im not sure).

 

[BEN C.]

I pulled some of the leaves already. The chevy springs look strong but still good and flexy. The problem is that they are so long and flat I'll have to extend the frame and use pretty long shackles to get them semi-level. The fab work is the fun part, trying to make it all work right and not look :rainbow: with the springs sticking way out up front is the shitty part.

 

[Buckshot33]

oh thats right, Im used to having my 79 silverado with a 4" lift. I forgot the stock front springs are flat. Hmmm. you might be better off with the stock weenie springs or maybe looking into the cj or sII springs.

 

[Rock Star]

First off use the 12-bolt since its what you have and make sure you dont go over a 37 with a v-8 if you do play in the rocks. Just remember that it is a c-clip design and can only be reliable for so long. DONT

 

[Rock Star]

I am assuming that you have a 4cyl scout motor in your 800? If you have the 12-bolt then use it for now. It will be fine as long as you dont run a bigger tire than a 37 and play in the rocks. Just remember it is a c-clip design so it can only be reliable for so long. DONT USE THE STOCK SCOUT 800 SPRINGS. They are weak and will break in a SOA set up. Get a NEW set of scout2 springs or use the chevy ones you have. It all depends on what ride height you need. CJ-7/YJ rears work well. So do Chevy 1/2 ton springs for a 73-91 body style will work well on the axles since they are 2.5 inches wide so that way you only have to change the frame mounts.You could make it reallly nice and have a custom set made with military wrap.

 

[Old Scout]

what ever dood. Ive seen a lot of crazy shit.

9.60's out of an 8.5 ten bolt
9.0's out of an 8 3/4 mopar
9.60's out of an independent rear dana 44 in a vette.

Theres no reason why a 12 bolt/dana 44 combo wouldnt survive in his truck. If hes going to be doing things that would require swapping his 12 bolt, hes deffinately going to want to swap the dana 44.

Ben C, what do you plan on putting this truck through?

besides, hes got a perfectly good 12 bolt why not use it?

If you read his original post the question wasnt even asking opinions on his rearends. he was asking which leaf springs to use (which I was the only one to give an aswer to btw)

congratz on being able to use MS Paint.

Dude just STFU. What works on a go fast car doesn't work on a wheeling rig. A fucking Viper has a rear D44 and +500hp. I blew up two d44 with a whimpy stock 345 and 31" tires!


BEN:
Just go drop a $100-150 and get a 14bolt. The money you save on a 14 Detroit will more that pay for the diff.


Why does this place always go :rainbow: when the BB is down.! :shaking:

 

[Buckshot33]

Dude just STFU. What works on a go fast car doesn't work on a wheeling rig. A fucking Viper has a rear D44 and +500hp. I blew up two d44 with a whimpy stock 345 and 31" tires!

Yes sir colonel sir, heavy on the sir.. sir..

Ill get right on that. :shaking: