Front Leaf question

[midget]

What leaf springs work best for the front of a 88 Ranger? Specifically for offroad use only no higher than 25mph. I need to use leafs b/c well Im broke lol and there cheaper from a junkyard than the radius arm shit. Ive got a 2.9 5 speed most of the interrior is stripped and its got a 100lbs front tube bumper/grille combo. Please dont try and tell me to use coils b/c well I would rather use leafs b/c the axles Im gettin are setup for leafs and I dont want to **** with the caster and pinion angle.The truck is being built on the dirt cheap lol.

[Toreadorranger]

:thefinger:Go Coils.

[JohnnyU]

If you don't know what you're doing, the coils/radius arms are going to be easier to ensure that you maintain correct caster with your suspension setup.

What axle are you using, Dana 30 from a Wrangler? :rolleyes:

[CheapThrillB2]

I used rear 4 dr 91-94 explorer leafs in my front set-up on my explorer and they seem to work just fine.

[slammer67]

It depends on how high you want to go.

I'm using toyota front springs with a leaf added, but they go flat (actually slightly inverted) on my 95 supercab, but I have a lot of weight in bumpers and roll bar, etc. the height is actually perfect for the 33's and fiberglass fenders I have now

I'm going to try to add another leaf when I switch to 35's, or I might try set of toyota rear springs, they give the toyota guys about 5" lift when they run rear springs up front.

You could use wrangler springs, but they're soft, you'll definetely need to add a leaf or two.

the other option is stock waggy springs, or waggy lift springs if you want to run some 37-38's.

I agree that leaf setups can be cheaper, but you have to consider the steering situation. Some have not been able to do it without using high steer arms to clear the leafs, so that might add to the cost. I have one high steer arm for the drag link, but the tie rod is in the stock location. something to think about.

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

im running a full leaf pack from the rear of chevy. the 63 inch. then i added 2 leafs from a cherekee and one from a ranger. total of 7 leafs.

[slammer67]

I think he's looking for front springs.

you used 63" chevys for the front end? from your build page it says you have dodge leafs.

I like your build by the way, and I seriuosly dig those square tube rear shackles.

[midget]

"go coils" Umm no

Im using 3/4 ton axles from a 76 ford f250, Height doesnt matter I could care less to be honest the truck wont see a highway a day in its life except maybe a parade or something to promote the club. Flex is what I want and I would like to use leafs and there is a truck on here and Pirate I would like to copy if I could find the link I would post it but its a 80s ranger like mine on leaf suspension with pitbull tires on dana 60s I believe and I believe it would work best for the terrain around here. Sorry Im an impatient guy Im just on a time crunch and its getting to me a bit. Ive got to be done the week b4 memorial day.

[midget]

I also came across a divorced 205 tcase and might pick it up for a divorced doubler so I can use the stock gears but thats just more time I have to burn up.

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

I think he's looking for front springs.

you used 63" chevys for the front end? from your build page it says you have dodge leafs.

I like your build by the way, and I seriuosly dig those square tube rear shackles.



yea im sorry i was thinking he wanted to lift the rear of his truck to match the front when he did an SAS. yea in the front i used leafs from the rear of a dodge and added 2 leafs.

yea i broke those Belltech 6400 Shackles so i just made my own :icon_welder:

[slammer67]

so JeepRecoveryTeam,

You added 3 leaves to the 63" chevys and you added leaves to the full size dodge springs in the front? I wouldn't think any of those would need extra springs since they're full size truck springs. but your truck seems to flex pretty good.

I was planning on the 63" chevy rear springs in the future, so you think they'll be too soft without adding any leaves?

[slammer67]

midget -
there are also a couple ranger SAS's I've seen using older chevy springs, like 73-87 years.

I always thought they'd be way too stiff, but if JeepRecoveryTeam is adding so many leaves to his full size springs, then maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

your gonna have to deal with pinion angle and caster anyway as most front
d44's are not leaf spring from the factory, I think only fsj/waggy and scout axles come with leafs, but the waggy d44 fronts are spring under, so most people will weld leafs mount on the top and make it spring-over (SOA). The scout d44's- i cant remember if they're spring over or under, but they are setup with 0 degree caster, which most people say sucks and they change the mounts to get some positive caster.

actually, come to think of it, you haven't said what axle your using, so I might be just rambling here. If your using a leaf dana 30, you wont have to deal with the caster, but most guys here will advise against a d30 for strength reasons.

[JohnnyU]

actually, come to think of it, you haven't said what axle your using
Yes he did:

Im using 3/4 ton axles from a 76 ford f250...

[midget]

Yeah the 3/4 ton Ford D44 is a leaf sprung axle and I dont want to screw with the pinion angle and caster its part of the reason Im going to use leafs and I dont want it tooo high just flexy. Unfortunatley the one Im picking up is a drum brake front soo after I get everything mounted Ill have to swap to discs later but I can get it back on its own weight again. I came across some older 2" lift jeep springs I might try and just adjust accordingly. Why you guys are throwing so many extra leafs in I cant understand it would hurt the flex alot but I guess most of yall still ave to deal with road manners too.

[Toreadorranger]

Yeah the 3/4 ton Ford D44 is a leaf sprung axle and I dont want to screw with the pinion angle and caster its part of the reason Im going to use leafs and I dont want it tooo high just flexy. Unfortunatley the one Im picking up is a drum brake front soo after I get everything mounted Ill have to swap to discs later but I can get it back on its own weight again. I came across some older 2" lift jeep springs I might try and just adjust accordingly. Why you guys are throwing so many extra leafs in I cant understand it would hurt the flex alot but I guess most of yall still ave to deal with road manners too.


If its closed knuckle pass on that thing.

[slammer67]

I had to add more leafs because the stock toyota springs i was using could not handle the weight of the ranger. I added one leaf, but I should have added one or two more.

yes, more leaves makes it stiffer, but the leafs have to hold up the weight of the truck also.

If those jeep springs are from a cj, theyre probably only 2" wide, which will make them really soft, width affects spring rate also. I'm not sure what the width of the f250 springs were, probably 2.5 or 3" - you can measure the width of the spring pads to see, so I don't know if that would interfere with u-bolts and plates or not.

I would hunt down some waggoneer springs if you're junk yard shopping, they should hold the weight without messing with adding leafs, should flex well. many people have used those for SAS's.

[CheapThrillB2]

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34823

ran this set-up on my b2 for a year and now a few months on my explorer.

[slammer67]

just read your build thread, awesome.

you said you started out with ex rear springs and then switched to some stiffer ones - which ones?

explorer springs are the same length as our rear rangers, right?

[CheapThrillB2]

just read your build thread, awesome.

you said you started out with ex rear springs and then switched to some stiffer ones - which ones?

explorer springs are the same length as our rear rangers, right?

the first pack was explorer springs minus the overload, then i put the overload back in it.

their is a tech write up in the tech section on installing explorer rear springs in place of stock rangers springs to gain 2" of lift (in the rear)

[midget]

If its closed knuckle pass on that thing.

Well I went to pick up my axles today and come to find out the front was a closed knuckle ..... so after a fair bit of cussing Im back to square one.. I picked up the D60 rearend b/c it was in good shape yet so Im going to use it just need to find a front.

[alpinestar]

i would definitly go ahead and get those 2" wrangler springs if its not too late, you seen how mine flexes and it sits about as tall as you need it to. and i have a 6" shackle i believe. so it provides about 3" of lift there. and remember that when you do this you want the shackle in the rear. and get a D44 out of a waggy, their pretty easy to find.

[midget]

I got a D44 that I needed now will someone explain to me in moron why I want the shackle in the rear when damn near every production truck with leafs had the shackle in the front? I got the Wrangler springs just waiting for them to arrive. I was plannin on mounting the shackle on the front b/c of the production trucks and it would be easier with the way the front of the frame is. Although using leaf spring sliders would be something I have thought about as I have seen an sas Xterra use them with great success.

[alpinestar]

ok ok... having the shackle in the rear basically eliminates the problem of your axle fighting its self to flex. when your wheelin' you drive forward, atleast i hope you do.... and so when you come up to something like a rock or a log or a hill, whatever it is, it pushes back on your axle. when the shackle is in the front it must come forward and up in order for your leafs to flex, see where im goin? so by having them in the back they naturally move up and down like their suppose to and it really does make a difference. and if you want to use stock jeep cross over steering, having the shackles in the rear will make your leaf perches be shifted back alittle to correct teh caster and pinion angle from having your shackles in the rear which gives you more clearence over the steering between the drag link and the leaf spring pack...

hope that clears it up for ya.

[slammer67]

I agree that shackles in the rear is best. I did a "shackle reversal" on my landcruiser - switched the shackles from the front to the back - and it rode/offroaded much better.

I went with the shackle up front on my ranger's SAS for the simple reason that it's easyer to use the stock driveshaft.

If the shackle is in the rear, the axle moves backward when you hit a bump, like was mentioned, so you have to have some space in your slip joint of your driveshaft to allow for that, but when your axle droops, it moves away from the transfer case -
pulls the driveshaft apart - so you need a longer slip driveshaft for a rear shackled setup.

Granted, with my setup now - springs pretty much flat - it doesn't matter much, but when I get more lift and leaf springs with more arch, it'll have more of an effect. I do plan on switching the shakles to the rear eventually when I have more $ to deal with all the issues, but shackle foreward IMO is the cheapest way to go.

[alpinestar]

ya i didnt worry about the driveline issue since i have to get a longer one anyways. plus i need to get a cable hooked up to my axle since thats how my 4wd is engaged...

[midget]

Ahh ok and as for going forward on the trails.... well sometimes I try stupid stuff for fun. so who knows whats going to happen.

[alpinestar]

well generally speaking i hope your moving "forward" lol... isnt that what lifes all about haha...