leaf springs or coil springs for SAS that is always carring loads

94 lngbd · Mar 6, 2013

I use my lifted 2wd 94 Ranger for my company in Wa. T & C Recycling & was wondering what set up would work best for load carring purposes to do a SAS.

I have a Cherokee front axle & 2.3 4wd 5spd tranny & both 1354 & 1350 transfer cases.

All i need now is time & $$. An extra Ranger would be nice so my truck could actually be down for more then just a few days.

If I went with leaf springs what do you all suggest for my application. Being as I use the truck to haul scrap metal & appliances in I dont want it to be lifted any more.

It has 5.5" suspension lift & currently running 235LTs , but have room to run 33x12.50s, But I will probably end up running 31x10.50s.

all input is greatly appreciated

94 lngbd · Mar 6, 2013

wow over 50 lookers ,but know one has any input

wizkid00104 · Mar 6, 2013

It all depends on the springs. Coils seem to flex better than leaves which is good for wheeling, but gives you a lot of body roll when hauling. If you want to use coils, you'd need to use a heavy rate spring for a Ranger instead if XJ or Early Bronco coils. And you need to make the front sway bar detachable for good flex while wheeling. As far as the rear is concerned, you need heavier leaves to haul. As an alternative, you can remove some leaves for flex, but add airbags to stiffen up when you need to.

You also need to consider cost. It's up for grabs, but I would guess a leaf SAS would be cheaper.

The question is how heavy are the loads you are hauling? I hauled a 650 lb atv in my short bed short cab ranger with no rear away bar. There was a lot of body roll. I that was a regular thing, I would've considered stiffening my leaves in the rear. The front wasn't too bad with stock coil springs and a sway bar.

I know this didn't give any answers, but things to think about. Ill help where I can, but there are a ton of people on here with more experience than I have. I hope someone else will chime in...

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wizkid00104 · Mar 6, 2013

As one other thought, build what is fairly cheap and available and get a trailer for hauling. If you lift the truck too much, loading and unloading becomes a pain in the ass!

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94 lngbd · Mar 7, 2013

I have a ladder rack for the truck & the cross bar just behind & above rear window has a 3000 lb winch attached to it & the area above the cab has bars welded in to allow for more items above the cab. I already have explorer leaf springs & Air Ride 3000 lb air bag set up installed. I also built a 9ft folding ramp that i set on tailgate & strap it to tailgate latches on bed so it wont move.

That load has 4 refrigerators,1 stove ,12 dish washers & 4 hot water heaters.

Im triing to locate me a tommy lift tailgate set up for midsize trucks for easier loading instead of my muscle's & back doing most of the work unless its extremely heavy then its the ramp & winch pulling the loads up into the trucks bed.

wizkid00104 · Mar 7, 2013

That is terrifying!!!

Sounds like you've done a lot of work to stiffen up what you have. Honestly, I think you need to invest in a larger vehicle. That just looks unsafe.

As far as an SAS is concerned, I don't know where to point you. Maybe full width 1 tons on leafs to take the load. IDK

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94 lngbd · Mar 7, 2013

issue's with larger truck is GAS gusslers. Mine is 2.3,5spd,8.8 w/4.10 LS
Hauling items isnt any problem & EVERY load wheather its loaded or a single item is strapped,secured & double checked before getting behind the wheel. Never been an issue with city/county/ or state police.

My heaviest load in the truck was 4,640 of structual steel from a demo of a old cement manf. building & about 80% of that was in front of rear axle & stacked

chrisser · Mar 7, 2013

I just bought an '87 and am considering a Cherokee D30 SAS and have been researching springs.

Wagonneer springs seem to be a popular choice, but they're a bit long from what I've read.

I'm leaning towards Wrangler (YJ) leafs for a couple of reasons...

1) They're shorter than many (about 45", IIRC)
2) They're (relatively) cheap and available
3) The YJ fronts and rears are interchangeable (according to the Jeep guys) and have different load capacity, so there's some finagling available even with the OEM springs. (see here: http://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf_Springs_Jeep_Wrangler_s/1952.htm)
4) My '87 is a bit lighter than a 94 so, for me, the weight is comparable to a Wrangler if my google searches are accurate. Basically, I'll be replicating the stock YJ front setup on my Ranger.

I figure that a lot of Jeep guys are swapping Ford 8.8s in theirs. If I do the same and use the Jeep front axle, I'll have almost the exact same setup, and it's pretty well proven on their rigs if used in the right application.

I don't plan on rock crawling, jumping, or bogging. Just looking for a dependable rough surface trail/hill climbing rig that is still streetable. I like the simplicity of leafs and a straight axle, even if it might sacrifice a bit of ride quality.

leaf springs or coil springs for SAS that is always carring loads

94 lngbd

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