leaf spring rates

[Workin on everything]

I've been through a fair chunk of the suspension section on several Ranger forums, and one thing I haven't seen yet (or maybe I did and completely read past it, it happens from time to time), is a comparison of the spring rates/capacities of different Ranger and Explorer leaf springs. Does anybody know the differences between them?

 

[bigmark303]

When I ordered new leaf packs from ford I had two options. 1200lb rating and 800lb rating. The 1200lb was for the XLT and the 800lb was for the XL and base model.

My XLTs 1995-1998 had three leafs and my 1993 XLT only had two. The rates seemed to be the same between the two different leaf packs.

 

[cammeddrz]

i have a chart, i will dig it up for you

 

[cammeddrz]

here: if this helps

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That's a great reference. I was able to view it by holding down the copy button and pressing the plus button several times, however is there any way I could get it full size so I can copy it onto my computer? Sorry if the answer is well known as I'm not computer literate.

Richard

 

[cammeddrz]

PM me your email, i will send the file itself over to you via email

 

[Workin on everything]

I wouldn't mind a large copy myself. Is that for the stock rates?

 

[upnsmoke]

Hi guys. I dug up a couple of generic formulas for leaf spring rates that I had played around with in the past. I can't read that chart on my computer, but was wondering if the rates I came up with were in the ballpark compared to what is listed on the chart there. These are not my formulas. One I read in a magazine and another I found searching around online.

Formulas and solutions are:

Leaf Width in Inches x Number of Leaves)/72 x (1820 x Leaf Thickness)/Spring Length)^3

Ranger springs- width 2.5 3leaves .3 thickness 56" length = 97 ppi
Expo springs- width 2.5 3leaves .35 thickness 56" length = 153 ppi

and

[((Width of leaves in inches)X(Number of leaves))/12]X[(1000Xthickness of one leaf in inches)/(length of spring eye to eye)]^3= spring rate

Ranger springs- width 2.5 3leaves .3 thickness 56" length = 96 ppi
Expo springs- width 2.5 3leaves .35 thickness 56" length = 153 ppi

more just for fun:
width 2.5 3leaves .375 thickness 56" length = 187.675ppi
width 2.5 3leaves .4 thickness 56" length = 227.8 ppi
width 3 3leaves .35 thickness 56" length = 183ppi
width 2.5 3leaves .35 thickness 64" length = 102ppi
width 2.5 4leaves .35 thickness 64" length =131ppi
width 2.5 3leaves .35 thickness 48" length =388ppi


Anyone else played around with this? What do you all think?