Opinions on Building a 64" leaf pack

[GMillion$]

Scored some junkyard chevy leafs and built some packs as follows:

main leaf: chevy 64"
2nd leaf: ranger main leaf with eyes cut off + 5 or 6" on long side
3rd leaf: ranger secondary leaf

The packs have 8 or 9" of free arch and i plan to have them re-arched to 12" of free arch. From research on the site, i think that'll put me at 6" of lift with flipped 7" shackles.

Also, i was thinking about running an overload spring to help prevent the springs from "over flattening" (bending the wrong way) on compression, untill i get the cash for some nice bump cans. and because the overload springs always get tons of long grass stuck in them, which looks cool.

So: on a 4.0l reg cab, long box trail rig running 37's, does this sound like a good idea for a leaf pack? more thick leaves? more thin leaves? no overload?

 

[dangerranger83]

Im running 4 leaves then the overload one, came that way from the J/Y. Its a bit stiff when you hit bumps with the overload, so its comming out next spring. Over all I got 6 inchs of lift with the cheevy leaves swap and belltech 6400 shackles.

All in all its a trial and error thing and a personal preferance to how you like your vehicle to ride.

 

[GMillion$]

are you sure it's the overload though? i thought that the overload doesn't even really become a spring until the leaf is flat.

 

[dangerranger83]

Its an overload, I promise. Its in the pack, its doing something. Guys on here say thy take theres out and feel a difference. I go over a bump fast enough that my front is fine but when the rear hits it, like busting your teeth out and getting brain damage from hitting the roof.

Though some guys that have done this say that theres only came with 4 leaves and that includes the overload. Why mine has a 5 including the overload is beyond me, not sure exactly what kind of truck it came out of, never really looked just saw the truck, measured it and told the boys at the j/y to cut them out.

 

[spdcrazy]

my chevy's were a four leaf with the over load. three and the overload. however you want to count it.

keep in mind, mine is under a b2, not a ranger so my setup is a bit different.

mine has seven leaves,

chevy 64 main
chevy #2
explorer #2
explorer #3
b2 #3
b2 #4
b2 #5

netted me 4in of lift without blocks on an 8.8 axle. and 7in shackles reversed. its a bit stiff, but still flexs ok. next is to rearch the main, and build it into a thicker pack of thinner material to take advantage of the shackle setup

most of this is trial and error. just build it, and then start changing things as you see needed

 

[bobbywalter]

i would try to find some usable oem b2 springs and de-eye those....then arch the chevy main to match them.

they would ride nice and hold a load....flex real well.

real b2 springs are much thinner then the ranger/sploder springs.

 

[spdcrazy]

i did think about using the main b2 leaf. but i tossed it quite awhile ago.

going to need to get my front end height figured out first, then i'll get the rear setup again

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

The 4 leaf with overload is a 3/4 ton spring.

I'm was running 3+ the overload 1/2 ton pack (with the overload removed) in my ranger with the stock blocks and extended shackles and it sat level with my 5" of front lift and flexed great.

When I added the logger box and tire carrier it sagged it out quite a bit so I added B2 main leafs with the eyes cut off under the chev main leaf. Gained my height back and still great flex.

 

[dangerranger83]

3/4 tons, no wonder I'm busting my teeth out with a side of brain damage.

I forgot to say I'm also running those with the factory lift blocks too.

Cost for my rear lift.....

Leaves $100
Procomp se9000 shocks $100
6400 Shackles $65
Hardware and tools $60

Could it have been cheaper, more or less yes, dependes on were you can get your parts.

 

[GMillion$]

so it sounds like i should add some beef into my packs. Either way i plan to re-arch right off the bat, but now i'm wondering if i should use a few thick leafs or a stack of thin leafs.

Seems like a bunch of thin leafs is the way to go, so i guess i'll have to tear into the eb leaf packs i just scored from the back of a friends garage... they're real short (like 40"!!) but they look pretty thin and i think they're 7-leaf packs.

 

[spdcrazy]

so it sounds like i should add some beef into my packs. Either way i plan to re-arch right off the bat, but now i'm wondering if i should use a few thick leafs or a stack of thin leafs.

Seems like a bunch of thin leafs is the way to go, so i guess i'll have to tear into the eb leaf packs i just scored from the back of a friends garage... they're real short (like 40"!!) but they look pretty thin and i think they're 7-leaf packs.

from what i've learned, a bunch of thin leafs is the way to go for flex. the only thick leaf i plan to use is the main and the second. makre sure your second is long so you don't end up with a neg arch from flexing.

 

[wahlstrom1]

It was my understanding that 2wd chevy's came with 3 + OL and 4wd came with 4 + OL. My Procomp's are 4 + OL.

 

[JeepRecoveryTeam]

I never ran an Over load leaf i had a mix of skyjacker 6in and 64 chevy and ranger never came close to going negitive i just dont think theres enough weight in the rear.

 

[emptyTTB]

an overload leaf is added when you need the spring pack to have MORE spring rate, thus giving it a stiffer ride (depending on how heavy the rear of the vehicle is).. you want LESS spring rate... make things easy, use the 2 longest chevy 64" springs and throw in Jeep YJ springs. both spring packs have a centered-center pin and a similiar "lower" spring rate when you play with the number of YJ leaves..

 

[GMillion$]

Thanks everyone for all the input. So far, the latest packs are 1st chevy leaf, 1st ranger leaf, last 4 leaves out of an eb 3" lift spring pack. It def looks alot better than the 3leaf packs i had before!