Suspension TOO Stiff

Thanks! Thats what I need to know!

 

Just from my observations.......it looks like the old owner may have used the same suspension from a Dodge truck........or at least a full size truck............don't know why...........anyways........I knew when I traded this for my truck I'd have my hands full...........

On a side note........I dropped the tires to 30 psi and what a world of difference!!!!! A few more pics.......thanks again guys........I have been reading everything I can on the website...........great source of info!!!!

Thanks again!

Front leaf and steering stab.::












Rear Leaf

 

HA! I see why that suspension is like that!

 

Due tell..........

 

looks like the PO was trying to build a 3/4 elliptical suspension for more flex. Searh the internet for "3/4 elliptical" and you will lear wbout what he was getting at.


Yeungling, Are you perchance from PA?

 

Nope....originally from South Florida.......got friends in PA......they just started selling Yuenling here in Statesboro.

 

Yeungling got me through college.

 

Milwaukee' Best for me............$3.29 a 12 pack..........that and Old English 800........it was 69 cents a quart!

I did some research on the ellipitical suspension............thanks!!

 

Thanks for the help.......I put new shocks on the front and it made a world of difference........I bought ones for the back but they gave me the wrong ones............gotta go back today and get new ones.

Also, the square tubing is used in place of springs.........the PO said the rear springs came from an 85 Dodge or Chevy Wide Springs.......either way he removed several leafs.........so thats my next little project.....

 

Still a little stiff..............

Is it possible to do the YJ wrangler conversion with these full size 44 and 60 axles?

 

I couldn't see why not. Its even easier since you are already outboarded up front. BUT it might be easier to just fine tune your current set up. A good spring shop and re-arch, add leaves, or even build custom packs to help you achieve your goals.


And as for that box tube in the back, gotta ditch that. you whould be able to find shorter u-bolts or even rethread and cut teh ones you have.

 

Thanks! I'll try that route first.

 

WOW, not sure what to say.

The front is a 3/4 ellipitcal as said, unbolt that "C" clip and the front suspension will drop lots. Makes for a good ramp queen, wheeler not so good.

The back looks like a "revolver" copy or double shackle. This is another ramp queen trick that most people don't like on the trail, they have a tendency to unload at bad times.

Tire pressure, as said above 30psi is to much. With that big of a tire and a light Jeep, 20-25 (maybe less in the back) on the street. Offroad, I'll probably start a 8 and go down from there.

Springs, think I would work on other things for now, shocks (mentioned above), and shackle angles. The shackles looks to be to "vertical", with flat spring they should be at quite an angle. This angle will allow the most movement from the spring since it will shorten if it moves up or down. Flat springs are best used on a shackle front because whenever a bump is hit the spring is going to shorten, meaning the shackle will move backwards. With a RS and flat spring, the opposite is happening.

Steering stablizer, just ugly and probably binds

The front block and rear blocks too, yuck.

Looks like all the basics are there, just going to take a little sorting out to make it work good. I also can't believe the shocks aren't pulled apart or busted off if the PO actually unlocked the suspension.

 

I'm a bit new to early Jeeps, but not new to fooling around swapping axles and making your own junkyard "custom" suspension, etc. Take everything on the internet with a grain of salt, look at everything hard, learn how it works, and go from there. Just wanted to say I'm not just some newb/idiot.

Cool lookin' Jeep and potentially very capable offroad, just needs some tuning. I wish you were around here, I could help ya out more. Does it have locking or limited slip differentials?

First thing I wanna note is that broken spring on the trail is probably no big deal...broken spring on the road at any speed = nasty rollover.

What are your plans/budget for it? Cool old Jeep or rockcrawler?

Someone apparently slapped everything from the frame down off the dodge under there. Decent execution, poor engineering.

I agree with everything bobracing said.

4.10 is a very high ratio for 38" tires...I bet you run very low RPM on the highway, maybe have trouble starting off in 1st unless you have a "granny" 1st and low range probably doesn't feel very low, eh?

Those springs are made to support twice or more than what your Jeep weighs.

Lots of good spring info here :

Dodge :

http://www.generalspringkc.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=123&pg=1

Jeep original :

http://www.generalspringkc.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=146&pg=1

YJ Wrangler :

http://www.generalspringkc.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=141&pg=1


Wrangler springs would be the way to go but they probably won't bolt in (may be shorter) and you'll need longer shocks to take advantage of the travel they will supply. An anti-wrap bar would also be in order.

You could probably go down to one leaf in the front but I'm not sure how good an idea that would be. They did make monoleaf lift springs for YJs for a while, but had issues with breakage. If you flex them a lot, they may break, if not, they probably won't. With those short little shocks on there, not much is flexing very far. Rear springs originally had positive arch, and taking out as many leaves and running them flat/negative like they have them will probably cause them to break. Adding leaves to prevent that will make it ride stiff.

Probably can't shorten and rethread the rear u-bolts, they usually neck down where the threads end so there's nothing to rethread. I wouldn't worry about them too much as they are. That's similar to how 3/4 and one ton trucks are set up, they have a block and overload above the main pack sometimes.

It will help prevent axle wrap = breakage if you install bolts in those little U clips on the springs.

I have a lot of experience with those tires (military surplus)...you could probably run them on the street at 15-20 psi on a vehicle that light, offroad 0psi. No, seriously...well the beads might unseat, but with beadlocks you could. I run them on a 7,000# Cummins diesel Dodge and the mil ran them on a Stryker = much heavier. Note the load range = J and the actual pounds rating, should be about 4000 PER TIRE. That size hasn't been made for a while, replaced by the 325/85/16 XML. Same height, wider, about 13-14".

Another thing with the big tires/axles is the ratio of sprung (the Jeep sitting on the springs) to unsprung (the axles and tires under the springs) weight. Those tires weigh about 90#s, and the axles are a lot heavier than stock. Basically, when the tire hits a bump the bump sends the tire/axle up, and they are so heavy and therefore have so much momentum, that they throw the Jeep around.

Ok, that's enough typing for me and enough reading for you for now. Anything else, ask away.

With a Jeep like that, you may want to spend some time searching on Pirate4x4.com. Be warned, the poeple there are not nearly as nice as here.

I'd like to see more pics of it, esp steering. What's the rest of the drivetrain? I saw V6 somewhere, they're great engines.

 

What happened with this Jeep?