- Location
- Salem, OR
s10/dakota leafs: real date for bastard packs
so for a while I had been set that dakotas leafs were the way to go because they were softer and better flex while the s10 were more stiffer and yielded a higher lift for bastard packs, but I then started to read that s10 were actually softer and better?!?!?!? so now my quest is to find real data, not opinions of which is better, now spring rate is what we are looking for and the softer the spring rate the better the ride and flex.now I cant find the spring rate since I suck at web searching(maybe someone could chime in?) but in my serch to find info I did stumble upon something different? most say to go for early model dakota leafs(90'-95') but searching yielded me that the 97'-98' 4 leaf pack was thinner and had a less weight carrying capacity meaning it is a softer spring.
difference: dakota leafs.
86'-96'
1. Spring Capacity = 2550 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-3/4
97'-98' had two versions:
1. Spring Capacity = 1800 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-9/16
2. Spring Capacity = 1100 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 5
Pack Thickness = 1-7/16
chevy s10.
82'-94' had three different leaf packs:
1. Spring Capacity = 1100 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 3(2/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-5/16
2. Spring Capacity = 1350 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-1/2
3. Spring Capacity = 1750 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 5(4/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-7/8
now its easy to see that the 97'-98' dakota had a soft spring with 5 leafs and a thickness of 1-7/16 meaning each spring is roughly .29 thick.
while the softest s10 is 1-5/16 with only 3 springs giving a rough thickness of .43
my conclusion: if you get the right leaf pack from either the dakota or s10, the ride will be the same and the flex should be the same. but the only difference I see is the height you'll get from each since the dakota is thinner, you get a less height lift than using the more thicker s10 leafs.
now I'm no engineer or math wizard but this is going off of what I know of physics and how things work, if there is some error, please let me know and I'll change it. I am making this because I was having difficulty's trying to figure out which leafs to use and what model because there is a lot of hear say and opinions. hopefully this can actually give some real insight as to what kind of bastard pack you want and what type of firmness/softness of springs to look for when your out assembling your pack.
hope this helps
edit: another factor to play in to this.
84'-01' jeep cherokee
1. Spring Capacity = 655 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4
Pack Thickness = 1
2. Spring Capacity = 745 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4
Pack Thickness = 1-1/8
it might be smarter to just use stock chero leafs if you want the softest possible ride and flex? just check yours first to see if its the higher capacity spring or not first.
so for a while I had been set that dakotas leafs were the way to go because they were softer and better flex while the s10 were more stiffer and yielded a higher lift for bastard packs, but I then started to read that s10 were actually softer and better?!?!?!? so now my quest is to find real data, not opinions of which is better, now spring rate is what we are looking for and the softer the spring rate the better the ride and flex.now I cant find the spring rate since I suck at web searching(maybe someone could chime in?) but in my serch to find info I did stumble upon something different? most say to go for early model dakota leafs(90'-95') but searching yielded me that the 97'-98' 4 leaf pack was thinner and had a less weight carrying capacity meaning it is a softer spring.
difference: dakota leafs.
86'-96'
1. Spring Capacity = 2550 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-3/4
97'-98' had two versions:
1. Spring Capacity = 1800 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-9/16
2. Spring Capacity = 1100 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 5
Pack Thickness = 1-7/16
chevy s10.
82'-94' had three different leaf packs:
1. Spring Capacity = 1100 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 3(2/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-5/16
2. Spring Capacity = 1350 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4(3/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-1/2
3. Spring Capacity = 1750 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 5(4/1)
Pack Thickness = 1-7/8
now its easy to see that the 97'-98' dakota had a soft spring with 5 leafs and a thickness of 1-7/16 meaning each spring is roughly .29 thick.
while the softest s10 is 1-5/16 with only 3 springs giving a rough thickness of .43
my conclusion: if you get the right leaf pack from either the dakota or s10, the ride will be the same and the flex should be the same. but the only difference I see is the height you'll get from each since the dakota is thinner, you get a less height lift than using the more thicker s10 leafs.
now I'm no engineer or math wizard but this is going off of what I know of physics and how things work, if there is some error, please let me know and I'll change it. I am making this because I was having difficulty's trying to figure out which leafs to use and what model because there is a lot of hear say and opinions. hopefully this can actually give some real insight as to what kind of bastard pack you want and what type of firmness/softness of springs to look for when your out assembling your pack.
hope this helps
edit: another factor to play in to this.
84'-01' jeep cherokee
1. Spring Capacity = 655 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4
Pack Thickness = 1
2. Spring Capacity = 745 lbs
Width = 2-1/2
# of Leaves = 4
Pack Thickness = 1-1/8
it might be smarter to just use stock chero leafs if you want the softest possible ride and flex? just check yours first to see if its the higher capacity spring or not first.
Last edited:
