latest build. long arm 3-link, steering, buggyleaf

[redrider2911]

What's with the shackle angle on that leaf spring? Looks like it's a little... tilted the wrong way. How's it look at ride height?

Also, I might be wrong but those look a lot like grade 5 bolts holding the upper leaf/shackle mount to the plate...

EDIT: I'm not familiar with buggy stuff at all, maybe it's just me. But it looks pretty strange compared to what I'm used to.

The shackle angle looks great at ride height tilted towards the back. Almost half the axle weight is being supported by the springs in those pictures. So its pretty much what it would look like at about half flex. They were grade five bolts becuase thats what i had laying around at the time. Made a list and ran to the hardware store later. Its not really an eliptical setup which is probably what your used to seeing.

 

[redrider2911]

I THINK that the plan is for the buggy spring to ride flat up against the plate that it is bolted to (at the bottom of the shackle box). In that pic the axle is dropping so it is pulling that spring down. There appers to be tabs on either side of the spring. As the OP stated it is designed so the buggy spring can be "pinned" in place for street driving. I think those tabs w/ holes are there to accommodate said pin and hold the buggy spring from unloading while on the street.

That could also explain the shackle angle... the axle is completely unloaded in the pic so the shackle will be pulled forward. Depending on how stiff the leaf is i would think that the shackle angle would sit at around 70* to the ground when carrying the weight of the vehicle... but thats just a VERY rough guess. All depends on how much the leaf will flatten out. based on a 2nd look at the pics it may be more vertical than 70*...

Yep exactly, thank you. I guess I should of read all the replys first before i started responding. lol The shackle sits at about 5 or 11 o clock at ride height depending on how you look at it. It rides real smooth and will be even smoother and at a better shackle angle when i remove the block and add a leaf and put in a longer 6.5 inch spring and move the bolts up one notch on the shackle.

 

[themangeraaad]

FWIW, if at all possible and to further extend your droop/ride quality you should shift that buggy sprint forward a bit... redrill holes or what ever is needed.

different people say different things but based on a lot of the reading I have done you want the shackles to be about 45 degrees to the leaf spring.

I am actually somewhat tempted to try this out myself. Just for sh*ts and giggles if nothing else. :dunno:


I am just trying to figure out if that might make your shackle more prone to inverting if loaded/unloaded quickly.

 

[redrider2911]

FWIW, if at all possible and to further extend your droop/ride quality you should shift that buggy sprint forward a bit... redrill holes or what ever is needed.

different people say different things but based on a lot of the reading I have done you want the shackles to be about 45 degrees to the leaf spring.

I am actually somewhat tempted to try this out myself. Just for sh*ts and giggles if nothing else. :dunno:


I am just trying to figure out if that might make your shackle more prone to inverting if loaded/unloaded quickly.

Yea 45 degrees might be pretty good. I have to wait to order rusty's 6.5 springs and i know it will change the angle. The eye of the buggy leaf is actually about 3/4 of an inch forward from the stock shackle bracket hole. It wasnt that difficult to do, if you need anything just let me know. I havent had any trouble with unloading, inverting, or clunking in the back end either.

 

[ehall]

post a pic at natural stance with it pinned up

 

[stumpXJ]

It looks like a cool set-up, in theory I can see it working pretty well once you get all the angles worked out, The physics of it makes sense. I think its just different from what a lot guys are used to seeing, which is where all the questions are coming from. I would definitely be interested in seeing this work... I need to completely re-do my rear, and have never seen a system like this.

Nicely done on the front as well.... but I gotta ask. Dont you have a shop to work in??? Looks cold on that ground!



~James

 

[redrider2911]

Nicely done on the front as well.... but I gotta ask. Dont you have a shop to work in??? Looks cold on that ground!



~James

Thanks, I have a shop, sorta... Its more like a shed with a propane tank heater. lol I figured it was more important to have my welder, saw, and milling machine in there. It was freezing though. I have a video of a day where it thawed outside then refroze with a jackstand stuck on the ground. Had to pull it out with my brothers jeep! I need to post that on youtube and post a link.

 

[trippled]

what kind of wheeling do you normally do? only reason i ask is because i had revolvers on my jeep for a while and hated the rapid unloading on drop offs and such. im wondering if youre going to run into the same predicament. its quite puckering.
front end looks great tho. really dig the color choices and the hex stock.

 

[blacklabel000]

quick question for you, did you ever think of stepping up to 7/8s joints for your steering, and also going bigger on your control arms? or are the 3/4s joints pleanty strong for what your doing with the rig?

-Has anyone used 7/8s heims on the front steering? or is that just excessive....

thanks,
-Nick

 

[redrider2911]

Hey there redrider2911, I was PM'ing you about doing a custom job on my cherokee. Your mailbox is full so I couldnt respond to your PM. I'll check back later today... What you did to this xj is what I done to my xj basically haha. Looks great!

Sorry man, i was wondering why i wasnt getting responses from anyone in my box! Cleared out the inbox guys. didnt know you could fill her up...:doh:

 

[redrider2911]

quick question for you, did you ever think of stepping up to 7/8s joints for your steering, and also going bigger on your control arms? or are the 3/4s joints pleanty strong for what your doing with the rig?

-Has anyone used 7/8s heims on the front steering? or is that just excessive....

thanks,
-Nick

I havent had any trouble with the 3/4 wearing out or breaking. If anyone else has let me know, i would like to know if i should step it up for future projects. As far as the material, 1 1/4 solid stainless stress proof hex? I have landed on my tie rod a couple times pretty darn hard and havent made a dent.

 

[redrider2911]

what kind of wheeling do you normally do? only reason i ask is because i had revolvers on my jeep for a while and hated the rapid unloading on drop offs and such. im wondering if youre going to run into the same predicament. its quite puckering.
front end looks great tho. really dig the color choices and the hex stock.

I do alot of differnet wheeling, from trails with tight corners, hills, and the occassional tank trap, to the rocks, valleys, and occassional crevice. Haven't ever had a problem yet with it unloading on my rig, i think the difference is the spring has its own force that keeps it in check, while the revolver is taking the force from you leaf spring and shackle mount then throwing it wherever it wants. Sorry if that dosent make sense. You would have to be in my head. lol

 

[redrider2911]

I did get some shackle pics with it at ride height, and some flex pics before the buggy leaf was put on.

35" tire

front clip on a friends trooper with chevy running gear.

35" tire and 12 inch ramp

sorry about how dark it is guys

Dont mind the Trail Master sticker, it was on there before i started lol

There it is, ill get more in the daylight and on the trail this weekend. gonna be a snow run so probably nothing with a whole bunch of twist to get that buggy spring to drop out...

I also wanted to do a quick picture show/write up on my renix stroker i built and modified the renix head for a 99+ intake. What do you think, street and performance or modified tech?

Thanks for checking out the post!

 

[blacklabel000]

oh, we had a little miscommunication up there. I didnt mean the Hex material, i know how stout that stuff is. i was referring to the 7/8 heims you used on the control arms.

the reason i bring all this up is, im doing the same thing you are, and to tell ya the truth...i cant picture in my head the size difference between the 3/4 & 7/8 haha.

thanks again,
-Nick

 

[redrider2911]

It's mostly just the ball and race itself. To be honest, the strength according to the manufacturer rating and from first hand experience is plenty on a 3/4 rod end. What you gain by using a 7/8 rod end is the life of it. A 3/4 rod end will wear out alot faster than a 7/8 simply because there is less surface area touching between the nylon race and the ball.

 

[REVROK]

oh, we had a little miscommunication up there. I didnt mean the Hex material, i know how stout that stuff is. i was referring to the 7/8 heims you used on the control arms.

the reason i bring all this up is, im doing the same thing you are, and to tell ya the truth...i cant picture in my head the size difference between the 3/4 & 7/8 haha.

thanks again,
-Nick

Size difference is 1/8 of an inch. There, someone had to say it...

 

[blacklabel000]

well i realize that Revrok! thanks

 

[98xjjeeper]

oh, we had a little miscommunication up there. I didnt mean the Hex material, i know how stout that stuff is. i was referring to the 7/8 heims you used on the control arms.

the reason i bring all this up is, im doing the same thing you are, and to tell ya the truth...i cant picture in my head the size difference between the 3/4 & 7/8 haha.

thanks again,
-Nick

Not to take the thread of subject but, I run 7/8ths hiems all around on my 3 link. Plenty strong for a mild XJ. I treat mine like a race truck most the time and have yet to have a problem. Definatily don't run 3/4 on the lowers though and for the price difference, you migh as well run 7/8ths on the upper to so you never have to worry. while i dont see the 3/4ths breaking on the lowers, They my bend over time and 7/8ths gives you a little more reassurance.

 

[BenDiesel]

so its been 2 weeks. how bout the daylight picts? how you like the ride

 

[redrider2911]

Sorry for the delay. The guy ended up having financial problems so the jeep sat for a while. I really liked the color scheme we put together so i bought it back from him! lol we took it up wheelin to elbe hills here in washington and ran the busy wild trail. It performed great! Ill get you guys those pics soon. probably just put a link up to my photobucket album.