NEED TO SOFTEN MY RIDE (leaf springs)

[xjbubba]

The only way I know to have your cake and eat it too, is to have coils in the rear. Or, alternatively, drop the mounts for the leaf springs, so that a softer, flatter spring will work at the height you want it to. Normally, after-market lifts are accomplished by using a stiffer, arched spring. I personally think it's an oxymoron to think highly arched, stiffer springs are going to ride like a stock Cherokee. I lowered the front mounts of my rear springs 1-1/2 inches; wished I'd dropped them farther. I'm at 6 inches, and rides like truck:idea:

 

[jakec]

Well said... I made the key points bold... :cheers:

LOL..Thanks! I also agree with you on the revolvers.

Semper Fi...You could try adding weight to the rear. Maybe 200 lbs., or more. It will soften your ride a little, and you can remove it when you wheel. Your springs may also just need to break in more, and the weight will help this. I don't know how much of a difference this will make, though. Without addressing the shackle angle, you're pretty limited.

Jake

 

[Semper Fi]

Relocate your upper shackle mount forward, and use a slightly longer shackle set at the correct angle. Problem solved. It will flex better too.

Well this doesn't sound to hard to do. What would be the correct angle to set them at and, what length would you use? I like the idea of coils but way to expensive for me to even consider.

 

[TNT]

Well this doesn't sound to hard to do. What would be the correct angle to set them at and, what length would you use? I like the idea of coils but way to expensive for me to even consider.

Use a 1"-1.5" longer greaseable shackle and set it for a 20 degree angle forward at ride hieght.

 

[green50gt]

Well here is the deal...This is real world experience talking, whoever can talk all they want, this worked...I installed boomerangs, and it did wonders for my ride in the rear, the 4.5" RE springs had so much arch and nowhere to go with stock shakles. Now I realize if it was simply an extended shackle, or a boomerang, either idea would have helped the ride quality, in my case it was the boomerang. Up travel has been significately improved as well, the highly arched spring can continue traveling when a traditional shackle would have hit the body(frame whatever) in a up travel situation.

Semper FI. My guess is you have stock shackles with your 3.5" RE springs...For $88 bucks for a pair of 1" boomerangs from TNT, you simply cannot go wrong. Now yeah, longer shackles would do the trick as well, but those re springs can flatten out better with the boomerangs...My only regret is that I didnt go to 1.5" inchers instead..I was hoping for a smidge more lift in the back and I didnt get it, I only netted about 1/4" of lift.

 

[jakec]

Well here is the deal...This is real world experience talking, whoever can talk all they want, this worked...I installed boomerangs, and it did wonders for my ride in the rear, the 4.5" RE springs had so much arch and nowhere to go with stock shakles. Now I realize if it was simply an extended shackle, or a boomerang, either idea would have helped the ride quality, in my case it was the boomerang. Up travel has been significately improved as well, the highly arched spring can continue traveling when a traditional shackle would have hit the body(frame whatever) in a up travel situation.

Semper FI. My guess is you have stock shackles with your 3.5" RE springs...For $88 bucks for a pair of 1" boomerangs from TNT, you simply cannot go wrong. Now yeah, longer shackles would do the trick as well, but those re springs can flatten out better with the boomerangs...My only regret is that I didnt go to 1.5" inchers instead..I was hoping for a smidge more lift in the back and I didnt get it, I only netted about 1/4" of lift.

This isn't complicated...If your only point in all that is that the boomerang helped due to clearance issues (the red part of your quote), then I completely agree with you. I also agree that a stock shackle with a 3.5" leaf pack will not fles or ride well. But I think you're also saying that a boomerang alone, due to the shape, will help flex (the blue part of the quote). Then, I disagree.

I know everyone is jealous of my mad artistic skills, but explain to me how the black shackle is going to magically create more flex. The length will affect it, yes, but not the shape. Otherwise, I'll just weld an angled piece to my shackles and just cut out the straight sides...viola, more flex. Why didn't I think of this sooner!!!

hasta:soapbox:

 

[green50gt]

FACTORY LOCATIONS!!!! A boomerang WILL increase flex over a standard shackle ON AN XJ. Yes, doing it your way, making it so that there is nothing to interfere with the shackle, will work. 60% of the people here probably won't do the modification that you've done, so we are talking about apples and oranges. Your right, Im right, case dismissed.

 

[steelmen]

WOW this thread is still alive?

hasta hasta hasta hasta hasta hasta

 

[xjbubba]

Hey guys, the title of this thread, and the question that followed, was regarding a softer ride. I doubt, in the vast majority of set-ups, that any shackle will effect a softer ride--unless the shackle is contacting the frame, etc., and the design (boo ma rang) results in clearing the obstacle. Even then, I'd argue the springs rate and the amount of arch are the determining factors of "soft" ride, not shackle design. Shackle design "could" affect flex. If you want to raise a leaf spring truck, and have a soft ride as well, you need to keep stock springs and lower the spring mounts on the frame, or you need to convert to coil springs.

 

[TNT]

FACTORY LOCATIONS!!!! A boomerang WILL increase flex over a standard shackle ON AN XJ. Yes, doing it your way, making it so that there is nothing to interfere with the shackle, will work. 60% of the people here probably won't do the modification that you've done, so we are talking about apples and oranges. Your right, Im right, case dismissed.

My 2" bastard lift springs that use a 1" greaseable lift shackles do not contact anywhere as the suspension cycles. Switching to a 1" lift boomerang design won't change a thing.... As long as the shackle doesn't interfere anywhere it won't matter which type of shackle you use. As long as they are the same length and greaseable they will perform the same....

Boomerang shackles will increase flex if there is interference. But if there is no interference they make no difference....

A spring with the proper length for the increased arch will be longer and require boomerang shackles to avoid the interference the longer spring causes.

 

[TNT]

Hey guys, the title of this thread, and the question that followed, was regarding a softer ride. I doubt, in the vast majority of set-ups, that any shackle will effect a softer ride--unless the shackle is contacting the frame, etc., and the design (boo ma rang) results in clearing the obstacle. Even then, I'd argue the springs rate and the amount of arch are the determining factors of "soft" ride, not shackle design. Shackle design "could" affect flex. If you want to raise a leaf spring truck, and have a soft ride as well, you need to keep stock springs and lower the spring mounts on the frame, or you need to convert to coil springs.

When you hit a bump it will cause the suspension to compress.

If the shackle angle is at zero degrees or close to it when your suspension compresses it will lift up on the body causing a rough ride. The impact is transfered straight up the shackle to the body as the spring compresses because it can't pivot rearward due to the lack of angle.

By having the shackle at the correct angle the spring can compress without transfering the force upward causing a rough ride. The impact will cause the shackle to pivot rearward without transfering the impact as the spring compresses allowing the spring to absorb the impact.

A longer shackle can have more angle which will improve ride and flex.

The more arch a spring has in it the longer the shackle needs to be.

A spring with a good spring with arch, a soft spring rate and the proper shackle set-up will ride well and still flex well. Check out Denver rear leaf springs for Jeep speed XJ's, they have a soft spring rate, absorb impact great and will still great flex.

If you keep stock spring and lower the mounts you need to lower the bumpstops the same amount. Forcing a spring into a revese arch will shorten its life dramaticly.