LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION - Project Maple Leaf Jeep Build (no. 14)

Рет қаралды 20,399

Жыл бұрын

This video will discuss leaf springs. I talk about some of the pros, cons, and myths about leaf spring suspension. I also discuss the plan for Maple Leaf!
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WarPaintoffroad.com
SHACKLE FRAME MOUNT CALCULATION STEPS:
1. After you find the desired shackle angle, determine the “sin” (pronounced “sign”) of the angle. (You can do this in google or using a calculator).
2. Take the “sin” and multiply by the shackle length you will use.
3. Take that answer and subtract it from the length of the leaf spring.
That will tell you how far from the fixed end to place the shackle mount in the frame to achieve the desired shackle angle when mounting your spring.
***Disclaimer*** This video is just meant to show how I do it. Injury may occur by trying to replicate what is in this video. Attempt at your own risk, with proper equipment and training.

Пікірлер: 77

@Ken19700 3 күн бұрын

You can also get rid of the shackles altogether and replace them with leaf spring sliders.

@WarPaintOffroad 3 күн бұрын

For sure. Didn’t have the ability in this rig in the front. But it’s an option.

@nimarahmati-br5of Ай бұрын

tnx

@M2rb8 11 күн бұрын

My dad had a old Landcruiser J40 and he used to put sandbags in the bed to make in ride better.

@WarPaintOffroad 3 күн бұрын

Yea! That works because it compresses the suspension a bit making the rig “heavier”. Just usually means the spring isn’t matched to the vehicle or that the shackle angle isn’t set as good as it could be. But those truck rode rough off the lot.

@billnu 2 ай бұрын

You called it. I want a leaf spring rig now. It is my first build and I want something simple. Also I was just pricing 3 links. This will satisfy the itch without bankruptcy

@WarPaintOffroad Ай бұрын

😂

@Centex_jeeper Жыл бұрын

Great info man, I can see how lifted leaf sprung vehicles get real stiff. Never put 2 and 2 together before. That’s really cool 👍🏼

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Heck yea man! Thanks for the support!

@StormbornJKU Жыл бұрын

Honestly I had no idea about how leaf springs work and why they are the way they are. It’s actually super super interesting. Really great info here Dan. I learned a hell of a lot about leaf springs. Gives you a different light on them for sure. Thanks!

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Thanks Alex! They aren’t for everyone. But they have a big stigma about them that’s usually not accurate. Thanks for the ongoing support!

@maverick_jl Жыл бұрын

Same!! Good shit!

@Georgia4Low Жыл бұрын

great video Dan, I love how simple leaf springs are for sure.

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

They really are! Simplifies the whole suspension dramatically. And if set up right they work so good. Almost used to rarely now in builds that it’s cool when you see them. Soooo many rigs in coil overs. Cool to be different and do all the same stuff with something simpler and way cheaper. Should be fun!

@charlestiffany1526 Жыл бұрын

Real good information. Thank you

@dougekren6495 10 ай бұрын

Well I guess I no what I will be looking at on my YJ tomorrow, thanks for the help. Just subbed

@Thepreppersbunkeroutdoors 10 ай бұрын

Awesome video man! I wish maple leaf could have stayed leafed! Now I'm dreaming of a 3rd row gladiator suv with a j10 inspired front grill and leafs. Hahahaha

@WarPaintOffroad 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! It was a cool rig. But it’s got to be sold…and it’s an easier sell on springs. 🤷🏻‍♂️ appreciate the support.

@TomSmith-nx3hx Жыл бұрын

Well done. Again. I've got a leaf sprung Jeep and have gone through much of this stuff. It flat out works.

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Heck yea! Thanks for the support! And I’m really happy to hear that you like it! It works so good when it’s set up right, as you know. I love seeing them out there. So many rigs these days built on the newer stuff. I love when I see something on the older stuff running the big stuff with the “new tech” guys.

@mrbrettdimarco Жыл бұрын

That’s was a great explanation! I can’t wait to see this build get its springs 😎

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Thanks Brett! It should be really fun! Can’t wait to start pulling axles and getting this set up!

@jonathansimon2492 10 ай бұрын

Very informative video, thank you. This explains a lot of my ride Issues after a 6” lift. Awesome video again!

@WarPaintOffroad 9 ай бұрын

Awesome! Glad it helped!

@lastchancefarm5913 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the insight. Just finished fabricating a new rear frame on a 96 Tacoma and have been wrestling with mounting position of the shackle hangers. You have just saved me a lot of time !!

@user-su1zz7wd6z Ай бұрын

Would you please explain pros & cons of slider box leaf mounts and why you didnt choose them for your front leaf sping mounts at front of jeep and how that relates to approach angle in a video? Considering a four corner leaf set-up on my XJ.... and on the future buggy project coming up....

@WarPaintOffroad Ай бұрын

So they work great. But they are just loud. The jk was packaged really tight having never been a rig that had a frame designed for leaf springs. So it was just easier to put it in this way. Ut those work!

@jedeckerd5969 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting.

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Yea man. Should be a good build when it’s done.

@jordantrujillo293 Жыл бұрын

Glad I’m subscribed, curious to see how this all turns out

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jordan! Should be fun for sure!

@marla.the.v35 Жыл бұрын

Such great info and well presented! Super vid!

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Hey…thanks for the support! This channel is pretty new. But I’ll be doing a bunch of builds in the future and plan on doing them all differently to show what can be done in a budget and get great performance. The front axle is about ready to slide under the rig and be mocked up soon. So more leaf spring stuff coming soon.

@marla.the.v35 Жыл бұрын

@@WarPaintOffroad looking forward to the future content!

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

@@marla.the.v35 next video drops tonight!

@jaymadeleka4670 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video. I applied the 45 degrees shackle angle to front leaf springs of my FJ 45 landcruiser and now the stiffness is gone.

@WarPaintOffroad 11 ай бұрын

Awesome! Glad to hear it! Keep it up! Those FJ’s are awesome rigs!

@autoglassmike Жыл бұрын

Great video I have a econoline with solid axle swap up front Dana 60. Progressive atlas springs. From looking at your video I think the front shackle angle could be improved. It is almost at 90 degrees now. The only thing is will the caster be affected. Playing around with shackle length and angle I should be able to get it dialed in. Thanks

@charlesboetel1324 Жыл бұрын

I used to build SOA Jeeps etc back in the 90s. Brake dive, and worse front axle hop under braking are the issues with soft leaf sprung SOA jeeps. Anti rap spring perches help, but I built links on Jeeps and a toyota that I put on wrangler/ xj springs, to control that.

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Good point! Thanks for the support!

@ceanerngaming-moonknight_yj 5 ай бұрын

Great info. I'm building my yj currently. And sticking with my leaf springs. Wouldnt mind getting your thoughts on the setup for boomarang shackles. As im also running shackle reversal setup as well.

@WarPaintOffroad 5 ай бұрын

I like a boomerang shackle. It’s definitely a good idea for sure.

@adambatchelder4121 10 ай бұрын

Great video ive got custom rate national spring springs that are 5 ft in the back and 55 inches in the front of my 73 chevy it works very well. I do use a track bar up front because I like tight steering when on the road . I also built a anti wrap single link in the back because big tires , big power v8 and soft springs. More or less work or money compared to links and coils ? Maybe maybe not but I like it.

@WarPaintOffroad 9 ай бұрын

So good! Thanks for the support.

@AhilMohan Жыл бұрын

9:40 you used a different eyelet length, of course it'll be stiffer on the shorter length eyelet. If you demonstrated it using the same length shackle then it actually is softer at 90°

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

This was a demonstration and you took a small clip of it. That isn’t what this was about. In the seconds after that part of the video I talk to people not changing their shackle length and getting a more arched spring, which can be shorter and changes the shackle angle…SHACKLE angle is what changes the way a spring acts. People mess with it by putting longer or shorter shackles on…and SOMETIMES that works but it always comes back to the angle. If the angle isn’t right off the frame…it won’t ride well regardless of spring. So length isn’t the point. I didn’t have the holes on the board or in the steel to keep it the same length and show the angle being 90. But it doesn’t matter. The point was to show ANGLE.

@9greatdanes981 8 ай бұрын

Ive have a cj 7 for 27 years, the fourth suspension I plan on doing to it. will be wrangler spring over, front shackles reversal with revolver or some sort of rotating shackles. This will be a daily driver and at least a monthly off roader

@WarPaintOffroad 8 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! I’ll be doing mine based on the JK swap trusses but with TJ coil springs.

@9greatdanes981 8 ай бұрын

@@WarPaintOffroad when I would go out with wranglers that had that set up they were envious and the way the leaf springs would level out my jeep. Any truck could out climb me but I could remain level between the axel. DrooP is great but level is upright.

@averagejoe_4985 Жыл бұрын

This is an excellent leaf spring explanation video, especially loved the mock-up for us visual learners. I'm currently building a 95 YJ with a dana 60/Sterling 10.5 out of a leaf sprung 99-04 super duty. My question is about shackle reversals - with the axle moving backward instead of forward, what are your thoughts on how to avoid the driveshaft getting pushed too far into the transfer case and causing damage? At what point does that even become a concern?

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

So that’s a GREAT question. And it depends on how large the shackle is and how much movement you’ll have. But you can always call a custom drive shaft company and have the splines in the shaft be longer than normal. They’ll know exactly what to do to make that a non issue. If you can, put it in a lift and measure that stuff before you call them. But the custom driveshaft shops like Adams will understand the build and they’ll know exactly how much movement you’ll have to get it set up perfect. Thanks for the support!

@ericcasaburro6769 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video. I have a 95 YJ with a 2.5” lift and it is crazy stiff. I need to look at that shackle angle. My question is can the shackle angle be corrected with a boomerang shackle? This way the mounting points don’t have to be relocated.

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

It can help for sure. The best thing to do is to relocate the mounting point. But the boomerang is a good compromise and will make a difference for sure! I have a video coming out tonight that is going to show what I’m doing to fab up the front end on the jku leafspring build I’m doing right now. It might give you some ideas. Part two of the front end will be done next week…just waiting on a part.

@MrArcee52 Жыл бұрын

Great video! I'm about to install a Procomp 2.5" leaf springs lift for YJ. The only thing is I don't know which direction to install them. There's no military wrap at the ends. What is the orientation? Is there a general rule? Thanks for your help.

@lostmancampground 3 ай бұрын

Thoughts on a rear tension shackle setup for leaf springs? My wagoneer has that setup and thinking about upgrading that system with Off-road Design’s long travel shackle and adapting one of the square body hangers to fit my frame

@WarPaintOffroad 3 ай бұрын

I think it’s a great idea!

@lostmancampground 3 ай бұрын

@@WarPaintOffroadwould you use the same kind of angle setup for a tension setup as you would for a compression setup like you displayed?

@michaeljames9671 Жыл бұрын

Best leaf spring explanation on youtube. I'm re springning a '53 cj3b. How do you choose shackle length? Just match the fixed mount (if reusing stock)?

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support brother! You can choose a length that best suits you. For the front, if you aren’t welding on new perches you’ll want to make sure the length is right to give you the best pinion angle. In the rear you’ll want to keep that on might and also set it up with lift height in mind. There are some calculation on the internet. But that’s the basic things you want to keep in mind. You have much more flexibility when you are putting new perches on the axle and can weld them in to set your pinion angle.

@neziosm7523 10 ай бұрын

do lift/extended shackles flatten out leaf springs badly? what are the pros and cons for these?

@darrinschaub6086 11 ай бұрын

YJ is the first wrangler 😉

@ShoddyRC 10 ай бұрын

Would you still aim for 30-45 degrees at ride height for a spring under setup?

@eXplorerShop1 11 ай бұрын

Did you ever did it? I could not find a video of your leaf install...

@WarPaintOffroad 11 ай бұрын

Yes sir! This jeep actually was off-roading in Moab, Utah and in Texas. There is a playlist specifically about this jeep.

@benorlik2894 Жыл бұрын

Great info, and so clearly described. Are you worried about axle wrap in the back? Can’t wait to see vid on setting your spring perches on your axle and the effect on pinion angle and castor angle. And what do you think about ride quality with offset leaf springs or offset spring perches to adjust/stretch your axle position/wheelbase?

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

All amazing questions. So axle wrap is a concern. I’ll be mounting an anti-wrap bar on the rear axle and welding it to a crossmember to prevent it. That and also going to run an anti-wrap perch in the rear. I’ll explain it when the time comes to make that video. Offset perches definitely change the ride..but, with it being completely custom the perches won’t be offset on this rig. So it should be pretty easy in this case to dial in. On a more factory modified rig, it’s a pro/con scenario. Sometimes the stretch is worth the sacrifice in ride. Depends on the uses and what you are looking to do with it. The more you build it to be focused at doing one thing really well, the worse it is at doing other things. Pretty much why hood commuters aren’t race cars and rock crawlers. And it’s why specifically built rock crawlers aren’t good race cars…etc. but it will all get talked about in future videos. THANKS FOR THE QUESTIONS AND SUPPORT!

@benorlik2894 Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Can’t wait for the upcoming vids! Hoping you talk about caster and pinion angle and driveshaft issues. Really enjoy all your videos!!

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

@@benorlik2894 thanks for the support! I’ll definitely talk about it!

@OFFAxisBuilds Жыл бұрын

great video man. what are your thought on boomerang shackles?

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support! I like them! They have some good benefits.

@mikewhitton4553 Жыл бұрын

What springs and shackles are you going to run?

@WarPaintOffroad Жыл бұрын

4 inch shackles and 1985 grand wagoneer rear leafs on all four corners. They worked pretty well. But life happened and this rig is actually being swapped back to jk rubicon axles and getting long armed to be sold. The one tons are going under a different jeep the owner has. The first part of that video is coming out tomorrow.

@jameslandon4126 2 ай бұрын

Having the shackle on the front sucks for on road use.

@WarPaintOffroad 2 ай бұрын

I think you have that backwards. The shackle on the front is less desirable for Offroad use…but better for on road. The reason they normally put the shackle on the front for on road use is to avoid the nose dive you get while hitting the brakes hard in a panic stop. Makes it easier to control the vehicle. Makes it stiffer…but easier to control on road. Off road…..the shackle in the front hurts approach angle and changes the way a front tire climbs an obstacle…so it’s more desirable to have the shackle on the rear of the spring.

@jameslandon4126 2 ай бұрын

@@WarPaintOffroad Sorry about the confusion, I know the video is about Jeeps but I was just basing my opinion on my experience with full size trucks. My '96 F350 would experience a quick back and forth bounce when hitting bumps on the highway because of the front shackle swinging the axle forward on bumps and the recoil was felt in the truck. My '79 F350 has the shackles in the rear and I don't feel any of that. I never experienced nose dive on either truck because they both had stiff ass suspension. Jeeps are a different story.