3/4 ellip. i need tips/advice

[Midnightwagon]

ok i want to go 3/4 elliptical (sp?) on the jeep.
can i do it for the front and the rear or am i better off just with the rear? i have several ideas on how to go about this but no real solid plans. i belive i have everything to do it. steel, welder, springs. all that kind of stuff. but any advice from someone who has done this? or anyone wanna talk me out of this?
thanks in advance
jeremy

[rockjeep44]

A couple things to keep in mind. If you do it in the rear make sure you make yourself a bad@ss traction bar because in the rear when you hit the gas the torque will want to pull the elliptical spring down away from the framerail and will cause a gigantic hopping motion. In the front you will need to do a shackle reversal for starters but then you are set because when you hit the gas the elliptical spring will simply push up against the framerail and there will be no hop. It's definitely a pretty trick setup if done right (shackle reversal front, traction bar rear) so I say get your ducks in a row and go for it.
-Andrew

[orangecherokee]

i've seen this set-up before on a huge J10 in my home town. the guy just fabbed a couple mounts and he was in business. i wish i had taken a picture but i'm a moron. anyway, if i see him running around i'll try and track him down to get one. good luck

[HeepofaJeep]

OK, I always get this confused. 3/4 elliptic is where half a spring leaf connects to the normal leaf spring pack, correct?

If I did that (what I described) my idea would be to use an m715 leaf for the elliptic part. (stiffer, so it would not drop SOO easily)

[John V]

This is what I am planning on for the rear of my 53. I am working on a locking mechanism for the eliptical. Something like a atv winch mounted between the framerails to compress the suspention so a locking pin can be slid in. That is on the back burner till I get the drivetrain worked out and gathered up though. It will be interesting to see any other ideas on the subject.

[tomd]

Originally posted by rockjeep44:
A couple things to keep in mind. If you do it in the rear make sure you make yourself a bad@ss traction bar because in the rear when you hit the gas the torque will want to pull the elliptical spring down away from the framerail and will cause a gigantic hopping motion. In the front you will need to do a shackle reversal for starters but then you are set because when you hit the gas the elliptical spring will simply push up against the framerail and there will be no hop. It's definitely a pretty trick setup if done right (shackle reversal front, traction bar rear) so I say get your ducks in a row and go for it.
-AndrewI second the traction bar, or another plus is to make them lockable, so on road, they can't move, helps prevent hop too. With a shackle reversal front, i still wonder, is the the possibility some people have had with revolvers and a shackle reversal? When climbing a hill, the front axle can just pull the buggy spings, possibly bending, and not moving the vehicle one bit?

[orangecherokee]

NO, in the front, buggy springs compress against the frame which makes them like stock, but in the rear they pull away from the frame which mandates the use of a traction bar. Going to the trouble of making them lockable on road is stupid, because honestly you can just drive slower and forget all the hassle. Going to the trouble of modifying your truck to make it handle better on road is just plain http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/Misc-Pictures/rainbow.gif I know people would go through the roof hearing that but hey this is the offroad section so they can kiss my white @ss.
-Andrew

[rockjeep44]

That klast most was made by me, it's just that I'm drunk as OCs apt, but don't let that take anything away from the tech value d@mnit!

[Brown Bear]

Imagine that, some people use their rigs for double duty........

[Midnightwagon]

nope the farthest i will drive it is to my offroad areas. the longest trip this pig will make when done will be the 45 miles to glamis.

[KYJ10]

Hey Andrew, tell us how you really feel!LOL

[ June 29, 2003, 06:19 AM: Message edited by: KYJ10 ]

[Panther]

There are some pics of 3/4 rear leafs (aka buggy springs) and "inboarding" here: http://www.geocities.com/worm2881/index.html

[Midnightwagon]

sweet!!!!!! that sounds like a way better idea than what i was planning on doing

[JeepKahn]

I think if it was me I'd use more than one leaf on the top...

[Midnightwagon]

yam im considering using at leas half of the springs from my donor truck, im not sure if im gonna use my springs for the 1/2 pack or the suburban springs it depends what springs give me the lift to match the front

[BIG BAD JON]

Ive been thinking of doing that to my Patrol...

[orangecherokee]

Originally posted by Brown Bear:
Imagine that, some people use their rigs for double duty........well, i thought the same way for awhile until i realized there's a fine line between the two but once you cross it it's over. you now have a trail rig and you might as well keep building it. if you want a highway rig, buy another one.

[jode]

That top spring might not droop as much as you think it will....start with the one spring and then add more if it droops too much on you...I had a freind do it and he was wishing it would droop some more....

[Navajo]

Who wants to offroad? It would dirty up all the chrome on my jeep.

[rockjeep44]

Originally posted by jode:
That top spring might not droop as much as you think it will....start with the one spring and then add more if it droops too much on you...I had a freind do it and he was wishing it would droop some more....Definitely only use one leaf...you want that booger to pull away as far as possible. Otherwise why go to the trouble to get a minimal amount of flex.
-Andrew

[tomd]

Originally posted by orangecherokee:
NO, in the front, buggy springs compress against the frame which makes them like stock, but in the rear they pull away from the frame which mandates the use of a traction bar. Going to the trouble of making them lockable on road is stupid, because honestly you can just drive slower and forget all the hassle. Going to the trouble of modifying your truck to make it handle better on road is just plain http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/Misc-Pictures/rainbow.gif I know people would go through the roof hearing that but hey this is the offroad section so they can kiss my white @ss.
-AndrewStill doesn't answer my question of if there is a shackle reversal, while hill climbing, couldn't something similar happen, as the problems with revolvers for some people on shackle reversals, like once the fronts tires are up the ledge, just pulling away, and compressing the buggy spring, possibly bending, because there is nothing to pull the rest of the vehicle up? I've seen pics of when its happened with revolvers.

Having them lock wouldn't have to be for highway use, maybe if your bouncing, doesn't seem like it would be great to have them loose , just seems like it could cause more problems...

And just cuz its in the off road section, doesn't mean it can't be somewhat highway friendly, it can function to get itself to the trail, and run the trials, and get back, and cruise around or whatever the hell you want to do with it... And no, i am not gonna kiss your white @ss, whatever a @ss is... ;)

[rockjeep44]

I never said it wasn't cool to have a rig that does daily duty, I just said it was a waste of time to try and make it handle better on the road when these things don't even handle well on the road stock. Just drive slower. If you're gonna do hardcore mods deal with the fact that it's gonna suck on the road and moveon. Don't be a turd and spend your time designing some crappy restraint system so you can go around turns at 50mph when it probably wouldn't work anyways. That was my only point. Don't even get me started on swaybars and swaybar disconnects!
-Andrew

[orangecherokee]

Originally posted by orangecherokee:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Brown Bear:
Imagine that, some people use their rigs for double duty........well, i thought the same way for awhile until i realized there's a fine line between the two but once you cross it it's over. you now have a trail rig and you might as well keep building it. if you want a highway rig, buy another one.</font>[/QUOTE]i think i said that it's not worth it and i believe it. i've tried to do it and it's just not gonna happen. my next vehicle will be one i tow with and drive daily. but to each is his own and if you want to try, go right ahead but don't say we didn't warn you.