Front springs in the rear, can it be done?

[deadironrat]

Well my bed is coming off and I'm going to make some sort of flatbed for my truck. I was planning on cutting off what little extra there is on the rear of the frame to try and gain as much departure angle as possible when I do the shackle flip when I came up with an idea. If I was to use a set of stock front springs in the rear and then move the hanger that is in the very back into the right spot it would help with quite a few things. It would move my rear axle forward about 4 inches helping my break over angle slightly. It would make the very rear shackle hanger 7 1/2 inches closer to the center line of the wheels giving me a far better departure angle.


Has anyone ever done this? If no one has does anyone see any problems with this? I won't have to worry about where my rear wheels are in the fenders because I'll be making my own bed. The only thing I can think of would be that the shorter springs might not flex as well, but the better angles should compensate for that.


Any input or ideas?

[Elliott]

You may gain departure angle but it will cost you flex as the frt springs are shorter. 4-link and coil it if you want all that.

[deadironrat]

So you think losing the flex is not worth gaining the departure angle? I don't do any rock crawling, I do alot more trail riding style offroad and I end up dragging the rear end in stuff like creek beds all the time.


I don't really know if its a good idea or not. I will just already be making new rear hangers and bed so it wouldn't be hardly anymore work to go ahead and use different springs. If I did do it with front springs and move that hanger the 7 1/2 inches forward I could cut off nearly a foot of frame.

I really don't know anything about 4 link systems and would like to just stay with the leaf springs. If that means having to stay with the longer rear leafs thats fine.

[Elliott]

Well, you can try it and see. I think Jeep rear springs are pretty stiff as they are. I'll be putting 63" GM springs in my offroad rig and for departure angle I lifted it bigtime and run 40" tires.
Do you have a lwb? I cut 12" out of my J20 frame under my '65 truck and moved the axle forward 12".

[deadironrat]

I have a short bed, I'm only running 33s tires and I would really like to keep it that way. I'm trying to make it as offroad capable as possible with 33s or if needed 35s. I live in the land of huge trucks and I'm really trying to go a slighty different direction with mine. I want to prove that a properly built truck on 33s can do as well offroad as most trucks on 35-38s.


I guess unless someone has some other points about it I'll go for it and see what happens. If I don't like it I can always 4 link it down the road.

[Elliott]

As soon as you get in their ruts you'll find out it won't... but you can certainly build a more capable rig with your intentions.

[deadironrat]

Very true about they're ruts Elliot, I won't be able to beat them in straight up mud but in overal trails I think I can oust them with some well planned modifications.

[Elliott]

Well, I don't think that front springs are going to be the answer though...
Maybe go with a quarter elliptic in the rear? http://www.rocky-road.com/quarterelliptic.html

[deadironrat]

Well I'll weld up some new hangers and put them on the frame and try it out before cutting off the extra frame and old hangers. That way if I don't like it I can just switch right back to the longer springs. It will probably happen within the next two weeks so I'll let you guys know how it turns out.


It may just turn out to be the perfect low budget solution to my problem. More then likely though it will be like normal and you will be right and the shorter springs will suck

[Elliott]

You can have your cake and eat it too...

http://image.jpmagazine.com/f/8466928/154_0804_01_z+1982_jeep_cj7_bigger_better+axle_view.jpg

[deadironrat]

Wow.....I'm not even sure what that is....

[Gearhead 1990]

I think it will work just fine. My dad has wrangler springs front and rear on his Zuki which I think are about the same length as stock FSJ fronts and it will still flex about 3 feet..... You might be able to get a little bit more out of stock rears but for what you say you do shorter springs should be just fine. Put lockers in it front and rear and you will be surprised at where you can go

[deadironrat]

I've already got a spool in the front and a rebuilt track-loc in the rear (which sucks by the way). It will already go more places then my old stock TJ, I just need to improve the angles some and get better tires.

[Dmntxn77]

Wow.....I'm not even sure what that is....

Looks like a quarter elliptical to me.... Good off-road, not so good on road...


Regarding your front to rear spring swap.... Personally, I think its a bad idea. Since you want to keep 33" tires, you need to make up for the smaller size with serious flex. You will severely limit flex doing the swap. So, for you, it sounds quite counter productive...

[Dmntxn77]

Just bobb the frame after the springs, then build a tube bumper that you can mount as close to the springs as possible. I think that you will be surprised with the difference that it will make.

In fact, if I were you, and didnt want to go ahead with a 4 link, I would swap to 63" cheby springs instead. You can orient the springs so that there is more spring in front of the pin than behind....