Gaining Up Travel from leaf springs

[Caidan97]

Is there an effective way to gain more up travel/lift from a tension style leaf spring? I currently only have 6-7" of up travel on my leafs (deaver f31) and am trying to gain some lift/uptravel so I can sit in the right zones on my bypass(14"). Currently my hanger sits almost vertical. (7" hanger). Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[Turboyota]

F31’s fucking suck.

Notch the frame, redo shock mounts, and let the springs go into negative arch. You’ll need to have the springs serviced at deaver like every few hundred miles because they will sag and/or break the main leaf. (Expensive & moderate amount of work)

Option 2: get better leaf springs that are spring under. (Even more expensive and even more work to move hangers etc)

Option 3: buy the ugly ruffstuff link kit and live a happy linked life.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

Turbo yota isn't wrong...

But the @Giant Geoff Giant 64 kit is the only option I'd suggest. I've used all 3 shock packages for the rangers and there just isn't a comparison.

The 64 kit aren't links but you can make the truck plenty comfortable to drive with about 9" of up travel.

 

[Brett_408]

X2 on the Giant 64's springs. On my tundra years ago I ran a lighter "prerunner" deaver pack c27's and I notched the frame and let the springs go into negative arch which worked well but like Turbo said I would break the main leaf about once a season. I had a buddy with an identical truck to mine with the 64 kit that cycled more travel without negative arch and never had issues. Basically that is a long winded way of saying just link the truck and don't look back.

 

[Caidan97]

Thanks for all the good info. It sounds like my best option is to throw my bypasses on for now, deal with improper zones in the bypass and start getting parts to link it. To spend $2500-$3000 on leafs would be dumb when I can link it for basically the same price.

Any opinions on 3 link with a pan hard bar with no roll cage? I’ve heard that the frame flexes a lot.

 

[Cleandezert]

i just went through all this with my truck. Links were going to be way more expensive than leafs, coilovers alone made that choice for me. I went spring under with a frame notch and its pretty damn close to feeling like a linked truck. Really its all in what you want the truck for. Full play or race i would do links, if its a commuter to the desert and around town, i am not sure i would go full kill on it. But that is just me.

 

[Brett_408]

Thanks for all the good info. It sounds like my best option is to throw my bypasses on for now, deal with improper zones in the bypass and start getting parts to link it. To spend $2500-$3000 on leafs would be dumb when I can link it for basically the same price.

Any options on 3 link with a pan hard bar with no roll cage? I’ve heard that the frame flexes a lot.

If you have a bedcage that runs towards the back of the frame rails with good enough lacing around the where the pan hard frame side mount is you'd be fine. IMO

 

[Brett_408]

Giant Geoff is the man to talk to about 3 link panhard set ups.

 

[Caidan97]

i just went through all this with my truck. Links were going to be way more expensive than leafs, coilovers alone made that choice for me. I went spring under with a frame notch and its pretty damn close to feeling like a linked truck. Really its all in what you want the truck for. Full play or race i would do links, if its a commuter to the desert and around town, i am not sure i would go full kill on it. But that is just me.

Thats a very good point. I didn’t think about the downsides of links until you mentioned this. My truck is my daily and to get links to drive well I would need to do a lot more work and spend a lot more for things like a sway bar. I’ve considered a short course link set up like the one that Christian (vital designs) did. He was able to keep a lot of bed space and get good travel. Towing it out isn't an option at this time. Seems like links might be a future upgrade as they just complicate everything.

 

[Caidan97]

If you have a bedcage that runs towards the back of the frame rails with good enough lacing around the where the pan hard frame side mount is you'd be fine. IMO

I may do this anyway for leafs. After seeing videos of my truck in small bumps and chatter its crazy how much it flexes.

 

[dwphoto]

@Giant Geoff

 

[84projectFORD]

i daily drive on a 3 link with panhard, cant say i wish i didnt by any means. Sneed many miles of highway for trips or dirt road for trips. good link geometry helps in all driving aspects.

@Turboyota jsut finished his links and love it. That rig of his can and will see highway miles for certain desert trips. @the bodj also linked his s10 and drives that sucker to the desert each time. neither of the aformentioned fellows have sway bars nor do i.

 

[Cleandezert]

Thats a very good point. I didn’t think about the downsides of links until you mentioned this. My truck is my daily and to get links to drive well I would need to do a lot more work and spend a lot more for things like a sway bar. I’ve considered a short course link set up like the one that Christian (vital designs) did. He was able to keep a lot of bed space and get good travel. Towing it out isn't an option at this time. Seems like links might be a future upgrade as they just complicate everything.

i wouldnt hesitate to drive a linked truck to the desert or around town, but for me it really isnt needed. Years ago i raced a linked ranger, then had another cool linked truck... now i am older i realize i was chasing a dream of going fast, got there (i was still slow) and realized its more about the fun and who cares how fast you are going. Dont get me wrong, i may still link my truck someday and a DD kit is rad. But when i added up costs the links and coil overs were double what i was going to pay to do spring under.

 

[Turboyota]

Couple suggestions for street driving linked trucks:
1. No spool. Get a limited slip or selectable locker: e-locker, ox locker, or air locker. A junkyard toyota rearend with an e-locker would be the best budget option.
2. I don’t think you’ll need a swaybar if you get the spring rates & lengths proper.
3. Don’t worry too much about the link geometry. You don’t need to spend 69 hours in the 4-link calculator. Just throw the frame pivots onto the framerails where they fit the best, add an off-the-shelf axle-side bracket kit and fucking party.

 

[Mullen]

I'd run what you have and spend some time valving while you save for a cage. Once caged, then decide what you want to do to the rear. I debated on going with a short course link set up when I caged my truck last year, but decided against it as it would take nearly as much time as going to a traditional link setup with only minimal (IMO) benefit over my leaf setup. I honestly don't even know where my truck rides in relation to the bypass zones and never cared, since the truck works well enough for the current front end.

Realize that when you link it, it often means far more work and money than planned. The truck should be caged first, then figure you'll need at a minimum a new rear end (luckily you ranger guys can use the ecoline 9"), new shocks, fuel cell is likely, etc. Also, short course setups are more difficult to valve.

 

[the bodj]

I won't ever spend time or money building another leaf sprung truck for myself. I built my truck with a very specific purpose in mind of being able to leave the desert without a headache, since I get them really easily when I get jarred around. I have never been in a truly plush leaf sprung truck. I would rather have only coilovers and links instead of leaf springs and bypasses. 10 out of 10 times I would make that decision. Plus the ability to tune ride height, pinion change, anti squat, etc. makes it a no brainer for me. I hate setting up leaf springs and hoping the ride height is good, that I have enough up travel... with links I can build it exactly how I want.

For reference, I used JunkStuff heims and bushing kits for all my pivots. I'll definitely need to replace them after this season or the next, but it got me in the dirt affordably. I don't know the cost breakdown for just my links, but all the pivots for my beams, radius arms, steering, and all link pivots, was $1100. $1250 for the brand new coilovers (just 2.5s, but hey, they get me in the dirt), I built my own links for what, $300? So I was in it for less than $2650 (not including my axle setup). Guys will spend more than that on baller bypasses, plus $1500+ for the leaf springs, plus $500-700 for spring and shackle hangers and new shackles. Links make way more sense to me.

PS: I'm only using 14" coilovers, so I'm limited to about 21" of wheel travel (bumped and strapped). Just another way I was able to cut costs a bit.

 

[Mullen]

I won't ever spend time or money building another leaf sprung truck for myself....

Links make way more sense to me.

I agree, but this assumes that you're building the truck yourself. If I built a new truck, I would go straight to links as I can build them for about as much material cost as the leaf springs. I assume most guys aren't building their own links, making the cost of linking far higher than that of leaf springs.

 

[the bodj]

Couple suggestions for street driving linked trucks:
1. No spool. Get a limited slip or selectable locker: e-locker, ox locker, or air locker. A junkyard toyota rearend with an e-locker would be the best budget option.
2. I don’t think you’ll need a swaybar if you get the spring rates & lengths proper.
3. Don’t worry too much about the link geometry. You don’t need to spend 69 hours in the 4-link calculator. Just throw the frame pivots onto the framerails where they fit the best, add an off-the-shelf axle-side bracket kit and fucking party.

The one thing I will disagree with here is that I would spend time on the link geometry. I have a low antisquat number, and I think that helps with not needing a sway bar.

 

[the bodj]

I agree, but this assumes that you're building the truck yourself. If I built a new truck, I would go straight to links as I can build them for about as much material cost as the leaf springs. I assume most guys aren't building their own links, making the cost of linking far higher than that of leaf springs.

If you were to pay someone to build the truck on a budget, you have two routes:

1. Supply them with coilovers ($1250+/-) and this link kit ($1400+/- after taxes) + whatever labor they're going to charge for basic link install

Trailing Arm 4 Link Kit

Check out the deal on Trailing Arm 4 Link Kit at RuffStuff Specialties

www.ruffstuffspecialties.com

2. Supply them with bypasses ($2000+/-) + $2500 for a Giant spring kit + basically the same labor to do a basic link (assuming going from spring over to spring under)

Option 1 is nearly half the cost of option 2. I don't see how leaf springs are better for a budget, unless you are going full kill on your link setup (beefy axle side mounts, truss, bypasses, etc), or getting your leaf springs and bypasses second hand from the swapmeet pre-covid (prices are stupid high now)

 

[Mullen]

If you were to pay someone to build the truck on a budget, you have two routes:

1. Supply them with coilovers ($1250+/-) and this link kit ($1400+/- after taxes) + whatever labor they're going to charge for basic link install

Trailing Arm 4 Link Kit

Check out the deal on Trailing Arm 4 Link Kit at RuffStuff Specialties

www.ruffstuffspecialties.com

2. Supply them with bypasses ($2000+/-) + $2500 for a Giant spring kit + basically the same labor to do a basic link (assuming going from spring over to spring under)

Option 1 is nearly half the cost of option 2. I don't see how leaf springs are better for a budget, unless you are going full kill on your link setup (beefy axle side mounts, truss, bypasses, etc), or getting your leaf springs and bypasses second hand from the swapmeet pre-covid (prices are stupid high now)

Is there any such thing as a "basic link install"? I don't think there is, but there is a basic leaf install - even conversion to spring-under is basic / simple. A leaf-sprung bed cage can be done with the stock tank, no cage, etc. Also, that Ruff Stuff kit shown will require some sort of B / C-pillar off which to build the shock mounts and at a minimum relocation of the stock tank due to the upper links. That is also to say nothing of the rear end, which on the American trucks requires some attention (or at least some special upper link mounts) due to the cast center section. I'm not saying that a link setup can't be built on a budget, but links and budget don't often go together when paying someone else to do the work.

Plus linking a truck that is not caged is a shit idea. Think of the nuns! The nuns Bodjy!