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Removing Leafs...
https://auszookers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22954		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  HDG05 [ Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:17 am ]
Post subject:  Removing Leafs...
Hi Guys(90' SJ70 WT)

Not long had my suzi, has 2 inch lift springs. Just starting to play around with it a bit. I'm very keen to get a fraction of comfort back!!(and some flex of course) It's my first off-road car, and I know they aren't known for there ride quality :) I'm going to remove some leaves and wanted to know if there is anything I need to know about doing this? The fronts have 4 leaves, the rear 5. They are very stiff, total overkill for such a lite car that will never have a load in it or tow anything, just a wkend play toy. I don't want to take out too many and bugger the springs so should I just take off the little bottom thick leaf all round first? or can I get away with removing 2 from the big rear packs straight away? Any past experience would be great. I've heard they can sag if you take to much out?? Thanks for the advice.
Author:  steak_knife [ Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
HDG05 wrote:
Hi Guys(90' SJ70 WT)

Not long had my suzi, has 2 inch lift springs. Just starting to play around with it a bit. I'm very keen to get a fraction of comfort back!!(and some flex of course) It's my first off-road car, and I know they aren't known for there ride quality :) I'm going to remove some leaves and wanted to know if there is anything I need to know about doing this? The fronts have 4 leaves, the rear 5. They are very stiff, total overkill for such a lite car that will never have a load in it or tow anything, just a wkend play toy. I don't want to take out too many and bugger the springs so should I just take off the little bottom thick leaf all round first? or can I get away with removing 2 from the big rear packs straight away? Any past experience would be great. I've heard they can sag if you take to much out?? Thanks for the advice.


Tis a good start......
Author:  nato78 [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
I would leave the flat thick bottom spring and start with removing the one above it. Combine this with removing your sway bar and you will notice heaps of improvement
Author:  alien [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
clamp the springs shut in a vice and remove the center pin, then spot the leaf with the huge arc in it (usually 2nd or 3rd one up) - thats the one you want to take out. it will of course lower the ride height though.

they will sag faster as well, but thats just the price you pay unfortunately. my last set of rear springs lasted me 3yrs and i only run 2 leaves in the pack so they sit dead flat... my fronts are a little past their use-by date and are sitting slightly inverted at ride height =( hehe

check your shockies too... as much as mines on mushy soft leaves im running very stiff shocks so it still drives well - so it kinda counters the softer springs over sudden jolts, but the leaves works great offroad.
Author:  nato78 [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
This is how I did mine.

Jack it up and put stands under the chasis. Remove the wheel.

Clamp the spring pack.

Undo bottom shock mount and pull it away out of the road (leave it connected at the top)

Undo all the U bolt nuts and remove the U bolts and plate

Undo the centre pin nut

Slowly release the clamp on the spring pack, careful coz the springs will be under a bit of load and may fly apart

Remove the leaves that you want

Put the leaves back into the pack that you want to keep

Line the leaves up and put clamp back on

Put the centre pin back in and tighten nut

Put U bolts and plate back in place, lining everything up. Make sure the centre pin lines up with the holes in the spring mount on the axle tube and the U bolt plate. I used a jack at this stage to push everything back into place

Do up the U bolt nuts

Put the shock back on and tighten the nut

Put wheel back on

The process is the same for all 4 corners

Hope this helps
Author:  HDG05 [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
Also, is it worth leaving an extra leaf in the drivers rear pack to counter act the weight on that side from the spare and driver??
Author:  JrZook [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
Yes
Author:  alien [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
what he means to say is yes, but you wont get equal comression and extension from the springs... the drivers side will be stiffer and not cycle as much.

IMO theres no point counteracting the lean other than swapping the springs left and right. any other solution just means you're limiting something.
Author:  JrZook [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
alien wrote:
what he means to say is yes, but you wont get equal comression and extension from the springs... the drivers side will be stiffer and not cycle as much.

IMO theres no point counteracting the lean other than swapping the springs left and right. any other solution just means you're limiting something.


Lol wtf you talking about here??

The main leafs will still be the same lengths hence you will still get the same flex/movement/cycle out of the spring. Say you have an extra 40kg's of weight on the DS and your DS spring rate is also upped by 40kgs. Change in overall spring deflection is zero as you have just compensated for the extra weight biased to the one side.

Make sense?

Spring rate is also determined by static camber height among many other factors. Thus changing around springs with the same amount of leafs/same thickness per pack, the camber height determines the change in rate. Larger camber, greater spring rate.

I run 4 leafs per pack and an extra 5th leaf in my drivers rear pack. Also my DS leafs I set with ~20mm extra camber. It sits level and has been on quite a few trips. Have not lost capability or handling at all. What have I lost?
Author:  alien [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
sure if you balance it spot on you wont lose anything, but what are the odds of getting it exactly right? i doubt anyone has the tools to measure that.
Author:  Ben_Sierra [ Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Removing Leafs...
I don't think it needs to be balanced "spot on" but if the spring is too stiff then the unsprung weight on that corner will not be enough to pull the spring down to its maximum potential droop...

A bit of trial and error will find the best setup...
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