[shep]

on my last fishing trip i had a few dramas with my rear suspension. when
i hooked my trailer on the rear springs flattened out and the shackle
laid flat on the chassis. my springs are calmini 100mm lift that have
6 leaf packs. i didn't overload the car and had around 350kg including
me, plus about 20kg trailer towball weight.

is there any way i can keep my nice long flexy springs but get a bit off
load carrying capacity back? air bags or air shocks maybe. any suggestions?

[lump_a_charcoal]

Airbags. When you have a load on, pump them up. They are cheap when fully manual...

[want33s]

I have a set of overload springs for a falcon here.. When towing or carrying something heavy you just clamp the extra leaf to the existing packs...takes about 15 minutes each side. Something like this may be available in a smaller size that will suit a Sierra...
Otherwise...
Airbags are good if there's room.

[Fatzook]

shep wrote:

on my last fishing trip i had a few dramas with my rear suspension. when
i hooked my trailer on the rear springs flattened out and the shackle
laid flat on the chassis. my springs are calmini 100mm lift that have
6 leaf packs. i didn't overload the car and had around 350kg including
me, plus about 20kg trailer towball weight.

is there any way i can keep my nice long flexy springs but get a bit off
load carrying capacity back? air bags or air shocks maybe. any suggestions?

Can you post a pic of your shackle angle at rest while the zook is unladen? My guess is that your shackles have too much angle and are inverting. If this is the case it is a simple matter of moving the shackle hanger to correct the angle.

Pete

[lump_a_charcoal]

An inverted shackle is where it goes up in front of the hanger - Imagine the shackle moving forwards, not back, unless I am mistaken...

[Fatzook]

lump_a_charcoal wrote:

An inverted shackle is where it goes up in front of the hanger - Imagine the shackle moving forwards, not back, unless I am mistaken...

Whether the shackle flips up infront of the hanger or behind the hanger is irrelevant. If it can do either, there is something wrong with the shackle angle.

[shep]

while it is not completely empty it only weighs half me anyway

[lump_a_charcoal]

Looks ok to me...

[shep]

that's what i thought as well lumpy but another 200kg and the spring touches
the shackle mount.

[lump_a_charcoal]

Put a longer load leaf in then, or get airbags, or use a trailer.

[shep]

lump_a_charcoal wrote:

Put a longer load leaf in then, or get airbags, or use a trailer.

lol i do use a trailer. all that goes in the car is food, piss and fuel
the rest goes in the trailer. i think air bags will be the go, or maybe a coil
helper spring.
am i the only person that goes touring in a sierra?

[Fatzook]

You could probably move that hanger back about 10 or 15mm. Shackle angle should be around 30-35 deg. That looks more like 45. Or as others have said, stiffen up your current springs or get some helper bags.

[lump_a_charcoal]

Or drink less!

[shep]

lump_a_charcoal wrote:

Or drink less!

PIGS ARSE I WILL

[royce]

if there is a pic i cant see it on my phone
Moving the shackle mount will up the spring rate as well, make some helper springs to go over the diff

[Brett]

another long spring 3rd or 4th down with a heavy spring rate will help you when loaded but if its to heavy won't flex unloaded. i'd be leaning more to the 4th in the pack.

[Brett]

another long spring 3rd or 4th down with a heavy spring rate will help you when loaded but if its to heavy won't flex unloaded. i'd be leaning more to the 4th in the pack.

how much up travel do you have before it on the bump stops unloaded?

80mm is about as much as i like.

[shep]

Brett wrote:

another long spring 3rd or 4th down with a heavy spring rate will help you when loaded but if its to heavy won't flex unloaded. i'd be leaning more to the 4th in the pack.

how much up travel do you have before it on the bump stops unloaded?

80mm is about as much as i like.

it has probably about 160 to 200mm up travel, i will piss the compressor off tomorrow and take some more photos.
the more i think about it i think the problem may be because the rear springs are supposed to be used with the shackles that i have on the front springs.
i didnt want to use the shackel reversal stuff that was in the kit and had to put the shackles on the front to level it out a bit.