Buggy spring input

[86yota]

What do all of you think about buggy springs?  I have an extra set of toy rear top leaves laying on my floor and was contemplating some sort of buggy leaf setup.  Ive heard some people say there unstable.  Some say there great.  Some say they give you extreme axle wrap.  Any info and or pictures of your setup would be appreciated.  Should I use just one leaf? or?

[WHITE_TRASH]

If you have to rely on buggy springs to have any travel you need to reevaluate your suspension.  They look good on a ramp but suck donkey dong everywhere else. 

[Yota4life]

yeah i am running one right now and.....they put out so much axle wrap, you loose so much traction because of them. Iv almost rolled going down a steep incline and turning to the right at the bottom, i had to turn left and punch it. They just unload completly. Im going to get rid of them as soon as possible. I could just move the u-bolts and make it so they can only droop out a little and that would keep the axle wrap down. Im still thinking about what i want to do

[synwars]

I've heard all sorts of negative reports from people on buggies. I asked them how they set them up and about 3/4 of the people said they haven't run them they just heard it was bad, and the rest didn't set them up properly. The people who said they work have actually tried it out and stuck with it.

I'm gonna be trying it out as well, and here is what I picked up:

-Reverse stack your donor springs (at least 3) to prevent radical unloading.
-Sandwich it to the frame if you don't want anything too permanent, otherwise drill and bolt them in place.
-Must build a traction bar to prevent axle wrap and or sloppiness.
-Weld in long retainers to keep them in place and from slipping side to side.
-If you make the retainers wide enough you can drill out a hole through them so you can slip in a pin to lock em into place for DD.
-Rubber bumps on the frame keeps it quiet.

When I was deciding for rear springs, I was gonna pick up some 63's but I know too many people that say they run em and they flex great but they are always hangin them up on rocks on departure because they stick out so long. So I decided on shorter hybrid 3rd generation rears, which are still longer than stock, so I can still add in buggy springs if I wanted. After doing a flex test with my 6 pack of 1st gen rears up front and my 4 pack of 3rd gen rears in the rear, I could clearly see I was going to need more flex out back. So comes the decision to drop in some buggies. I'll post up some pics and a write up when I'm done! Cheers!

[WHITE_TRASH]

I have NO axle wrap at all and I have decent travel.  Im running 3rd gen rears up front and broncoII rears inboarded.  The way I see things is if you need a traction aid such as a wrap bar, panhard etc in order to run a set of leafs you need to toss it in the garbage and link it.  I just cant see the reasoning behind adding all sorts of geegaws in order to use a set of simple leafs.

[Yota4life]

I might buy this set up that a guy makes around here. Its a revolving shackle set up. I will post a pic

[WHITE_TRASH]

That will still unload on you, not as badly as buggies but it will get you in the end. 

[Yota4life]

What synwars is talking about is the only good way to do it. A trac bar, quick release pin for DD and long retainers would make it a nice set up. I have a little rubber bump stop where the shackle sits but when i go over any big bumps the bed flys up and the buggy leaf smacks the frame. Its very annoying and sounds like your beds going to fall off. When i take off from a stop the leaf wraps and lifts up the back of the truck. I think im going to go with the revolving shackle set up, a lot more stable.

[Yota4life]

That will still unload on you, not as badly as buggies but it will get you in the end.

I know these can still unload but not to the point of rolling over foward. I dont know if i will run these, but iv been thinking about it. I think i should just run a longer shackle, mount it, and be done. I dont think i will be satisfied with the flex though

[WHITE_TRASH]

What springs do you have in the rear now? 

[Yota4life]

What springs do you have in the rear now?

63" chevys

[BigMike]

Behold: THE SHACKLE OF DEATH:

[Yota4life]

Its that bad?

[WHITE_TRASH]

Hell with 63" chebies all you have to do to get them to flex is add about 500lbs to the rear and they'll flex great.  They dont do a damned thing till there is weight on them.  Going to one long shackle will help though.

[mr4x42u]

That looks like a cluster flop of shackles..Thats a mess...

[mr4x42u]

I have NO axle wrap at all and I have decent travel.  Im running 3rd gen rears up front and broncoII rears inboarded.  The way I see things is if you need a traction aid such as a wrap bar, panhard etc in order to run a set of leafs you need to toss it in the garbage and link it.  I just cant see the reasoning behind adding all sorts of geegaws in order to use a set of simple leafs.

I bet you have more axle wrap then you think..There is almost no spring pack that will take it all out..You may feel it alot less now that you have a thicker pack..but once you get in the rocks you will feel it..anit wrap bars are the if there designed right..and why not run one..they take out wrap and help traction,,and that means less broken parts..

[WHITE_TRASH]

Ill find out in a couple weeks at funny rocks....  Im sure that there is some wrap on full droop, there isnt much way around that without a traction arm.  hell I have the arm already made up and the mount for the shackle is already welded to the frame but I havent needed it so far.

[Yota4life]

Budbuilt makes a trac bar setup with a shackle for like 350.00$. I would get one but seems like it would get hung up on the rocks big time. Im going to keep my bed, im putting a roll bar in the bed that i just got from a friend for free, and with a 36" TSL SX spare tire im going to mount in the bed i think i would have decent flex with a 2 inch longer shackle than im running now. What do you gusy think?

[WHITE_TRASH]

What is your shackle angle like now?  MR4x42U is running a single shackle on his runner with 63's and it works really good. 

[mr4x42u]

I have all of about 20 bucks in my traction bar..They don't hang up..If anything it will help your drive line..I skid along mine and it gives me just enough room to keep the drive shaft happy and safe from damage,,for the most part,,theres alwasy an excption to the rule..

I never thought I had bad axle wrap either till i was fully getting on on dry rocks,,full droop or not...

[mr4x42u]

The other thing nice about a ttraction bar is its saves the springs from getting that S in them..

The allpro springs are a thick pack and they wrap like mad..its needed and its will save your springs..The difference is so noticable you will wonder how you got along with out it..

[Yota4life]

What is your shackle angle like now? MR4x42U is running a single shackle on his runner with 63's and it works really good.

The pic i posted of my buggy leaf, thats the angle it is when it sits on the frame.

[Yota4life]

mr4x42u can you post some pics of your rig and rear suspension set up. I wanna see how its all set up

[WHITE_TRASH]

That angle pretty much sucks, it actually reminds me of my current rear angle.  I need to move the mount really badly.  Id go about 1.5-2 inches farther forward and use a shackle about 2" longer than what you are running now.  You will like the difference it provides Im sure.  

[Yota4life]

That angle pretty much sucks, it actually reminds me of my current rear angle.  I need to move the mount really badly.  Id go about 1.5-2 inches farther forward and use a shackle about 2" longer than what you are running now.  You will like the difference it provides Im sure. 

Thats what i plan on doing. I want a little more lift to even it out because it looks like the rear sags a little bit and it will sit more even with weight in the back. I was thinking of running rubicon express flex joints, dont think you can go wrong with those

[WHITE_TRASH]

Thats what MR4x42U is running.  Actually I think they are the allpoo's but its the same difference either way.

[mr4x42u]

y,,I got mine from all pro,,butlike trash said,,same thing..jonny joint shackle mounts in the rear with 63 chevies,no over load and i will run a 5 in shackle..I run 36 I rocks with measure just shy of 37's..I am pretty happy with my set up..Here is a pic from last weekend..

[WHITE_TRASH]

Whoa that pic has been photochopped!  Here is the origional one just for reference....

[Yota4life]

I also have 36" iroks, but i plan on running 7inch shackles, and have a good shackle angle. Im going to order up the rubicon express joints. Got anymore flex pics, maybe on a flex ramp or somethin

[mr4x42u]

LOL,,trash,,your too much..


here is what I based my trac bar off of..All solid bushings and let the slip joint take care of droop and twist in the rear axle..With solid bushings it made it cheap to build..


I have a few more inches to go up before I get that tire off the ground but it  about that area..using a 5in shackle..