Idea On suspension. Has it been done? Will it work? your thoughts...

[YotaChris]

Alright first off I have been thinking about redesigning my suspension on my 85 toyota. currently I have 4 inch lift marlin springs up front with boomerang shackles that work perfect and am very satisfied with. For the rear i have 63 chevy springs which work well but i would like more flex than what i am getting which i beleive at the moment is around 12" of travel. I have been thinking about linking my rear but that takes time and money that I have neither of at the moment. I have also thought about fabbing up some sort of extra shackle or buggy spring with a custom fabbed traction bar and possibly running johnny joints. But the question I have is of an idea I just thought of. I don't see a reason why this would not work and would like some opinions. I have thought of running a coiled somewhat linked rearend but using my leaf springs. But instead of running the entire pack I would run just the main leaf to act as my linking arms and which by themselves are very soft. I would then Mount coils to act as my springs and run a buggy leaf or extra shackle to allow the coils to move through there entire range without the limit of the leaf and single shackle. Also I would fab up a traction bar to keep my axle from wrapping due to the lack of the rest of my leaf pack. I think this should work but am not sure. Any ideas?

[DTB]

seems like just a single leaf (instead of a link) would bend to me...but im no engineer 

[88_Pathy]

Sounds weird. But I guess you could, but the track bar would have to be beef.

[Tallchevy]

I have seen a similar set up but they used all the leafs.

[YotaChris]

seems like just a single leaf (instead of a link) would bend to me...but I'm no engineer 

I have thought about that but with a traction bar keeping the bending motion of axle wrap under control I don't think that over compressing the spring would hurt it because it is only one leaf and it doesn't have the force of the other leafs pushing in the opposite direction which usually results in you spring resembling this "~" kinda. I think a single leaf would be able to bend past a negative arc with no damage. but I'm not sure.

[MiniSimp]

Instead of creating that dangerous idea, why not; inboard the springs, install pivot blocks, orbit eye springs, remove a leaf, check for proper shackle angle...

[Ramrod]

just add a big double shackle to it (like 10+" long) and a traction bar.  one leaf + a coil and traction bar is not going to get you anywhere it will probably be super weak and over complicated while not even flexing that much

[88_Pathy]

Instead of creating that dangerous idea, why not; inboard the springs, install pivot blocks, orbit eye springs, remove a leaf, check for proper shackle angle...

Pivot blocks and orbit eyes= crazy spring movement.

[Ramrod]

oh ya and either way its just retarded because its just going to unload and let you flop over.  you dont really need that much flex anyways

[MiniSimp]

Pivot blocks and orbit eyes= crazy spring movement.

Not to be used together, either or.

[OOPS]

If the old mind is working right I remember a thread about this very subject on PBB many years ago. It did not work the way the guy wanted it to.

[CTENG in KS]

You still have no lateral stability even with a beef traction bar...You would have to fab nearly the entire 4-link to keep the axle located cause the single springs won't cut it.

And oh yeah...I am an engineer.

[Birfailed]

I'm an engineer too.   

[93tonkatoy]

The majority of the lateral stability in a toyota truck is in the front. If you jack a rear tire high enough off the ground to lift another tire, is it the front one that comes up? no, it is the rear. If you jack up a front tire, does the other front come off the ground next? no, the rear on the same side comes up, if you jack the front up high enough. So, just because the rear "unloads", it will not be the cause of your rig flopping. I seem to remember a thread on pirate where a guy built a 4-link mono-coil rear suspension and was flamed up one side and down the other (because he  "had no lateral stability"), and when he got it out on the trail, it worked good.

[Gittinit]

And oh yeah...I am an engineer.

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You don't need anyone elses opinion to justify the effort it would take to bring your ideas to reality. Try it and let us know how it works. I agree with some earlier post that your gonna need some link type suspension too controll axle movement, but people have tried crazier stuff with way more criticism. Just keep it safe!