Need some ideas on keeping springs from falling out

[brads4wdmad]

Hi guys

Just want some ideas on how to keep my springs from falling out of my GQ Nissan Patrol Ti wagon.....
Heres the story!!!!

I purchased a new 6" suspension system with 32" procomp shocks rear and 26" shocks front
Now it has Mega awesome flex but the springs drop out roughly on half Articulation/flex

I am not after any negative replies just some Help with ideas that will prevent the springs from falling out

Thanks in Advance
Brads4wdmad

[Gwagensteve]

Limit straps
Shorter shocks
Retainers.

If your springs are going loose you have uncontrolled travel which is good for nothing except impressing people on a ramp.

Steve.

[me3@neuralfibre.com]

Don't laugh - we used the biggest zip ties we could find on a rangie - worked fine cept for the clunks on full articulation.
We made some steel keepers after that - fixed them to the chassis end with some 4mm bar and a bolt.

[vanbox]

4mm steel???

i had 40x6mm in my gq shorty and the spring folded the steel and still popped out. i now have 50x10 top and bottom (2x10mm bolts on top and 1x10mm bolt on the bottom).

will soon be going to drop outs i think.

cheers

PAUL

[Madmac]

i used U bolts to hold mine in at the top and welded cones to the diff end.

[-Richo-]

retainers are your best bet, if you can make one in the shape of a circle and bolt through the coil seat clamping the spring in there, 6mm will be fine, if you have to use flat bar then youll need to use 10mm. The spring will not bend a thinner circular shaped retainer, where as a piece of flat bar will bend quite easy.

[TEAMRPM]

id say go the limiter straps. other than that youll need to alter your shock length. you are happy with its "FLEX" but you need to keeo the springs in there on full artic.

personally id change the shockers.

if you really think about it, by the time the limiting strap tightens up you have all that excessive pressure on them to keep the springs in place but your shockers still have heaps to travel so you may aswell change the shockers.

[brads4wdmad]

Thanks heaps guys.........muchly appreciated

Looks like i will go a cone upper and a retainer lower

Cheers

[PGS 4WD]

I used to have small exhaust clamps at the top of the rear spings and a plate across the bottom of the spring using the existing hole in the lower mount with a nyloc nut/bolt. The fronts were never an issue for me I had raised the upper shock mount with spacers (if you have a body lift).


Joel

[A1]

After much talk years ago about this I took valued info off Wendle .....

Flatbar retainers upper and lower on the coils ...dont go cones (on the rig ) unless you just want to pose ....it will be more floppy and unpredictable then if the coils are retained upper and lower ....heres a few pics over the course of the build on my old rig



Bolt welded into centre of coil perch Lower





upper that you can just see ....





As for the make of the plates ...from memory they were 40x6mm flat bar with like 10mm-12mm x 25 flatbar with the ends 45deg folded and welded offset on the larger peice so that there is clearance for the bolt ...use atleadt 12mm 8.8 grade bolts for fixing ....
And it didnt seem to limit flex



I also retained the lower part of the front coils as I had issues with the coil jumping off the perch when both front wheels were in the air and the front unloaded


cheers

Dan

[ozy1]

i did the same setup as Dan did, with the flat bar top and bottom, and i would recomend it, it felt odd with only one end retained,

[Mrs GQ]

After much talk years ago about this I took valued info off Wendle .....

Flatbar retainers upper and lower on the coils ...dont go cones (on the rig ) unless you just want to pose ....it will be more floppy and unpredictable then if the coils are retained upper and lower ....heres a few pics over the course of the build on my old rig



Bolt welded into centre of coil perch Lower





upper that you can just see ....





As for the make of the plates ...from memory they were 40x6mm flat bar with like 10mm-12mm x 25 flatbar with the ends 45deg folded and welded offset on the larger peice so that there is clearance for the bolt ...use atleadt 12mm 8.8 grade bolts for fixing ....
And it didnt seem to limit flex



I also retained the lower part of the front coils as I had issues with the coil jumping off the perch when both front wheels were in the air and the front unloaded


cheers

Dan

[quote very impressive [/quote]

[Gwagensteve]

Thanks heaps guys.........muchly appreciated

Looks like i will go a cone upper and a retainer lower

Cheers

Ok, it's your car, but I think you are slightly missing the point - 90% of responses here are talking about capturing springs at both ends rather than just retaining one end.

if your springs go loose at all you still have uncontrolled travel and in critical situations this works against you regardless of how cool it looks.

Not all travel is good.

Steve.

[Guy]

very impressive

It is very neat clean fab work .. and a good explaination of what, how and why you should do it .. what's with the rolling eye's