Mazda leaf spring tech

[Damo]

Have done a little research on these in the past few days, came up with some interesting info.

The Mazdas in question are early model (around 1980 I think) rear wheels drive, solid rear axle with leaf springs, (later models are front wheel drive with coil springs).

Firstly as a comparison, stock zook springs: (BTW, these measurements might be off a bit coz I didn't get under the zook properly to measure them on account of it was raining, if someone has more accurate figures please post up).

Front-
shackle end -> centre: 19" (483mm)
other end -> centre: 19" (483mm)
total length: 38" (966mm)

Rear-
shackle end -> centre: 21" (533mm)
other end -> centre: 20" (508mm)
total length: 41" (1041mm)

Mazda 808 wagon
shackle end -> centre: 25" (635mm)
other end -> centre: 20" (508mm)
total length: 45" (1143mm)

Mazda 929 sedan
shackle end -> centre: 26" (660mm)
other end -> centre: 20" (508mm)
total length: 46" (1168mm)

Mazda ute
shackle end -> centre: 27" (686mm)
other end -> centre: 21.5" (546mm)
total length: 48.5" (1232mm)

Things to note:
*808 wagon springs have 5 leaves
*808 sedan springs have 4 leaves
*929 sedan springs have 4 leaves
*Ute springs have 7 leaves

Seems as though wagons have 5 leaves and sedans have 4, probably to do with extra load capacity of the wagon. Similar goes for the ute. I think the 5 leaf packs would be good up front because of the extra weight of the engine, and the sedan packs would be good in the back. This seems consistant with the results Moose has got from his. Unfortunately I haven't found a 323 or a 303 to measure up yet, but my guess is that they will be similar to the sedan springs.

EDIT: Addded metric measurements

[-Mick-]

what's the width on these things

[built4thrashing]

i measured up some spring at the wreckers the other day too.

toyota corolla KE10 = 1080mm eye to eye
datsun 1200 ute = 1065mm eye to eye, 500mm eye to ctr pin
'73 mazda (1300) = 1050mm eye to eye, 500mm eye to ctr pin

all are 50 mm wide and are measured strait across not in the curve of the leaf.


i think the ute springs would be the best


oh and 2in lift suzi springs are
front=935mm eye to eye, 480mm eye to pin (aprox)
rears=1005mm eye to eye, 515mm eye to pin (aprox)

[nicbeer]

Sweet, cheers Damo.

Looks like I gotta shop around for a maz808 wagon or ute springs to flog.

I should get about 4"longer springs and not much movement forward with the diff.

cheers

[ZOOK60]

i got 929s they run perfectly flat put the standard zook helper spring in aswell there like 1100mm at least

[nicbeer]

What's max length springs i could use without chassis ext. As per project low? I am thinking the 1200 ute springs os possibly the 808 wag rears.

Oops, forgot to say, I have moved the back mount back about 2" and running std zook lifted rears in front now.

cheers

[Damo]

what's the width on these things

50mm, same as zook springs.

Moose reckons bushes are same as Zook ones too, and from eyeballing them today i'd say that would be right.

[Damo]

toyota corolla KE10 = 1080mm eye to eye

Just be careful using Corolla springs. Some have BIG bushes on the hanger end, and they are hard to fit into the zook mounts. Shackle end is fine though. I had to bend mine out a bit when I was experimenting with them. From what I have seen Mazda springs are much more suitable.

The Corolla good flex though, even after I had a total of 7 leaves in there. The ones I was using were from a KE50 I think, not 100% sure if the KE10 are the same.

[nicbeer]

Damo..

Did you have a chassis ext when you did this?

cheers

[Damo]

I should get about 4"longer springs and not much movement forward with the diff.

Once you have them under your zook you can tweak the fore/aft positioning of the axle by redrilling the spring plates & perches. You should be able to get about 80mm adjustment overall. Any more than this and you'd have to drill new holes in the springs, which isn't the best thing to do.

[Damo]

Damo..

Did you have a chassis ext when you did this?

cheers

This was on the rear of my LWB so had plenty of chassis rail to play with. I made up a dodgy folding shackle (which looked and worked like ass BTW). Would have been better just relocating the shackle mount. On a LWB you have plenty of room, on a SWB you can only take the shackle mount back about 50mm.

[nicbeer]

Hmmmm, sounds good. What ya reckon on mine.

swb with rears up front using the rear mount moved back about 60mm. Would I get away with the 80mm longer springs with just shackles?

cheers

[Damo]

Hmmmm, sounds good. What ya reckon on mine.

swb with rears up front using the rear mount moved back about 60mm. Would I get away with the 80mm longer springs with just shackles?

cheers

You should be able to do that, but the shackles might end up being a bit longer than you really want, especially on the front. I think the best way to do this is with a chassis extension.

Having said that, there's no real harm in trying the longer shackles. The good thing is they aren't too hard to make up, and are easily changed.