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Do I need Military wraps ?

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:23 pm
by VR Rodeo
Hey guys, just wondering whether or not it would be safe to cut off the military wraps on my springs ? What exactly do they do ?

When I did my custom length mains, I left the length from the fixed end to the pin stock and just extended the length from the pin to the shackle end. So, in an attempt to gain some more wheel base I was going to turn the front springs around and run them in reverse. I have opened up both the clamps around the leaves, and currently on extension the springs flex more on the shackle end then the wrap end, however when run in reverse this will mean that the pinion will be angled more downwards the further it flexes. To avoid this I was going to cut the military wraps off so that both ends of the spring should flex around the same and keep the pinion angle half decent.

Its an 89 Sierra, with full RUF. I will also be redrilling the spring mount as well and I'm not too worried about the steering arms as I have a 79 series PS box with a forward facing arm going in soon.

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:57 pm
by alien
the sole purpose is that if you snap the main leaf the second one catches the car on the shackle rather than the tyre just bottoming out on the bump stop, it also helps with impacts onto the leaf... so no its not required, its just nice to know its there =)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:22 pm
by VR Rodeo
Cheers mate, the car is towed everywhere so I'm not too worried if the main breaks just wasn't sure if there was any other reason for having them ;)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:34 pm
by just cruizin'
Aren't the eyes in the end of the springs different sizes. The fixed end is much bigger or are you custom ones the same size?

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:41 pm
by VR Rodeo
Yes they are different sized, I have got extended shackles on so they will fit but I'm not sure how much it will affect steering ??

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:58 pm
by just cruizin'
I'm going to get new mains and secondarys made up to suit my needs, 300mm over standard.........mmmmmmmm..........flexxy

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:04 pm
by zookimal
just cruizin' wrote:I'm going to get new mains and secondarys made up to suit my needs, 300mm over standard.........mmmmmmmm..........flexxy
Interested to see which company you go with to make them. I'm about to order a set as well.

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:15 pm
by just cruizin'
Be getting them of Mayne springs, everyone else charges like bulls for custom stuff.

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:11 am
by Highway-Star
I asked this a while ago in a slighlty different manner:

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/ftopic139667.php

I couldn't get it to work with my old springs, as the front sat too low and was too soft with the military wrap leaf gone. I did come close to chopping it off the end but wasn't sure it wou;d give my setup the result I wanted.

I now run completely different front springs which do not have a military wrap. To be honest they are one million times better in every respect. However I'm not convinced that having a wrap on the end of the second leaves would be an issue in my setup now; I have it so my commo shocks run out of travel downwards before the leaves start to pull apart enough for a wrap to prevent them doing so.

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:33 am
by VR Rodeo
Cheers mate, hadn't thought of the braking issue's but I had thought of putting a blot trough the clamps to act as a stop of sorts like the lux springs have of the rear stock springs

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:24 am
by GRPABT1
I often wonder what the go is with springs as I have calmini 3 inch springs with military wrap on the front with one leaf removed running 3 leaves and it is sweet. I don't need any more flex at all from the front and it daily drives fine. I run 4 leaves on the rear because I sometimes carry alot of camping gear and I have gone to a 3/4 elliptic setup just to match the front flex. Maybe I'm just lucky?

This is on 235/75 tryes and -24 offset 8 inch rims.
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the car wants to fall over before the front runs out of flex, I need more rear flex to even things up.