Outer Limits 4x4 Board

ok ive search and havnt really found much usefull so ill ask away

ive got the rear diff out of my 40 and one of the leaf packs fell apart the center pin in missing so i was gonna replace both the rear ones while im at it i was thinking about removing a leaf or 2 to try to get a bit softer ride as its like riding a bucking bull

the questions are
why do ppl remove leafs?
what ones should i remove to make it a bit softer ride?
what are the side erffects
can i only do the rear for now and leave the front as is ?

cheers
pcman

Well i know a guy that removed some leafs out of the rear of his MQ Patrol, its made is ride alot more softer you don't hit the roof any more when he goes over bumps,he took out 2 of the leafs out. he said the one of the effects is that you don't have as good towing, so if you don't plan on towing a 44ft boat then go for it i guess.

as its like riding a bucking bull

HAHA

I only took mine for a spin yesterday and thought the same bloody thing. The seat belts in 40's are not for accidents, they are too keep you being bounced out

I would also like to know about taking some leaves out of the spring...

haha so true anyone got some input on this or is it one of those trial and arror things

even just tell me what ones do what
short leafs
long leafs

argh i dunno

ooo found a good info stolen from
http://www.off-road.com/tlc/faq/modify.html

Ride Harshness
Rob Mullen

Short wheel base trucks ride rough and there is not a whole lot that can be done about it. There are a few options to soften the ride though. In order of "Bang-For-The-Buck" they are:


AVOID ADD-A-LEAFS!
These will make your Cruiser ride like the axles are bolted directly to the frame.

Keep lifts as small as possible
The higher up you are, the more pitching motions of the truck are amplified.

Use the right shocks.
In BC, the preferred shock set up for FJ40's is 70/30 Gas charged shocks (like KYB Gas-A-Just) up front and 50/50 Oil shocks in the rear (Like Rancho RS5000) The B series engines are lighter than the F's so 70/30 shocks in the front give a _VERY_ harsh ride. The preferred set-up for BJ-40's is 50/50 oil shocks at all four corners. This may also be the best set-up for V8 Owners
If you have the Rancho 2.5" 7 leaf Lift, you can improve the ride quality by modifying the spring wrappers. Rancho makes the wrappers too tight for proper spring movement. If you pry open the outermost sets of wrappers, the ride will become softer and your articulation will increase by several inches. The remaining three wrappers are sufficient to prevent spring pack shifting.

If your truck is lifted, you can soften the ride by removing one of the short leaves. Unfortunately, removing a leaf will also decrease ride height.

Front shackle reversal
Reversing the front shackles allows the axle to pivot up and backwards (away) from obstacles instead of forwards into them. Shackle reversal will also decrease bump steer by keeping the steering linkage geometry constant over obstacles. Reversals that recess the shackle mount into the frame are superior because they do not increase lift, and the fixed front mounts are not as likely to become "boulder finders" However, they may also create shackle movement problems.

Polyurethane Bushings/Greasable Shackles
Adding polyurethane bushings will not soften the ride but will improve handling by preventing the springs from twisting relative to the mounts. Polyurethane is also required for greasable shackles because dino-based grease will break down rubber bushings quickly. Using after-market shackles will further improve handling by resisting shackle twisting, while greasable pins allow the springs to move more freely to absorb bumps.

answers
1. to softn the ride to get more flex
2.the second lowest 1 is a common removal
3. sidafects are you car will hadle like a boat on bends and your springs will sag like an 80 year olds tiits
your better off ordering softer springs

I have taken 3 leaves out of the rear spring pack of my 40 (the 3 shortst). have better flex now, ride seems better too but I think the bum is a bit lower now. I also expect that now that I have a 308 in it I will need a torque bar or what ever they r called but I will drive it till it breaks then look at it. That's just how I do things

cheers guys i actually had a email conversation with daz about it sent him photos of my spring packs and he reccomended to remove the 3rd from the top so i did that havnt driven it much since and have only done the rear sofar but havnt noticed a difference yet its not too hard to remove another one so ill leave it till i get to wheel it a bit then see how it goes i can get 1 wheel about 80cm up with the rest on the ground so i dunno if thats good but imo dont seem too bad

PC,
i was told to remove the 3rd from the top in the rears, too.

have you noticed any change in height? if so how much was it?

thanks

MaccA

yeah i have it took a few weeks to drop but its prolly dropped 3/4 inch or there abouts only really noticed it today thought i had a flat tyre after being away for the weekend but the rear is a bit lower than the front now



ill try to get a shot that shows the difference

cheers