Every 1″ increased shackle length will result in 1/2″ of lift. I guess I’ve always liked doing more with less.”. You’ll find leaf springs on the first production of Jeeps, Land Cruisers and Scouts. They (leaf springs) are very unforgiving on bumpy tracks.” That’s the biggest challenge to Rhodes with his program. The reverse is also … On his Camaro, Rhodes uses a Chris Alston Fab9 housing, and like Putnam, Calvert Racing leaf springs and CalTracs, but Rhodes’ Camaro differs in the fact that he runs Santhuff shocks and a TRZ Motorsports anti-roll bar. However, the technology that has helped leaf spring set-ups has more to do with technological advances in tires, shocks, and different materials used in leaf spring construction. For Weddle, he says the most common mistake made is not using a good shock. First, they hold the rear axle in the car. We have single adjustable shocks, which you can adjust 16 ways. This is how it attaches on a Nova and a Camaro, and early Mustangs, for that matter. Leaf spring shackles and hangers are among the most important parts on the underside of your vehicle. I’m not happy with the ride characteristics at all and think my shackle angle may be the cause. Calvert tells us, “Making adjustments to leaf spring cars is the same as for any other car; the exception will be in the back. Leaf spring suspension is one of the oldest forms of vehicle suspension. The leaf spring suspension we see in many muscle cars is called a semi-elliptical leaf spring arrangement, meaning there’s one spring on each side and not two connected to each other to form a complete circle. ... Vixen Air 1/2" NPT Single Air Port Suspension Air Spring… Re: What's the best drag setup for Leaf spring suspension? They were built to drag race, and they came from the factory with leaf springs because a better alternative hadn’t come along at that time. FREE Shipping. When asked the question of how a leaf spring suspension … © 2017 Power Automedia. They also support the vehicle's weight, since these are a primary component of the suspension system. If someone runs a fast number on stock-style suspension versus a back-half, big tire car, I’m more impressed by it. Transverse leaf spring front suspension is a type of automotive front suspension, whose usage is most well known in Ford Motor Company products from 1908 to 1948 (1959 for the … Santhuff really helped our car and the company now offers a shock specifically for leaf spring cars.”. “I’ve continued using it because it’s different in today’s racing world,” he adds. Overall pre-load settings affect the action in the back of the car and pre-load on one side or the other helps steer the car while the front wheels are in the air, much the same as an upper bar in a four-link or an anti-roll adjustment.”. There are 256 different adjustment combos with the double adjustable shock. Leaf springs are the most simplistic and inexpensive suspension system for your 4×4. Before the days of every car leaving the factory with upper and lower control arms, or four-link suspensions, passenger cars had leaf springs that connected to either a car’s unibody or frame fore and aft of the rear end, using a shackle to go between the frame or unibody at the rear. I could use a couple of offroader tricks rather than ladder bars. The compression and rebound are adjusted at the same time.”, Double adjustable shocks allow compression and rebound to be adjusted separately. When even those weren’t enough, Mopar enthusiasts added a pinion snubber, seen here. Leaf springs … For Leaf Spring and X275 racer Ron Rhodes, his Camaro was his first car, and he’s seen no valid reason to run anything else. Leaf spring mounting angles are one of the most important factors in a leaf spring system. Therefore, the classic muscle cars with leaf spring suspensions are still popular today. For full-frame cars, it attaches to the frame via either a shackle or a simple nut and bolt attachment. Photo courtesy of Thomas Gaines from Behind the Scenez Photography. The four speed racer — too much base pressure, too much air gap, and too violent of clutch engagement, which causes the initial spin. They also support the vehicle's weight, since these are a primary component of the suspension system. These days, however, anything other than a factory three- or four-link set-up sounds almost archaic; but thankfully, there are companies like Calvert Racing and Chris Alston’s Chassisworks dedicated to making leaf spring drag racing vehicles as quick as any other suspension design. The effective rate of a leaf spring is increased by decreasing the angle of the shackle. When equipped with aftermarket adjustable control arms, the vehicle gains near-infinite. Unlike a four-link car, which can be adjusted via control arms, shock, and strut settings, a leaf spring suspension is adjusted in a different way. Even though the leaf spring is an archaic design, it benefits from current technology. Then measure the angle formed by the two lines (measure ahead of the shackle - see illus. Although they are the oldest, they seem to be the least understood. As key pieces to a vehicle's suspension system, hangers and shackles allow the leaf springs … All rights reserved. ate to adjust the pinion higher or lower. The angle can be increased or decreased slightly to change spring … A traction bar, or Calvert Racing’s CalTrac bar is designed to eliminate axle wrap by stopping the rotation of the leaf spring. Why do you only gain 1/2″ lift for 1″ increase in shackle length? A typical leaf spring rear suspension needs, roughly, 5-7 degrees of negative angle (pinion pointing down). Michael Johnson brings his years of experience in the Mustang aftermarket and performance industry to StangTV. faq-Double-Eye-Trailer-Suspension … Arguably the most popular drag racing platform, the Fox Mustang, has a factory four-link arrangement with triangulated upper and lower control arms, just like the older GM cars. The outboard shock location makes it tough to put any sizable tire under many cars. As for the most popular modifications for leaf springs, it’s a 50/50 split between mods to the leaf spring arrangement, and the car itself. Basically, the leaf spring tries to turn itself into an ‘S’. You can increase the effective rate of a leaf spring by decreasing the shackle angle. “If we look at conventional leaf spring cars and compare the changes made when going to a four-link or ladder bar, the leaf springs are removed, some of the body is removed and replaced with the brackets needed to support the new system,” continues Calvert. So when considering a package, the components considered would be front shocks, front springs, rear shocks, rear springs, and the traction device.”, Most Common Modification For Leaf Spring Cars. Belltech shock extensions are designed to relocate the lower shock mounting point, correcting the shock angle and travel. So far, six second quarter miles at over 200 mph…and a best sixty foot of 1.03.”. The CalTracs are designed to keep the axle from rotating, thereby maintaining proper pinion angle. I feel in the long run we may find, as in street use, an advantage in stability to the leaf spring cars while going down the track. Yes, it makes a huge difference in the suspension dynamics and ride quality. Soft ride handling on corners. A good starting point for shackle angle … For many racers, their choice comes down to what they have, or what’s been passed down to them. Today, most trucks and many SUVs still use leaf spring technology. 3. In fact, it is a leaf spring equipped 1968 Camaro that is campaigned by Ron Rhodes of Townsend, Delaware. Leaf springs are the oldest form of suspension in racing. Arm above the spring, mounted to the same bolt that the leaf spring … Rhodes dropped a 4.388 at 160.63 to … When using CalTracs, changing instant center comes from the link attaching point (upper or lower hole). Rancho RS70078 Leaf Helper Spring. 1. When equipped with aftermarket adjustable control arms, the vehicle gains near-infinite adjustment of pinion angle to help achieve ideal geometry at the launch, help pre-load the suspension, and adjust instant center. “In regards to the leaf spring itself, we’ve tried many different combinations over the years — multi-leaf, multi-leaf with an added thick leaf, multi-leaf with very thick leaves, multi-leaf with only one back leaf (suspend the car with coil over shocks), mono-leaf, parabolic mono-leaf, and split mono-leaf. When the axle hits an obstacle, the leaf spring compresses getting flatter and longer, the shackle allows the spring to move without binding. 54581. 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It’s amazing the difference a spring can make” – John Calvert, With any suspension arrangement, mistakes can be made which will set back any racing program. According to Fernando Gutierrez of Atlas Spring, “Most coil springs have a linear spring rate. 2021 Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings Schedule Announced, 2020 Product Showcase: Strange Engineering Shop Tour, SEMA 2020: Team Z Motorsports’ New “You Weld” Lower Torque Box Kit. The split mono-leafs are designed to work with Calvert's CalTrac bars. Why do almost all rear shocks angle forward? Leaf springs possess many desirable suspension features, such as … The split mono-leaf springs are considerably lighter than the factory leaf springs to reduce unsprung weight, and you can choose a ride height, as well. So what we need is a smooth transition of power to the small back tires to allow them to generate a coefficient of friction that the suspension needs to do its job.”. I could use a couple of offroader tricks rather than ladder bars. Leaf Sprung, Front Axle. He just became the first nitrous car in the 4.40s and is one of just a handful of racers to ever run in the .40s, so that tells you how competitive he is. Shocks are more tailored to needs, tire quality and compounds improved, and yes, the spring itself make leaf spring cars more efficient now than twenty years ago.”, “In the beginning,” Calvert continues, “controlling leaf spring wrap up was the main goal of a ‘traction device.’ Now we look at instant center, down pressure, action in the back, travel up front, and the speed at which the front reacts. A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles.Originally called a laminated or carriage spring, and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it is one of the oldest forms of springing, appearing on carriages in France in the mid-17th century in the form of the two-part elbow spring … The leaf packs, or leaf springs, position and center the axle under the vehicle. Videos & Articles. Somewhat limited spring flex. Aluminum Pinion Angle Leaf Spring Shims for 2.5 Springs, 4 Degree. Best to your project! They prevent both forward and aft movement and minimize pinion angle change during suspension … The leaf packs, or leaf springs, position and center the axle under the vehicle. In a leaf spring suspension, the leafs themselves must perform 2 functions. Truly there are more popular choices with factory four-link suspensions that enjoy a large aftermarket following. Calvert Racing's split mono-leaf and CalTrac bars, like what Derek Putnam uses (and pictured here) are the choice modifications for many a leaf spring racer. While new Jeeps and SUVs these days typically come with coil springs, leaf springs still exist on the rear of most pickup trucks (Ram 1500s and 2500s being the exception). Here is a VariShock set-up on a factory leaf spring suspension. Sure, its technology that could be almost 300 years old, and sure, leaf springs aren't terribly fancy. Many sizes and durability options are available whether you want a leaf spring plate with a shock mount that is average durability or if you prefer a heavy-duty spring … The most popular leaf spring race cars are Novas, early F-body Camaros and Firebirds, early Mustangs, most Mopar muscle cars, and S-10/Sonoma trucks, but can they compete with their four-link peers? This ease of compression improves ride quality as a result. The latter is our current preference,” Calvert says. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. Some cars use staggered and angled fore and aft shocks on leaf spring suspended solid axles to control wheel hop. “The most common mistake we see is treating a small tire car like a big tire car. The angle can be increased or decreased slightly to change spring rate. just curious if anyone has experimented with leaf spring angle. The other common mistake when replacing leaf springs is proper shackle angle. It will wheelie easily and bounce when the front end comes back down, and that has made a pass with full power right from the starting line not possible (for fear of hitting the bumper). As a leaf spring … If anything is the automotive equivalent of doing more with less, it’s a leaf spring car. That’s the biggest question. … Use Code: 20OFF100. Custom Leaf Spring Hangers. We have the best Leaf Spring Shim for the right price. I like and appreciate all forms and brands of our sport. I've attached an article to help with typical double eye spring suspension like you have. In order to make sure you have the proper shackle angle, make sure that your shackle is at a 90 degree angle from the spring eyes of the leaf spring suspension. Typically, the rear end had a locating pin on each side on the bottom of the rear end housing, and the anchor plate had a pocket for the rear end’s locating pin to set pinion angle. The biggest obstacle facing a leaf spring racer is axle wrap. How Are Adjustments Made To A Leaf Spring Car? The snubber comes in contact with the body, which in turn keeps the springs from wrapping under the axle, and it also pushes down on the axle to provide traction. Calvert has really helped the leaf spring crowd with his products. Illustration 3. Most factory leaf spring suspensions use multiple leafs, but most performance arrangements go to a single, or split-leaf arrangement. 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