# hydraulics with leaf springs



## Duece8 (Nov 11, 2002)

I have a 88 s10. im wrapping the frame right now and im wondering whats the biggest cylinder i can fit. Do u guys think i can fit a 14 inch cylinder in the back.


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## juiced (Oct 4, 2001)

i knew a guy that had one of his leaves break off the frame with 12's. i guess that over time and big lockups that the welds just finally gave out.

i think that 12's would be the limit and that might be pushing it. 

i'm running 10's with a single leaf and sometimes i think that i'm gonna snap mine in half. i am running a coil under setup with a decent amount of coil so that may be a factor that you aren't gonna deal with.


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## Duece8 (Nov 11, 2002)

I wonder if there is any way i can make the stock one more flexible by heating it maybe one from a full size or something. 

Do any of you guys wrap underneath the leaf spring mounts or just go around it because i dont know how to wrap underneath the shackle(maybe widened it out) :dunno:


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## nuttycutty (Aug 3, 2003)

fuck it just fab a triangulated four link


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## D-Cheeze (Oct 16, 2004)

I HAVE LEAFS FRT AND REAR AND COIL OVERS WITH MINI COILS 
THE LEAFS HOLD UP WELL BUT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK. I HAVE REPLACED 4 SETS IN THE FRT OVER 14 YEARS ITS BEEN LIFTER AND 2 TIMES EACH IN THE REAR . BUT SHIT BREAKS WITH HYDRO'S ON ANY CAR THESE JUST HAPPEN TO BE THE WEAK LINK IN THE LEAF SPRING DESIGN. I RUN 8 INCHERS IN THE FRT AND 10 INCHERS IN THE BACK.PULL HIGH FRT AND REAR THREE WHEEL AND HOP ABOUT 18 INCHS IN THE FRT AND 20 IN THE BACK .EVEN BUNNY HOPS ABOUT A FOOT .


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## 1LOWCHERO (Sep 11, 2002)

Just cut the back half of the leafs off...see my pic...those are 10's...


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## ALOW1 (Oct 24, 2002)

Make your shackles longer, making it able to go lower and lock up higher


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## shutemdown (Sep 15, 2003)

i have an '84 s-10 with 12's and have no problems with a nice lock up


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## BigNasty85Regal (Dec 11, 2002)

my 91 s-10 had mono leaf in rear with 10s but i could have went to 12s or 14s :biggrin:


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## BigNasty85Regal (Dec 11, 2002)

this was before i and street sweepaz mono leafed it but with the single leaf it was able to lock up higher and more freely


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## Duece8 (Nov 11, 2002)

> *Just cut the back half of the leafs off...see my pic...those are 10's...*


 :0 I have no idea what you mean can ypu please explain to me thats a crazy lock up with only 10 inchers


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## ALOW1 (Oct 24, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Duece8_@Nov 16 2004, 06:04 PM
> *:0  I have no idea what you mean can ypu please explain to me thats a crazy lock up with only 10 inchers
> [snapback]2419368[/snapback]​*


Right behind the rear axle, cut the leafs off. Leave a couple inches there and just hack the leafs in half. Then go and get yourself a panhard bar and weld it in to control the side to side play.


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## D-Cheeze (Oct 16, 2004)

> _Originally posted by ALOW1_@Nov 16 2004, 06:07 PM
> *Right behind the rear axle, cut the leafs off. Leave a couple inches there and just hack the leafs in half. Then go and get yourself a panhard bar and weld it in to control the side to side play.
> [snapback]2419665[/snapback]​*


are you crazy  on half leafs for control arms that's hella dangerous even with a panhard bar .if you were going to do that might as well fab some control arms and three link it :biggrin:


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## 1LOWCHERO (Sep 11, 2002)

Yup, its that simple. What I did was drop the axle. Loosen all the leafs. Then pull all of them but the long single one. Then unbolt the rear leaf shackle. Next I just cut the leaf off about 3 inches behind the axle so I could adjust my driveline engaugement. Then buy a weld in Panhard Bar from Summit ($80) and you have homeade trailing arms and bitchin lockups. My coil-over came off the axle and had a 4 inch c-channel across the frame for the strokes. I'll repost some of my "build-up" pics when I grab the CD next time. Unless someone here has them ready to go.


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## ALOW1 (Oct 24, 2002)

> _Originally posted by DICKCHEESE_@Nov 16 2004, 10:35 PM
> *are you crazy  on  half leafs for control arms that's hella dangerous even with a panhard bar .if you were going to do that might as well fab some control arms and three link it  :biggrin:
> [snapback]2420365[/snapback]​*


Explain to me why its dangerous??

Its not like the rear end is going to slid off of the end of the leaf. Having hydraulics on a leaf spring setup for the past 10 years I have yet to see me rear end move at all forward or backwards. Also a panhard bar is very strong if not stronger than the leafs are for controling side to side movement.

I wouldnt do it that way, I would do at least a 3 link if I was going to modify the rear end, but I do see it as a cheap easy way for somebody to get some extra lift.

Theres people I know of that have done this before, 1Lowchero is one of them. How much experiance do you have with doing something like this?


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## D-Cheeze (Oct 16, 2004)

i would think there would be alot of flex and twist in the leafs since there are only secured in the frt by rubber bushing
i would not want to drive a car set-up like that 80 mph on the freeway
if you were going through all that trouble just fab control arm's and then it would be safer .(at least in my book)


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## ALOW1 (Oct 24, 2002)

> _Originally posted by DICKCHEESE_@Nov 17 2004, 01:54 PM
> *i would think there would be alot of flex and twist in the leafs since there are only secured in the frt by rubber bushing
> i would not want to drive a car set-up like that 80 mph on the  freeway
> if you were going through all that trouble just fab control arm's and then it would be safer .(at least in my book)
> [snapback]2422296[/snapback]​*


I agree with you, I would just fab some control arms, but not everyone would.

As far as flexing, there wouldnt be anymore flexing going on then there is with normal leafs. You got to remember that the panhard bar would control all side to side movement. Yes there is going to be twisting involved with the axle moving up and down, right side up down, left side up down but that kind of flexing isnt anymore than it would be stock.


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## 1LOWCHERO (Sep 11, 2002)

They only have to move up and down an inch when driving. The Panhard takes care of the side movement. Plus yall need to remember this was still my race car. If it can handle 400hp and smoking burnouts with 10 batts, 4 pumps, and 300lbs of extra metal. Id say it could handle quite a bit. You could always weld on 2x1 1/4" box tubing to the half leafs if you want. I didn't see it necessary, but to his own.


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## DeeLoc (Feb 15, 2003)

hey lowchero you get that CD with the build up. Would like to see the pics.


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## Joker808 (May 29, 2002)

invest in a 4 link kit


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## 1LOWCHERO (Sep 11, 2002)

Thanks for reminding me about the CD bro. And also when I started the chero all I had was a welder, hand tools, drill, and an angle grinder. So I went the easiest way and it works. A 4-link would have drained my wallet dry and setting up the angles would have been alittle time consuming. I'd actually trust a bushing to a eye-joint swivel. I have broken tons of those on ladder bars. The build is quite ghetto style, but it still works after 5 years.


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## 1LOWCHERO (Sep 11, 2002)

Sorry for fudging up the topic, but this is still on the leaf spring thing. I'll repost up the ranchero photos now. take a look at the post your rides for the old build up. Give me a minute to make it.


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