Different vender Leaf spring opinions.

[EPB72]

No.

Todd Z.

Betts spring . for WH,

 

[Apogee]

I'm running the CAGE/BKG 3.5" lift springs with 8 leafs and they ride great and wrap isn't too bad IMO. I'm pretty sure they were manufactured by Betts, but I wouldn't hesitate to run Deaver or Alcan American made springs either.

 

[ntsqd]

Was it me, I'd be looking for leaf springs with these features:
High number of leafs
Thin individual leaves
Tip sliders on as many leaves as possible.

After buying them I would make (I have done this) thin steel spacers to go between each pair of leaves where the lower leaf has a tip slider. The goal is to create an air gap between each pair of leaves so the metal used should be close to the same thickness as the tip slider's pad. The spacers should have a hole for the center pin and be roughly the same length as the spring perch on the axle and the same width as the leaves in the spring.

 

[widowmaker77]

I'm running the CAGE/BKG 3.5" lift springs with 8 leafs and they ride great and wrap isn't too bad IMO. I'm pretty sure they were manufactured by Betts, but I wouldn't hesitate to run Deaver or Alcan American made springs either.

Dang! I didn’t even know they sold leaf springs. Honestly I didn’t know if they were still around because I never hear anything out of them. Do you have a link or anything? From what I remember you could only contact him through Facebook.

 

[widowmaker77]

Was it me, I'd be looking for leaf springs with these features:
High number of leafs
Thin individual leaves
Tip sliders on as many leaves as possible.

After buying them I would make (I have done this) thin steel spacers to go between each pair of leaves where the lower leaf has a tip slider. The goal is to create an air gap between each pair of leaves so the metal used should be close to the same thickness as the tip slider's pad. The spacers should have a hole for the center pin and be roughly the same length as the spring perch on the axle and the same width as the leaves in the springI’m kit sure I’m following what the “spacers” between the leaves are for. If each spacer is the thickness of the tip sliders, wouldn’t they add a noticeable amount of extra lift?

Im not sure I’m following what the “spacers” are for??
If each one is the thickness of the tip sliders, wouldn’t that add a noticeable increase of lift height?

 

[ntsqd]

What the spacers do is significantly reduce the leaf to leaf friction. That makes the spring more compliant resulting in a better ride quality, but doesn't change the actual spring rate. If you look at the details of the highly sought after GM 63" springs they feature these spacers, they're where I got the idea from. The ride quality of the OEM GM set that I put under Patch was markedly better than the Deaver "Pre-run/Race" leaf springs under the FSB. The Deavers aren't bad, but the 63's were a lot better. The friction reduction with the 63's was enough that I had to increase the damping rates at the rear because those springs moved so much easier than the no spacers, no tip sliders springs that we there before.
Typically the tip sliders are in the range of 1/8" thick. I've never seen an 11 leaf spring with tip sliders, but if you found some then it is a factor in choosing how much lift to buy.

 

[1969]

If I was to do it over again, and I just might because I have problems, I’d go with this Solo Motorsports kit if staying leafs in the rear.

https://solomotorsports.com/shop/su...ormance-leaf-spring-kit-early-bronco-1966-77/

 

[widowmaker77]

What the spacers do is significantly reduce the leaf to leaf friction. That makes the spring more compliant resulting in a better ride quality, but doesn't change the actual spring rate. If you look at the details of the highly sought after GM 63" springs they feature these spacers, they're where I got the idea from. The ride quality of the OEM GM set that I put under Patch was markedly better than the Deaver "Pre-run/Race" leaf springs under the FSB. The Deavers aren't bad, but the 63's were a lot better. The friction reduction with the 63's was enough that I had to increase the damping rates at the rear because those springs moved so much easier than the no spacers, no tip sliders springs that we there before.
Typically the tip sliders are in the range of 1/8" thick. I've never seen an 11 leaf spring with tip sliders, but if you found some then it is a factor in choosing how much lift to buy.

Oh ok. Wasn’t aware about those gum leafs. Thanks for the info in those spacers!

 

[widowmaker77]

If I was to do it over again, and I just might because I have problems, I’d go with this Solo Motorsports kit if staying leafs in the rear.

https://solomotorsports.com/shop/su...ormance-leaf-spring-kit-early-bronco-1966-77/

Oh I would to! There's a race bronco (can’t remember who built it) that was just built and ran In king of the hammers that’s running these springs. There’s some videos on Facebook and Instagram of it absorbing jumps with ease. This kit would definitely be the way to go in my opinion.

 

[bmbm]

Was it me, I'd be looking for leaf springs with these features:
High number of leafs
Thin individual leaves
Tip sliders on as many leaves as possible.

After buying them I would make (I have done this) thin steel spacers to go between each pair of leaves where the lower leaf has a tip slider. The goal is to create an air gap between each pair of leaves so the metal used should be close to the same thickness as the tip slider's pad. The spacers should have a hole for the center pin and be roughly the same length as the spring perch on the axle and the same width as the leaves in the spring.

I like the sound of this modification. Could this be an option for Bronco vendors to develop and offer with their springs?

 

[bmbm]

What the spacers do is significantly reduce the leaf to leaf friction. That makes the spring more compliant resulting in a better ride quality, but doesn't change the actual spring rate. If you look at the details of the highly sought after GM 63" springs they feature these spacers, they're where I got the idea from. The ride quality of the OEM GM set that I put under Patch was markedly better than the Deaver "Pre-run/Race" leaf springs under the FSB. The Deavers aren't bad, but the 63's were a lot better. The friction reduction with the 63's was enough that I had to increase the damping rates at the rear because those springs moved so much easier than the no spacers, no tip sliders springs that we there before.
Typically the tip sliders are in the range of 1/8" thick. I've never seen an 11 leaf spring with tip sliders, but if you found some then it is a factor in choosing how much lift to buy.

Have not been aware of the GM 63" spring so thanks good to know. After reading on this these springs are available at wrecking yards for a reasonable cost. Hope to hear more about this mod.

 

[ntsqd]

It's easy enough to do the mod yourself, although it does mean taking the springs apart. For some reason few seem willing to do this. It is a bit of a PITA...... You're going to want some big c-clamps.

The 63's are well enough known in other places (FJ60's, Yota Mini's, FSJ's, etc.) that sometimes finding a set is difficult. I'd say just put the 63's under a Bronco, but they won't easily fit. They are about 5 feet long! I know of at least one EB out there running OBS F-150 rear springs, which are longer than EB rear springs, but not 63" long.

 

[toddz69]

The 63's are well enough known in other places (FJ60's, Yota Mini's, FSJ's, etc.) that sometimes finding a set is difficult. I'd say just put the 63's under a Bronco, but they won't easily fit. They are about 5 feet long! I know of at least one EB out there running OBS F-150 rear springs, which are longer than EB rear springs, but not 63" long.

Doesn't @Dusty run the F150 springs?

Todd Z.

 

[ntsqd]

I recall his telling me that on a run to Dishpan Springs a very long time ago. Not sure which EB that is any more.

 

[ntsqd]

Pic of the OME springs that I modified with the shim spacers:

The second leaf is a military wrap, so no tip slider because no tip. The bottom pair of leaves are over-loads. I removed the very bottom O/L leaf before installing the springs.

 

[widowmaker77]

Pic of the OME springs that I modified with the shim spacers:

The second leaf is a military wrap, so no tip slider because no tip. The bottom pair of leaves are over-loads. I removed the very bottom O/L leaf before installing the springs.

thanks for the pic! I see what you’re talking now. So on a 8 or 11 leaf pack I would just follow the same pattern? Skip the top two leaves (military wrap) then between each one and also skip the bottom two leaves?

 

[ntsqd]

I'd insert a spacer above every leaf that has a tip slider. In retrospec I think that I probably should have put one between the main and the mil-wrap leaf too. That one's a wobbler as to if it would do any good, but I don't see it having a downside.

No point a spacer for an under-riding over-load leaf, but I've not ever seen a Bronco spring built with those.

To put the effects of this mod into perspective, the std. Bilstein 5100/7100 damper valving for leaf springs is 255/70 When I installed the GM 63's I had to re-valve the rear 7100's to 275/78. To give some idea of how much of change that is, the std Bilstein coil spring valving is 360/80. So the change isn't huge, but it is noticeable. This change is necessary because a leaf spring's internal friction has a damping function. The less internal friction in the spring, the more damping the shock absorber has to have in it. That reduction in friction moves how a leaf spring reacts to a bump, how the bump feels to the vehicle's occupants, closer to how a coil spring reacts to a bump.

 

[1969]

I'd insert a spacer above every leaf that has a tip slider. In retrospec I think that I probably should have put one between the main and the mil-wrap leaf too. That one's a wobbler as to if it would do any good, but I don't see it having a downside.

No point a spacer for an under-riding over-load leaf, but I've not ever seen a Bronco spring built with those.

To put the effects of this mod into perspective, the std. Bilstein 5100/7100 damper valving for leaf springs is 255/70 When I installed the GM 63's I had to re-valve the rear 7100's to 275/78. To give some idea of how much of change that is, the std Bilstein coil spring valving is 360/80. So the change isn't huge, but it is noticeable. This change is necessary because a leaf spring's internal friction has a damping function. The less internal friction in the spring, the more damping the shock absorber has to have in it. That reduction in friction moves how a leaf spring reacts to a bump, how the bump feels to the vehicle's occupants, closer to how a coil spring reacts to a bump.

Can you share pictures of your 63s mounted on the Bronco?

 

[ntsqd]

I don't have any because I don't believe that they will fit, at least not without pushing the shackle hangers out past the rear bumper. It isn't using the 63's that I'm suggesting, I'm suggesting using one of their tricks to make other springs ride nicer.
I did have 63's under Patch, an '84 Xcab Yota that I had for about 20 years.

Note the gap between each pair of leafs. If you zoom in the spacers may just barely be visible.

For reference that bed is a 6 foot long bed. *Y'all can probably figure out why I called it "Patch."
The pic that I showed earlier in the thread of the spacers that I copied from these 63's are a set of OME springs that went under my '88 4rnnr.

 

[widowmaker77]

I'd insert a spacer above every leaf that has a tip slider. In retrospec I think that I probably should have put one between the main and the mil-wrap leaf too. That one's a wobbler as to if it would do any good, but I don't see it having a downside.

No point a spacer for an under-riding over-load leaf, but I've not ever seen a Bronco spring built with those.

To put the effects of this mod into perspective, the std. Bilstein 5100/7100 damper valving for leaf springs is 255/70 When I installed the GM 63's I had to re-valve the rear 7100's to 275/78. To give some idea of how much of change that is, the std Bilstein coil spring valving is 360/80. So the change isn't huge, but it is noticeable. This change is necessary because a leaf spring's internal friction has a damping function. The less internal friction in the spring, the more damping the shock absorber has to have in it. That reduction in friction moves how a leaf spring reacts to a bump, how the bump feels to the vehicle's occupants, closer to how a coil spring reacts to a bump.

Thanks! This has been really helpful. So after doing some shipping estimates, it’s looking like wildhorses is going to be my option. Graveyards shipping to south Ala is bare minimum $205 and Wildhorses is $80. So even buying the cheaper springs from graveyard isn’t adding up once I add poly bushings and u bolts and pay that shipping.
In your opinion if I do the spacers and add a degree wedge underneath, should I go 2.5 lift even though I have 3,5 coils? Plus I’ve always read wildhorses leaves sit high and people remove two leaves. I want my bronco sitting level.