Tomsoffroad Cruiser Tidy up

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:05 pm

As for no lift.....don't think you'll stay there long

40" tyres will give it as 6" lift. Thats heaps for now

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:04 pm

very nice mate.... you flexed it yet

your not planing on much up travel? just looking at the pack

I'm about to build a jig to measure leaf spring rates so I can have a go at tuning them before fitting... given up on calculations at this point :roll:

there are to many different versions that all give different rates :lol:

Cheers Reece

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:39 pm

De-Ranged
Post subject: Re: Tomsoffroad Cruiser Tidy up

very nice mate.... you flexed it yet

your not planing on much up travel? just looking at the pack

I'm about to build a jig to measure leaf spring rates so I can have a go at tuning them before fitting... given up on calculations at this point there are to many different versions that all give different rates

Cheers Reece

There was no thought what so ever went into the springs :lol:

Just chopped the Cruiser one in half and bolted them in. Time will tell. I am able to remove or add springs as needed tho. Think Ill leave that one to road/track testing.

I can get 32deg articulation with the arms Im using for now. This is when the bushes start binding. Later down the track I'll replace them with 45mm 4140 bar with a different joint................................

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:40 pm

Probably these.............. :wink:

http://www.trail-gear.com/rod-ends-and-link-material

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 6:56 pm

rule of thumb "you've halved the length of the spring you have doubled its rate"
So I'd loose at least the 2 shortest leaves and start there :wink:

I think the cert guy is going to want a rubber bump stop before your adjusting bolt too don't know how they will feel about the free drop on the hinge pivot... the tech handbook just dosn't cover stuff like this :lol:

I'm looking at a longer spring but fixed to the chassi I think this will make it easier to get cert.... wait en see

Cheers Reece

Oh and very nice work on the axle

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:39 pm

De-Ranged
Post subject: Re: Tomsoffroad Cruiser Tidy up

rule of thumb "you've halved the length of the spring you have doubled its rate"
So I'd loose at least the 2 shortest leaves and start there
I think the cert guy is going to want a rubber bump stop before your adjusting bolt too don't know how they will feel about the free drop on the hinge pivot... the tech handbook just dosn't cover stuff like this I'm looking at a longer spring but fixed to the chassi I think this will make it easier to get cert.... wait en see

Cheers Reece

Cheers for that fella, makes sense.

At the moment the hinge on the leaves is nolythene bushed. Gonna set up some sort of locking device to contain the springs. On rd off rd mode! :lol:

This clamp/locking device will be rubber bushed with 60 series diff to spring bushes :wink:

It'll probably be a 5min job to unbolt em but least it'll have no weight on it.
That should keep the cert fella happy

Probably a bit excessive, but why not??? :mrgreen:

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:08 pm

Got the shackle mounts 80% done today. Still require abit of boxing but at least its holding its own weight now.
Flexes pretty good too.
Spring rate seems good. Quite soft

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:10 pm

flyingbrick · Post by **flyingbrick** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:26 pm

Incorrect im sure. In this application you have effectively halfed the spring material holding up the truck, spring rate will be half what it was before. with a 'eaf spring you can think of each half of the spring behind and infront of an axle as being seperate items.. Each half of the spring taking half the weight each. Tom is using the same leverage but with half the spring missing so half the effective rate,. Hope that makes sense. Think of it as making a coil spring 50 percent thinner in material section rather than 50 percent of length.

chevrolux · Post by **chevrolux** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:37 pm

the spring rate is how hard it is to compress a coil or bend a leaf right? So therefore the spring rate has doubled. Its like getting a short stick and trying to snap it compared to getting a long one and trying to snap that. Its harder to break the short one. So by making the spring shorter it is harder to bend.

dont know shit about suspension but just makes logical sense my way.

flyingbrick · Post by **flyingbrick** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:53 pm

Think of it this way. Put a stick between two points. Push on the middle. Then take a stick half its length and clamp one end to a point and push its other end. Second stick will flex easier. You are still pushing on the same actual point but with the other opose end not being there to support it. Take the second scenario and recreate it.. Mirror image.. Then joint the ends of sticks together and push where they meet. You are flexing two springs or sticks rather than one. Double the force is needed.

flyingbrick · Post by **flyingbrick** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:55 pm

Proof also is that toms springs are soft.. Not hard as #### as they would be if it had doubled

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:47 pm

flyingbrick
Post subject: Re: Tomsoffroad Cruiser Tidy up

Proof also is that toms springs are soft.. Not hard as #### as they would be if it had doubled

Right you is. Its softer than standard but will weigh a lot less than standard.
Happy as with it and refuse to think any more about it until I get a chance to break it!! :lol:

Not going to do the spring bump stops until the rest of the rear end is done then I can adjust the height. :wink:

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:05 am

Sorry about that... was only thinking about the length of the spring flyingbrick is dead right
I was the wrong way round, you've almost halved the rate :roll:

Cheers Reece

niblik · Post by **niblik** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:05 pm

tomsoffroad wrote:Starting to lean away from keeping the 60 road legal tho

really? whats made you think of goin down this road bud? do explain..

dont get me wrong, well done. thats where its at if ya gonna pedal it how i hope ya gonna.. :wink:

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:10 am

tomsoffroad wrote:
Starting to lean away from keeping the 60 road legal tho

really? whats made you think of goin down this road bud? do explain..

dont get me wrong, well done. thats where its at if ya gonna pedal it how i hope ya gonna..

Bang on Nibs. Just cost too much to keep them on the road and too many rules to follow :lol:

Wanna be able to break it and not stress too much if I cant fix it by Monday.
Also we are in need of a new family car and am thinking 80 series. Family wagon/tow wagon, same thing :mrgreen:

just dont tell my lady :twisted:

I may also have been spending too much time on Pirate4x4 :oops:

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:26 am

Right a little bit of an update.

Got the rear shocks mounted :wink:

Have a small problem tho, 12" ranchos just aint long enought :oops:

In these pix they are at full extension, however the compressed one still has 2.5" to go. As it is now I am getting 34deg articulation which is not the 40deg I was aiming for :roll:

However I think once the wheels and abit more weight is added that will increase :wink:

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:28 am

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:55 pm

Looking good mate, interesting you should say that, they are two short hmmmm got me wondering about the rear end on the zuk.... got a set of 15" pro comps that I swopped with a mate for the old swivil leaf spring mounts off the lemon... might have to look at them

niblik · Post by **niblik** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:12 pm

wicked cool bud.. great to see ya havin some quality time.. :mrgreen:

Lynx · Post by **Lynx** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:28 pm

tomsoffroad wrote:
tomsoffroad wrote:
Starting to lean away from keeping the 60 road legal tho

really? whats made you think of goin down this road bud? do explain..

dont get me wrong, well done. thats where its at if ya gonna pedal it how i hope ya gonna..

Bang on Nibs. Just cost too much to keep them on the road and too many rules to follow
Wanna be able to break it and not stress too much if I cant fix it by Monday.
Also we are in need of a new family car and am thinking 80 series. Family wagon/tow wagon, same thing just dont tell my lady

I may also have been spending too much time on Pirate4x4

Bingo my friend, sounds awesome :mrgreen:

Cheers Daniel

MNC · Post by **MNC** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:09 pm

Sexy rear end :wink:

Very cool

rob-mu · Post by **rob-mu** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:33 pm

It's a shame Tom wont have much time to work on this while hes got my rig in the shed :wink:

Rob

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:38 pm

rob-mu wrote:It's a shame Tom wont have much time to work on this while hes got my rig in the shed
Rob

I know this so well :roll:

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:53 pm

I know this so well

It not a bad lifestyle though :wink:

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:02 pm

tomsoffroad wrote:
I know this so well

It not a bad lifestyle though

getting to play on projects

money that comes from that :roll:

I like that you call it a lifestyle

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 5:49 am

getting to play on projects money that comes from that I like that you call it a lifestyle

If I called it a job Id be forced to dislike it!! :lol:

muskie · Post by **muskie** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:45 am

very interesting use of leaf springs, keen to see how this turns out... nice work.

SamLogan · Post by **SamLogan** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:25 am

And soon to be my truck as well. Can't wait. That is an impressive amount of flex there.

Sam

tomsoffroad · Post by **tomsoffroad** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:28 pm

The old tart is mobile. Haven't done the rear driveshaft so cant offer up any good flex pix yet.