Topic: Rear spring plates idea

[neale_rs]

I'm considering trying to get something like this made locally:

For under the springs: 



and a Dynatrac style plate on top of the axle:



and then use straight bolts instead of u-bolts.

The under spring plate requires some bending that might be hard to get done (I don't think welding the bottom and side pieces would be safe enough) so I might just end up going with the Dynatrac style setup.  Any comments/opinions?

[sharpxmen]

the reason you use u-bolts is that they wrap around the tube or spring (they deform while you torque them), if you use straight bolts you lose that part of the tightening process and wont be as strong, my opinion. Why not make the plate and use u-bolts?

[FourbangerYJ]

Here is what I am running for my rear U bolt flip. This was made by Four X Doctor. They don't do these any more. They just do the Dynatrac ones.
You could make the Dynatrac style for a lot less then what they sell it for! They top plate if fairly thick IIRC it's about 1/2 inch.
I have my bump stop as part of the top plate.
I have the Dynatrac for the front.
You will need to add a shock mount to the axle tube, but that is not that big of a deal. There are lots of ready made ones out there or you can build your own.

[sharpxmen]

that's a lot of leafs 

[FourbangerYJ]

that's a lot of leafs 

Nothing but pure ride enjoyment! They are real soft. About 150#. The front eye are triple wrapped.

[FourbangerYJ]

JKS use to make a u bolt flip like what you are thinking about Neale, but it looks like they stopped. They were called the B3. You might be able to find PICS doing a search.
I did find that they make the top plate out of 1/2 inch.
https://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=UNIVUBOLT&Store_Code=JKS01&Category_Code=Leaf_Spring

They bottom plate is pretty easy. Some 1/4 inch or even 3/16 with a couple slots ground for the u bolts and a hole for the center pin.

[neale_rs]

   
It looks like the JKS ones are still available for narrower springs (1.75").

http://www.4x4rockshop.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=10899


Overall it sounds like the Dynatrac style would be easier to make.  I could make the lower plate myself and just have the top plate made.  The top plate is  one thing I'm after so the bump stops can be extended easily.

Thanks for the comments and ideas.

[aw12345]

I think your idea would work just fine, like it better than the U bolts and if made right should be more than strong enough. The u bolts at the bottom works, but I would be somewhat afraid you would knock them out of place when you bang them hard enough on a rock

[neale_rs]

Thanks, I'll keep thinking it over, have plenty of time to decide.

[aw12345]

I would find a piece of rectangular tubing 1/4" wall that has the inside width that is the same as the outside width of the leafsprings, slice the top off weld 4 ears on and you are good to go

[sharpxmen]

2.5'' square tubing 0.250 wall would be 2'' inside which is what the YJ leafs are if i remember correctly, cut in 1/2 would probably work really nice for exactly this like Art said, probably 4 or 5'' long piece will do. Make sure you cut it in half on the seam (more visible inside the tube but you can also see it on the outside if there's no rust on it)

[neale_rs]

 I think the springs are 2.5" wide.  I'll look into into it and see what can be done.  Thanks

[sharpxmen]

I think the springs are 2.5" wide.  I'll look into into it and see what can be done.  Thanks

you're probably right
3'' square tubing, 1/4'' wall in that case, split in half should be fine, would give you about 1.25'' of clearance for the nuts (depending where you weld the plates and the thickness of the leaf pack). the link that was posted earlier with the 3 gussets on each side is probably best design since you'd be welding them.

[neale_rs]

It's good to know that some standard square tubing size will work.  I was thinking 4 gussets per side as close to the nuts as possible.  Maybe the forward top of the plate could be used to attach the shocks higher with no welding to the axle tubes (something else on my list of mods to do).

[kashola]

Maybe the forward top of the plate could be used to attach the shocks higher with no welding to the axle tubes

  This was my first thought as well, but wouldn't you then have to relocate the top shock mounts also?