Fitting extra leaf springs, How to?

[dalahare]

I've noticed a few of you have put in extra leaf springs, has anyone got detailed information on what is neccesary to do it? i was just going to get another set of leafs from a wrecker, cut the eylets off and put them under the current ones.

In another thread i read someone say they had to remove the driveshaft to get the springs in, I don't see why that would be necessary.

Any info would be great.

[petefarrell360]

AFAIK it's only been done on one car to raise the rear suspension and to stiffen it, which was Hugh's Dakar Rally Car. Pretty much as you say. There is a locating pin near the middle of the stock leaf springs, which I believe the final route was to leave it on, and drill a hole into the spring meeting it so it still locates. You'll need a high quality drill bit though!

Ouch, not much fun! You can get around taking the driveshafts off though by angle grinding the bolts down that wont come out past the driveshaft and then placing the new bolt the other way round... which is what we did on Hugh's 360 when fitting a second rear leaf

Knew I'd read it recently somewhere. I forget exactly what the problem was, and without looking at my car to refresh my memory, I seem to think the anti-tramp bar on the o/s of a UK car is a problem too. It goes over the top of the plate, thus making getting a spanner or socket on the bolt or nut a PITA. I don't believe I've had to remove the driveshafts to do anything with springs, and as Steve says, we didn't with Hugh's car.

Oh and as an extra point, I believe Andy and Hugh clamped the ends of the springs at a later date, as I too felt that it would be a good idea. Otherwise there is the option for them to move slightly and twist or at worst vibrate out of place.

Pete

[dalahare]

Thanks, i'm towing a box trailer that has been modified to take bikes, the bike sits fairly far foward up the drawbar so it adds a little more weight than normal to the rear supsnion, plus chuck all the gear and a few people in the back and it sags a fair way, I also do a fair few dirt roads, so i'm not really intrested in lowering it, i'd much rather stiffen it up and keep it at the same height, i've found a bloke that will do a pair of front springs for $120au, at any rate and height i want, so i'm going to try to sort the rear first.

[petefarrell360]

No problem! That's just from what we experienced when we assisted Hugh. It raised it quite a bit, so when fully loaded, and with all that extra weight should be somewhere about normal! It'd be interesting to know if it settled down much more at all.

I know my original GLT always sat low at the rear with two passengers in the back, I believe the shocks were knackered, but with that sort of weight, it needs something!

If you can find it, the load levelling rear shocks might help, maybe it's something that someone might have lying on a shelf in Oz for a 360! Monroe made them, and it might help you have a bit more control over it.

Pete

[dalahare]

Something like the shocks you mention would be ideal, but probably big $$, so haven't even looked into it, the cars a piece of junk, fun, but crap all the same, so i try and spend as little as possible on it, other than the neccesities, parting with $300 for a towbar nearly made me cry.