What's the difference with leaf springs?

railtrolley · 03-02-2008, 03:34 PM

Hello All,

I was chatting to some of the other drivers at work the other day. Another driver with an AU cab chassis showed me that his tray has 7 leaf springs. Mine has three thin leaves, and a thick fourth leaf. Mine is an AUII Tradesman cab chassis. Any ideas why the difference? I thought the Tradesman pack has the one tonne springs, one reason why I bought it, and the alloy wheels dress it up a bit too.

**Mechan1k** · 03-02-2008, 04:42 PM

I think the Tradesman pack just gave a few extra's ... the 1-tonne was still an option.

You have the 3/4 tonne suspension from memory ... and then there's a lower set of leaves for the XLS and XRs which was the sports suspension ... and that has 4 leaves as well.

Homes · 05-02-2008, 06:16 PM

leaf springs...i really hate those bloody things

bf tubs · 05-02-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homes

leaf springs...i really hate those bloody things

not if u carry a load

**Mechan1k** · 06-02-2008, 02:06 PM

I'd rather leaf springs than coiled IRS ... especially with the loads I carry.

Homes · 06-02-2008, 05:24 PM

i never carry loads...only thing in my boot is the spare tyre & a carton of beer or 2 on friday afternoons

I can understand that leaf springs are better with loads though.

railtrolley · 14-02-2008, 10:33 PM

Hmmm, 3/4 tonne springs is a bit of worry. I have put 1250kg on the tray. I'm also a courier, like Mechan1k, and I regularly carry 2 pallets, up to 1000kg. Might have to think about getting the 7 leaf springs. I've also noticed the front leaf spring mount has a second hole in it, slightly higher, which would lower the spring setting, any idea what this is for?

Chamelion · 15-02-2008, 02:30 AM

I've got leaf in my wagon and I love it. Feels great to drive and even completely loaded the difference is next to none.

Matt.

Homes · 15-02-2008, 12:16 PM

the leaf spring issue is why i got a sedan instead of a wagon or ute

Chamelion · 15-02-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homes

the leaf spring issue is why i got a sedan instead of a wagon or ute

What issue?

Homes · 16-02-2008, 12:44 PM

i don't like the handling - didn't you read earlier posts?

Chamelion · 17-02-2008, 02:18 AM

Your earlier posts didn't make any mention of your dislike in regards to the handling. You made it sound like there was an "issue" with the springs themselves, not your preference.

All good.

sly · 17-02-2008, 11:12 AM

I nearly bought a VT Dunnydoor wagon because I didn't like leaf springs... bad memories of a mate's Valiant wagon when we were young and silly. Anyway I went the AU because there was no waiting for one, and VT's in 1999 had a 6-12 week wait for wagons.

About 6 weeks after getting it I had a huge grey roo jump in front of me and just stop. I was doing 110 round a downhill curve, had no time to hit the brake & just swerved to the wrong side of the road, just missing the roo, then had to swerve just as hard back again as the road ahead was fairly blind & I didn't want to get speared head-on.

Not a hint of loss of grip or control. This is the sort of lane-change test that car makers do at 65km/h to find any stability problems, let alone 110. I swear by those humble leaf springs now, although I suspect the AU-on shock absorber mounts have made a big difference over earlier models.

EvilChief · 17-02-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by railtrolley

Hmmm, 3/4 tonne springs is a bit of worry. I have put 1250kg on the tray. I'm also a courier, like Mechan1k, and I regularly carry 2 pallets, up to 1000kg. Might have to think about getting the 7 leaf springs. I've also noticed the front leaf spring mount has a second hole in it, slightly higher, which would lower the spring setting, any idea what this is for?

might wanna consider some HD shocks while at it .. had a rodeo on the hoist friday, which has been overloaded regularly and the shocks are leaking like an old buick head

**Mechan1k** · 29-02-2008, 04:17 PM

I just put Ultima heavy duty shocks in the back of the ute not too long ago ... and they have held up well so far.

V8falcons · 29-02-2008, 09:35 PM

Ive had an AU VCT XR6 ute(leaf rear) and now an AU SR wagon both with sports suspension,and have had 5 different size wheels and tyres on the wagon in nearly 3 years and have noticed all sizes/widths tyres(from stock 16",to 17" and 18") without a load in it,it is very twitchy cornering and unless its completely dry conditions ,I have to backoff around corners(it will/does step out) I would normally drive the wifes ghia IRS (18s on it) at the posted speed.I mainly drive on country roads so they're a bit rougher than suburbia)

Its just something Im aware of but not a problem with the suspension set up,Ive had 12 , 40kg bags of cement in the back and it drives good(looked good too)Apart from the diff hitting the exhaust.
And have towed a few cars with it,I wouldn't be confident doing these things,with and IRS at all or even a coil rear set up.
Depends on what you need the car for,My RS2000(ex club car) has 5 leaf h/d springs in the rears,billsteins and superpro bushes every where,soon to be reborn as a road car these things are even worse being short wheel base,it wont be going out in the rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sly · 29-02-2008, 11:04 PM

Interesting... my AU1 wagon has been rock solid cornering wet or dry with 205/65x15, 215/60x15, 225/50x16 and 225/55x16. Even giving it a bit of stick at intersections I've had to try to get it to step out in the wet... now that it has an LSD it does break away more readily though. I have the stock suspension though, maybe the sports setup is twitchier. I had an EB Fairmont sedan give me a scare in the wet years ago, it swapped ends with the slightest twitch of the throttle at a suburban right-hander, and its suspension was pillowy compared to the AU.

**Mechan1k** · 06-03-2008, 11:46 PM

I used to have the sports suspension in my XLS ute (albeit the EGAS version with slightly higher springs in the rear) ... but that has been lower 1.5" ... so probably brought it down to XR height in the rear after that.

I have used a stiffer leaf spring than standard ... and now using a gas shock in the rear as well.

I haven't had issues with stepping out in the wet too much on country roads ... I do need to be careful, yes, that's understandable being leaf sprung. I do feel the scuttle/body shake a bit on the rough roads in the rear when empty. But in the twisties ... the rear now makes the front feel relatively softer and a little wooden in comparison.

I think my Pedders Sports Ryder shocks in the front are getting a tad old though (I think they are around the 120,000km mark now) ... front has been lowered 1.5" as well.

I think it may be time to change shocks in the front ... just to get that firmness back again.