Quote:
Dodgeman wrote:
There have been innumerable attempts at re-arreanging the spring stack, reversing one leaf etc. etc.
While this may affect the static ride height, it also alters the spring rate, often for the worse & also leaves the main spring leaf unsupported in some cases which means that the car is both unsafe & illegal.
If an unsupported, or inadequately supported main leaf breaks between the front anchor point & the axle the car can easily end up being 'rear steered' when that side moves backward, jamming the tyre against the wheel arch.
the only thing holding the rear axle in the car is the main leaf, whether its "supported" by the other leafs or not. moving the leaves around does not "leave it unsupported", its already is unsupported. The only way to build in any sort of failsafe for main leaf breakage is called a "military wrap" where the 2nd leaf also wraps around the front eye. I've only ever seen or heard of them being used in very heavy duty 4WD applications.
Quote:
Dodgeman wrote:
I'm presuming that it is flatter than the stock spring pack & is pushing down on it, forcing the original spring pack to flatten out. This of course dramatically increases the spring rate in the opposite direction, i.e. it prevents or severely restricts the body from rising above a certain height after the spring has compressed when passing over a bump in the road.
I imagine this would result in a very harsh ride with the rebound coming to a sudden stop half way through the normal suspension travel, meaning that under 'sporting' conditions the inertia of the rising body will momentarily tend to lift the wheels from the road.
In reality the result would most likely be a momentary reduction of tyre pressure on the road surface as it tries to lift. Now that'll be something to look forward to on a wet night when punting it hard round a tight right hander, particularly with a locker diff.
you don't understand the properties of a leaf spring - they will resist bending in either direction from its static location and will exert force to return to that static position. When they are combined into a pack (assuming they are all in contact) they act as one spring and will exert a force to return to its static position, so you won't get the problem you imagine, any more than you would by fiting a heavier coil in the front suspension.
Quote:
Dodgeman wrote:
None the less, forcing one spring leaf [or stack] down with another one strikes me as being entirely counterproductive & I wonder why it is a practice that is not widely adopted by racers or suspension specialists as the economic benefits are plainly there for all to see. I also wonder how many successfull racers use this method.
pretty much every race car with leaf springs will have a reversed leaf in their spring pack, whether its done by a professional or at home, the principle is the same.
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