leaf spring rear suspension design books

[Slow Ride]

Where can I get info on rear suspension design using leaf springs? I'm considering mini-tubbing my S-10 Blazer and might move the pick up points around some if it will help me out.

Thanks.

[Slow Ride]

anyone??? I need to move the leaf springs in about 4" per side and lower is another 5" on top of the drop leaves and 3" blocks. I want to do it right and maybe even have some adjustability for track conditions. How does the front spring pick up point relate to IC? Is there a specific relationship between the front pickup point and the shackle mount?

[wendell]

Check out Steve Smith Autosports: any book detailing the build and set up of a street stock or hobby stock will give you info. I also think Afco's site has some info. You'll soon learn that a 3" block is going to cause wrap on accellaration and braking. That side I've run 1" with out a problem (high HP, slicks...)

[sinned]

With a leaf arrangement there really isn't much you can "adjust" or do differently do make it handle better. Obviously you can change roll center height slightly by raising or lowering the hanger heights. You may even make some minute changes in roll steer by moving the hangers more or less inboard but not enough to justify any extra effort. If you are going through all the trouble completely redoing the suspension why not 4-link or 3-link?

[Slow Ride]

$$$$ is the big one here. This is mainly a drag car that I drive on the street. My other car I am going to do a pro-touring build on. I just don't have the $2K or more I would need for a proper 4-link.

[High Plains Mopars]

You can alter the front and rear mounts a little bit to change your ride height. Changing from shackles to sliders nets some drop as well. Mounting points can determine anti-squat as well as roll center height. Depending on the type of front eye mount you use, you can also set up leaf springs to use a panhard bar or watts link and have an adjustable roll center height. Otherwise your roll center will be located mid way between the center line of the axle and the top of the spring pack.

One of the best books with detailed info on leaf springs and how they relate to handling and drag appiications is the Mopar Performance Chassis book, which you can get at any Dodge dealer, or any auction site too I'd imagine. While specific to mopars, there is more detailed information in it about leaf springs and leaf link type suspension than in any 5 Steve Smith books, even his street stock books, althought I highly recommend almost any book from the Steve Smith library. Google steve smith publishing to find them.

[rb70383]

+1 on the Mopar book.

[MonzaRacer]

If I had a choice I would use this and think about drag shocks or adjustable from ART:
http://www.ridetech.com/productinfo/air4link_parallel.asp

My second choicewwould be call Jegs and orger up a set of Jegster SS Bars:
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_744132_-1_10083
Heck I am still thinking this would be a better approach to my Monza but it requires some fab work to mount them in a Monza.
BUT I really like Air springs and my 71 Monte with rear cool ride was dead consistent and being able to run single lines to each side lets you tune for wheel spin a lot easier.
The SS bars are flat out one of the most incredible pieces I have ever installed.
We didnt rebuild the rear ,what we did was cut the housing bracket, positioned them then rewelded that and then ran a piece of 11 guage band steel across the open width of the bracket to reinforce it, effectivly boxing it and it didnt require any cutting on the rear end.
The neat thing about them is that they can have the link bolt removed and tyou dont have the bind assosiated with ladders but it will flat out launch like a rocket.
Just do your research as you need to make the front mount your major angle adjustments and use the links to change it in small amounts.
The set up we did was to plot the front mount point at 1 degree intervals and then use the links for the fine adjustments.
We had a local track that would barely handle 1 degree down pinion angle and another that would hook 2 1/2.
Most Ladder style setups run in the 1 1/2 degree range.
Also you could either use a leaf spring slider (the leafs just reat inside rollers/bracket and slide as leafs compress)
A simple coil over set up(you can find good ones on racing junk, etc and buy new springs to fit truck).
My choice would be an ART Cool ride set up with the 9000 springs, and adjustable shocks, some frame boxing will be nessasary but this will stiffen the frame alot and make it launch harder.
Make sure you study up on ladder drag suspensions and get your CG,balance point, and all intersecting angles right.
The trick is to find the point onthe frame where the truck is balanced perfectly front to rear (like your going to make a teetter totter out of it.
Then you measure a straight line fron the front face of the camshaft center to that CG point.
Then you plot your differential down angle to intersect with it.
The farther forward of it the more lift you get, the farther back you go the less lift.
Also remember lift is also called bite.
Also the higher that point to the roof (above frame)is the higher center of gravity on the street you have, the lower it is the better it will handle (this is below frame).
Also since s10s had arear mounted sway bar that pointed backwards , get one it will help a lot we found out.
Good Luck and ask if you have any questions.
Lee Abel
AFTERMARKET PERFORMANCE