Leaf Spring Help

[NOGO]

You can definitely get a leaf spring car to handle great, although there is typically a compromise in ride quality. There is no need to run a axle locator like Panhard or Watts either. Like Falcon65 mentioned, you can get a spring that is thicker on the front side or a shifted forward spring pack to prevent spring wrap and axle hop. This will not guarantee you traction at the drags so there will be a compromise there as well. Do you know the current weight on your rear axle? Its pretty easy to select a good spring rate, but the spring install height, RC, etc. will need to be taken into consideration as well. You dont need a super stiff spring if you can run a rear sway bar to increase some roll stiffness.

You may need to have custom springs made. I highly recommend Deaver Springs because they are top notch, although they are a tad pricey. http://deaverspring.com/

[dbranger94]

By the way cool truck.

Thanks!

You dont need a super stiff spring if you can run a rear sway bar to increase some roll stiffness.

It has a rear sway bar already, but it's only 5/8". I did upgrade it to urethane bushings though.

Like Falcon65 mentioned, you can get a spring that is thicker on the front side or a shifted forward spring pack to prevent spring wrap and axle hop.

I would say the axle centerline is located about 60/40 toward the front of the spring pack.

I had thought about engineering a pinion snubber setup. It would be pretty easy to add a x-member with a pad to the frame. The 8.8 already has holes in it I could use for snubber mounting. Didn't know if it was something anyone was typically using in this application.

[astroracer]

I don't think you will need to do to much more to have a good handling truck. The drop and urethane bushings will had ten fold to the handling characteristics. If this a street driver I guarantee it will handle better then most "on road" conditions will allow.
If you are having wheel hop issues and want to get away from the slapper bars a set of Caltrac traction bars will work wonders and they look cool to boot. Google them.
Mark