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Thread: 1/4 elliptical suspensions

  1. #1
    dyskrasia CRaSHnBuRN's Avatar
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    1/4 elliptical suspensions

    I was looking at a buildup over on pirate, and the guy is putting a 1/4 eliptic suspension in the back of his cruiser. I've always kinda liked this setup, but I've always been cuious about one thing. How do figure out how much the spring will compress so that you don't end up with the back end really high or low? With coils I know you can get a rough estimate depending on wieght, and even set the vehicle's weight down on the suspension with everything tacked in place to make sure you're right. You can also build adjustablity into the coil mounts which helps. But what do you do with a 1/4 elip? Just remove or add leafs to the spring pack? Change the shackle length?

  2. #2
    Tommy sucks Sharpe's Avatar
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    Eyeball that ****. With the two ghetto shackle flips I've set up I just eyeballed and guestimated and they both came out good.

    Quote Originally Posted by CRaSHnBuRN
    I was looking at a buildup over on pirate, and the guy is putting a 1/4 eliptic suspension in the back of his cruiser. I've always kinda liked this setup, but I've always been cuious about one thing. How do figure out how much the spring will compress so that you don't end up with the back end really high or low? With coils I know you can get a rough estimate depending on wieght, and even set the vehicle's weight down on the suspension with everything tacked in place to make sure you're right. You can also build adjustablity into the coil mounts which helps. But what do you do with a 1/4 elip? Just remove or add leafs to the spring pack? Change the shackle length?
    On the 8th day god created the Super Swamper TSL and said "go forth and kick ass"

  3. #3
    dyskrasia CRaSHnBuRN's Avatar
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    1/4 elip, not 3/4 elip, or buggy springs, which is what I think you are thinking of. What I'm talking about is a linked suspension with a half a leaf pack used in place of a coil spring or airshock

  4. #4
    Once was lost... BMFScout's Avatar
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    it's ghetto, 1/4 ellip is a ghetto way to do coils. why wouldn't you just do coils?
    Boats and hoes

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    Thunderbird will do just fine.

  5. #5
    dyskrasia CRaSHnBuRN's Avatar
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    why is it ghetto? And really what does it matter? I'm not questioning which is better, I just want to answer some questions that I've had for a while concerning that kind of suspension.

  6. #6
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    You can change the length on the shackle, and change the angle the spring is mounted to the frame, point it more up or down.

  7. #7
    Registered User uglyota's Avatar
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    I think F350 rears (well, halves of rears) have been made to work pretty well on yota-based rigs
    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy View Post
    damnit... if everyone is leaving i want my original 15 back... i dont wanna be left with these tools

  8. #8
    No progress... bburris's Avatar
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    I think one of the big reasons against is the extreme amount of rear steer you get with a 1/4 elliptical setup. Matt Hodges used to run one that looked like it worked really well, but it had a whole lot of rear steer that I assume is the reason he changed his setup to coils.

  9. #9
    Registered User uglyota's Avatar
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    In 1/4 ellips that I've seen, the links locate the axle...rear steer can only be caused by poor link geometry
    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy View Post
    damnit... if everyone is leaving i want my original 15 back... i dont wanna be left with these tools

  10. #10
    Tommy sucks Sharpe's Avatar
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    You could do it in true uglyfab fashion and use the springs as the top links...
    On the 8th day god created the Super Swamper TSL and said "go forth and kick ass"

  11. #11
    Registered User uglyota's Avatar
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    yup, straight booty. Everything I do is half-assed
    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy View Post
    damnit... if everyone is leaving i want my original 15 back... i dont wanna be left with these tools

  12. #12
    D-FENS agjohn02's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by uglyota
    yup, straight booty. Everything I do is half-assed

    Quote Originally Posted by uglyota
    I think you and "Bandit" would get along really well

    you should probably listen to whatever it is this guy is telling you then.

  13. #13
    Yo soy tu papa! Doug Krebs's Avatar
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    I just happen to have a set of f350 springs in my driveway...
    1988 Blazer...RIP

  14. #14
    lo veo TxCruzr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bburris
    I think one of the big reasons against is the extreme amount of rear steer you get with a 1/4 elliptical setup. Matt Hodges used to run one that looked like it worked really well, but it had a whole lot of rear steer that I assume is the reason he changed his setup to coils.
    I think his big problem was how soft the rear was. His jeep would always squat down on the rear and pickup a front tire. That along with links didn't help him. I've seen a cruiser with 1/4 elliptical and a buggy and they worked great. Neither looked like they had rear steer, but they also limited their flex more than Matt did.
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  15. #15
    lo veo TxCruzr's Avatar
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    First two are of Matts when he first did the 1/4 elliptical. Second one is a very well setup one using f350 spring I think. You can see how Matt used way soft springs and with a lt1 and auto, the torque just makes it squat every time. The cruiser does squat some but hardly noticable at all. Its just like any other 4-link, you can make it work great and you can really fubar it.
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    "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter."

    '69 FJ-40, chevy383, sm420, 37's, RedNeckRam
    '08 Tundra SR5 Poser Douche Rig on 35's

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