removing srings

[shane_lxi]

I've been thinking of removing all my springs in the back until I finish bagging my extra frame. I need opinions though, everyone I know thinks it's a stupid idea, lol. But I dont care about them. What do you guys think. This is going to be my daily 'around town' vehicle. Used primarily to drive to and from work (about 5 minutes from my house, on city street the whole way) I know it will ride like crap, but I am used to a 240sx with full race coilovers :P.

 

My main concern is how it will effect the rear axle, and how much danger tou think I would be in of my rear end swinging out on a corner and me rolling my truck :(. Anyway, ideas are welcome.

 

I want to go as low as I can on a static drop, but I dont want to ruin my truck.

[Edz280zx]

What would you use to keep the truck "up" or would the frame be riding on the axle?

[shane_lxi]

There'd be mounts welded to the frame, so the axle would basically be mounted directly to the frame, and there'd be nothing to absorb shock/allow the suspension to travel, which is what brings out a few concerns.

[Edz280zx]

I'd be hesitant to do that...tho I've seen worse done to a vehicle. It would certainly ride rougher than any coil overs.

[shane_lxi]

oh yeah it would, lol. I might go to the trouble of just notching the frame a little, and removing a few leaves and putting in blocks. Then I'd have travel atleast, though it'd be a bouncy ride at that point. So either too much travel, or none at all, lol. What about lifting the whole part of the frame with the springs and everything, cutting out a section of the bed? I'll prolly end up blocking and taking out some leaves in the end, lol.

[pope_face]

I would not attach the axle to the frame under any circumstances... to me it's just a disaster waiting to happen. Not to mention the horrible ride and the potential to break something, but you would have no traction at all in the rear end. Any bumps you hit would cause the frame to flex, rather than the suspension. Seeing as how something build to not flex tends to flex less than something designed to flex, you're going to have a problem on turns. If you try to take a corner too fast you could lift one of the rear wheels enough to lose traction, not to mention what could happen in rain or potholes or gravel or anything less than ideal paved road conditions...

 

I'm not that it wouldn't work and you shouldn't do it, I'm just saying that I think it'd be a really, really, REALLY bad idea...

[shane_lxi]

lol. It is a bad idea, lol. I am going to have to make do with blocks and leaving in a few leaves. Maybe a frame notch too so I dont bottom on the frame.

[tnip]

I might go to the trouble of just notching the frame a little, and removing a few leaves and putting in blocks. Then I'd have travel atleast, though it'd be a bouncy ride at that point.

 

i think this won't actually be that bad. and you could always do a simple notch now and do a full c notch later. by simple i mean the kind where you cut a 4" tube in half and recess it into the bottom of the frame. you wouldn't even have to take off the bed. that way after you take out a few leaves and block it, instead of having a 1/2" of travel before you hit the frame, you could potentially have more like 2.5". know what i mean? and it really doesn't seem like that much trouble, imo, it's not like you're having to really build anything, you just cut a pipe in half, cut a lil piece of your frame out and weld in the pipe. haha sounds a lil too easy... i saw it done on like trucks! or one of those shows on spike for a simple bag setup, looked pretty straight forward.

 

the axle on frame idea just sounds like it'd be too easy for wheel hop to put you in the other lane or flip you around a corner or damage something important, like the frame... certainly wouldn't want any of that to happen to ya.

[datzenmike]

 

the axle on frame idea just sounds like it'd be too easy for wheel hop to put you in the other lane or flip you around a corner or damage something important, like the frame... certainly wouldn't want any of that to happen to ya.

 

Axle welded to frame: the tires become the suspension. Acceleration can be applied or not depending on a driver's decision, but sudden breaking is not. Hard rear lock up without the advantage of proper shock absorbers to dampen oscillations will, or could very well lead to, severe tire hop, uncontrolled bouncing even. Think of this in the rain, rough road, high speed or on a curve.

[Fineline]

Sorry but I heave to chime in. Welding the axle to the frame....WHAT ARE YOU NUTS! One pothole in a straight line and your truck will be a foot in the air. And a pothole in a corner, game over! Go take a matchbox or something equivelent and roll it down your driveway. The thing will look like a mexican jumping bead and probably flip onto its roof before it gets to the bottom. WAAAAAY Bad idea! Not to mention you will have to pretty much bottom out the front to get both sides to match.

[shane_lxi]

haha. I know, bad idea :D. lol. Frame notch it is!

[lynchfourtwenty]

notch + blocks - leaves = not so bad... takin the leaves out is what makes it bouncey.. i left mine in .. yea my trucks not super low.. but its not bouncey either.. its actually pretty stiff.. alot more stiff then most the other 620's i've been around

[shane_lxi]

Well my friend Pat (acesn8s) has all but one leaf removed, and it's not too horribly bad, aside from the *clunk* *clunk* every time you hit a bump or pothole. I can live with a bouncy suspension. It's not a work rig, and it's not a hauler, maybe the occasional parts runner, but nothing heavier then a ka24 or l series, lol.

[pope_face]

How firm is the stock suspension supposed to be? I haven't bothered checking how many leafs are in my pack, but it seems pretty heavy duty... I can stand by the tailgate and push down with all my weight, and it moves down maybe an inch before springing back up. If I do that to my daily, the 4,500 lb Explorer, the springs slowly sink down a good couple inches before rising up a bit...

 

Actually that reminds me of one time when I drove my DD with five people, seven hockey bags, one suitcase, and an assortment of smaller laptop bags, purses, and backpacks... The bags and suitcase were loaded with clothes and crap for a trip, and with five fully-grown adults there must've been an extra 1,200 lbs in there, if not more... It was like driving a boat, the center of gravity was so high that the entire thing wallowed from side-to-side going around corners...

[Cruzn620]

this is a safety issue here. no springs=no control. i had a cousin who did this to his hardbody in the early 90's and my uncle finally told him "i'm not pulling you out of the ditch any more when it rains" and he put the springs back on his truck. the truck will stop like crap, accelerate like crap and corner like crap. i hate to go off on a fellow mini trucker, but man, this is just a plain stupid idea and a fantastic way to ruin a perfectly good truck

[shane_lxi]

lol, I know this!! I'm not doing it, geez :P, haha. I knew about how bad it would handle and perform, but the mention of the frame taking the stress that should be put on the springs was something I hadnt though of. I am not even concidering this as an option anymore.