If there is anyone on here that is good with CAD, I'm trying to figure out a leaf sprung SAS. I wanna try and get some basic blueprints to work from but would like input from the forum to make sure it gets done right. Now before people cry a fit, the SAS is stage 2, followed by stage 3 which involves swapping in an engine, that I don't want supported on coil overs (700 something Lbs. dry). No your not gonna find out what motor... That being said eventually I'm gonna run a shortened D60 up front, but for ease of the original conversion would like to look at putting the truck on a D30. This will allow me to get the truck up in the air, look and perform well, until I can get "real mans" axles built. So how many people can help me, maybe even give me help designing my own in a CAD program. My only thing is I don't want to try it on CAD and have it off, and then go to build it and it's f'd up. Also any help with what parts will work best and steering design is always welcomed! Back to design, I'm looking to go up about 6" and be able to clear 35's. When I get to the motor, I'm probably gonna need to switch to a more heavy duty spring or lift it more and let the weight sag it down to 6", but that's not an issue right now. Thanks in adavance!

-TJ

 

that is something you will want drawin up in a 3D program.....AutoCAD isn't the best for 3D modeling..

 

coilovers would allow you to fine tune your ride and height alot more then leafs would. And they would have no problems supporting a 700 pound motor.

 

But how much more work and money go into running coils over leafs?

-TJ

 

you need to go out and measure. that is the place to start. you have to draw everything you have now.

if you have no clue how to use CAD then just draw it on paper, otherwise u will never get it done.

 

It all depends in how in depth you get into the setup.

 

well being a mech. engineer who knows his way around SolidWorks, you are gonna have to provide a lot more detail (measurements) on the setup if you want it to be helpful when you actually go to fab and assemble this...Its my understanding that you want a fully dimensioned axle/suspension assembly in order to check clearance and fitting. This would take a considerable amount of time to accurately model. It would be easier and less time consuming to just fab on the fly for a one off project like this. Good luck with the project.

 

Does anyone know how close the front suspension/frame width on a Jeep Wrangler or Cherokee is to ours? I was tossin around an idea, maybe just cutting one off, and if it came off a Cherokee pulling the coil buckets off a Wrangler or get it all from a Wrangler if possible. Worst case scenario you'd have to slide things around on the axle some right? I really want to try and get this done before winter. These damned Goodyears need to go, and I don't want to buy new tires only to finish the SAS shortly there after and need bigger tires... Jeeps are like *******s up here, everybody has one, so any junkyards should have some kind of pickins of D30's...

-TJ

 

the Jeep Wrangler front axles are too narrow for a Ranger.....

 

How do you figure? Zach is running one plus I know of a couple other people that are using one in their sas project.

 

a Wrangler axle is too narrow for a Ranger....

this Wrangler axle will not work:

 

Ok, the chances of me a) finding a wrangler that new and b) with a front axle still under it... I sure hope your not a bettin man.

-TJ

 

that body style goes back a ways......i looked into a Wrangler axle when i was going to do a SAS.....the axle itself is too narrow for a Ranger's stock track width........the tires will be in the fenders farther than with a stock Ranger......soo look foward to rubbing on the inner fender and frame rails unless you run an excessively large backspacing on your wheels to compensate (or spacers)

i will bet on that, because i know i am right...

 

if you are going to do leaf springs get a D44...

they are pretty easy to come by. there are a few for sale on here.

 

late 80s - 90s and newer all the D30s are the same width... idk what your talking about exactly.

 

Hey Zach then how do you get away with it and the others that have used the d30.

 

get away with it? lol its almost the perfect width.

 

Then if the axle is fine for you then why wont it work for him.

 

I'm looking for something cheap to setup and reliable enough to last, until I can build up bigger axles, much like you did/are doing, except I'm gonna be looking to do D60, maybe a D44 but I would need chromly shafts... Im kind of up in the air on leafs vs coils right now. Obviously it wouldn't be terribly hard to do either one (depending on how indepth, any SAS is gonna be hard) if I can stick to barebones. My 2nd challenge I'm trying to figure out, is once I have all the parts massed, attempting to pull off the conversion in 2-3 days so where the truck can drive in RWD since it is my DD... Basically right now I'm looking at the iceburg above water, and haven't gotten into it completely.

-TJ

EDIT:

This is a key reason I like this forum, while only a handful are SAS'd, there is pages upon pages of knowledge that can be had going through you guys to make sure she gets doen the right way!

 

ha 2-3 days... that is funny.

 

the Dana 44's from the Wranglers are too narrow by about 3"......i measured both when i was looking into getting a Dana 44 out of a Rubicon for my truck...

 

Hmmmmm the guys down in FL pulled off a leaf sprng in 2. Like I was looking at, I'm not looking at completely customizing it, yet... I want to try and take it off a Jeep, measure it up to my frame, and weld it on maintaining the stock geometry from the Jeep to get it back on the road fast, then fine tune it. It is all in the prep work, you can be tacking pieces onto the stock frame that don't touch the IFS well before tearing it off. And since the axles are right on (to the majority of known opinions, the frames can't be that much different (to my knowledge, i can be very wrong at times!).

-TJ

 

the D44 from a rubi is the same as the axle i have now. 61 or 62 inches.

 

i understand that but trust me when i say do it right the first time and take your time. 2-3 days is not taking your time.

 

I respect your opinion and know the quality work you pulled off. Bottom line is this truck needs to be able to support the front end and steer in a limited amount of time. It doesn't bother me going back and reworking stuff I did to make it better, usually happens everytime I work on my truck... I can only be borrowing vehicles to get to work, 1 or 2 days max, and thats saying if I didn't work a weekend, and was still at it on Monday and Tuesday. I guess step 1 is going to be putting away a little money and start "window" shopping any local junkyards I can find. Maybe take a pad and be measuring the Jeeps up and comparing them to what's in my driveway.

-TJ

EDIT: Can a mod change the name of the thread please since the CAD/Solidworks idea has basically been scrapped, go ahead and be creative.