SeniorXJ

Is it true that having a higher number of leafs in a leaf pack tend to flex better, & if true, how so??

I have rustys 4.5 full packs & HD engineerings shackle relocators & am thinkin of adding an extra leaf to the packs for a bit heavier spring rate when carrying heavy cargo. Was thinkin of grabbin a set of main leafs from an XJ out of the junk yard or someone scrappin there rig, so how much would that net me in lift/spring rate??

mr white

Softer leaves will flex better, which would usually indicate less leaves. I don't know how heavy the cargo you're planning on carrying is, but I doubt you would need extra HD springs for it (unless you are planning on packing it to the roof with bags of cement or lead bricks).

farmerjohnson

All depends on the actual spring. You got to add and subtract and swap til you get what you want. Some folks go for xj bastard packs, some go s10' and some even use FS chevy springs. Adding another xj main will help but how much it will help depends if the spring is worn. It's hit or miss to an extent in my opinion.

SeniorXJ

Well lets address the actual question here, & thats "do having more leafs per pack tend to flex more?" I ask this cauz i was watchin an offroading show the other day where this claim was made??

farmerjohnson

Or you can get longer shackles ( within reason) and relocate the backer to keep your shackle angle at 45 degrees. It will give you more droop and keep the same ride. It lifts the rear end but with your gear that you haul it should level to what you want. Or go all out and get revolver shackles.

SeniorXJ

Already have HD's shackle relocators & some hefty lift shackles that are at a 45 deg angle!!! LoL

Back to the main question now please...

farmerjohnson

It depends on the spring rate. My 86 CUCV had a 9 leaf pack. Took it towing a tractor to even make it think of flexing. But in our world of xj, if you built a pack of soft leafs it would in theory give you lift because of the progressive lengths but when a certain amount of pressure (your jeep tilting over stuff) is applied, the softness of your leafs would allow that flex your looking for. hope that makes sense. That's how I understand it.

farmerjohnson

Sorry I get sidetracked easy............lol

krawlthis

If you have very soft leafs you need more in the pack to hold the weight of your jeep. Harder leafs can hold more weight so you don't need as many. So yes you need more soft leafs in a pack than you do in a hard leaf pack and you will achieve more flex in the soft leaf pack with more leafs.

Zj heep

The answer (to me) is no. The more leafs You have the more weight it will take to bend them. The same weight springs with more of a bend would be the best setup.

TheJerm

Building of this, if you stagger the spring rates of the leafs though out the pack then it would be soft around nominal and get harder as it flexes to its limits. This is the same idea of coil overs having 2 different springs, one handles point A to point B then the other handles point B to flex limit. So its possible to get more flex out of more leafs, just the right leafs

89eliminator

i think the better statement would be the longer and flatter the leaf pack is, the better it will "flex"

Rock Toy

All things being the same, as in same height springs, as in 4.5 inches, as in shackle angle, Teflon pads, etc. A leaf pack with five leafs will flex less than a leaf pack with seven leafs, because each leaf in the seven leaf pack will have a lower spring rate.

krawlthis

Case in point 63" Chevy leafs long and flat. Massive flex

billulsund

Thicker leafs will not flex as much as thin leafs. So the number of lears does not matter as much as the thickness.