Leaf spring sliders

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Sep 03, 04 1:16 pm

OK.
What I think I was thinking of when I was in a hurry was if this Danish link system was welded to the axle instead of bolted to the bottom of the spring could you use unwelded spring perches and adjust the pinion angle by adjusting the length of these tube ends?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Sep 03, 04 1:59 pm

I guess what is in my head is a full length ladder bar instead of this short version but with adjustment at the axle end (so you can loosen the U-bolts and adjust pinion angle) and that slider tube on the front end which can rotate in two planes and so not have the binding problem of normal ladder bars when one wheel goes over a bump.

A longer bar like a traditional ladder bar will transfer weight and axle rotation a lot better than a short bar like these. Weight transfer in particular would be better.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Sep 03, 04 9:44 pm

Hold on a moment folks!!

I may have my wires crossed here but I don't think we are all talking about the same thing.

I don't think this slider thing is to replace the rear shackle as stated on the AFCO web site. It is to allow the axle to slide back and fore along the leaf spring to stop binding with ladder bars.

I think the sliding roller bit attaches via brackets to the axle housing and the main part clamps to the spring like in the Chassisworks ladder bar kit photo below.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Fri Sep 03, 04 9:46 pm

Ah! Detective Robson, we've been expecting you!

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Fri Sep 03, 04 9:52 pm

I had never heard of these spring sliders. Comp Engineering do them too. Seems a bit odd to me but there you go. If they just fitted a front end to the ladder bars like the danish chap you wouldn't need the daft spring slider.

Maybe we should apply for a patent and get Trev-D to make them up?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Sep 05, 04 8:03 am

I see your point about the competition engineering set-up, which is primarily used for drag racing, however the AFCO ones were used to replace the rear shackle, as they were fitted to one of the feature cars in Hot Rod, and had been developed and used by circle track racers. Anyway I've raised the front spring eye location 50mm above stock and my pinion angle is way up in the air - so I'm going to make myself a set which I've determined will raise the rear spring eye by 30 mm, and help bring the pinion angle back somewhere near stock (P.S. I felt those nasty driveshaft harmonics this morning at about 90 - NOT good)

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Sep 05, 04 12:13 pm

Just wanted to know for sure that we are singing from the same or even the right hymn book!

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Sep 05, 04 12:33 pm

Removed in case I want to patent it!

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Sun Sep 05, 04 8:28 pm

With the bolt in your fingers swivelling from side to side wouldn't the ladder bars be twisted one way or the other taking up this movement?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Sep 05, 04 8:33 pm

Patent Pending!

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Sun Sep 05, 04 8:48 pm

I think I getcha! The bolt in your hand bolts to the chassis and the tube in the bracket rotates with suspension travel and the ladder bar through the the bracket allows for fore/aft movement. Or is there another joint?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 06, 04 8:01 am

I don't want to spoil the fun but the only way that I can see that this could work is if you use one ladder bar which is located centrally on the car. If you think about it, the two ladder bars are rigidly fixed to the axle housing, and are both connected to the chassis in a vertical plane. Therefore if you imagine the car is propped up on its chassis, then you put a trolley jack under one of the rear wheels. As you jack that wheel up, the other wheel will be forced to move up by the same amount as the front ends of the ladder bars cannot move up or down relative to the chassis and the solid axle cannot twist.

Personally I'm going to go for the Competition Engineering slide-a-link set-up as this allows the links to change length relative to each other, and hence you do not have axle bind in the above situation

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Mon Sep 06, 04 9:07 am

Nope you're wrong Dave. (edited) There is NO bind.

I have removed some of my earlier posts as a patent is pending!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Sep 06, 04 5:50 pm

I'm lost

This sounds like something important I should be considering for my Charger if I am to make it handle better using the stock springs, but it's hurting my brain.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Sep 07, 04 2:38 pm

Don't worry. I am 99% certain that I will not be getting a patent on this thing. It is just too much time and effort. It will cost hundereds of pounds to search and register the idea if I do it myself and about ?5000 if I get an agent to do it for me.

Right now I have two brass pennies.

So by next week I will likely be giving you all the details. It is just that if there is a small chance of getting a patent you have to be careful. Once you have published your idea anywhere you cannot apply for a patent.

I am glad I thought of it because I really would like a cheap and simple system for my car. I really cannot believe no-one has mounted ladder bars like this before.

Maybe if I make a couple of sets for a few interested people in the club we can try them out and see if there are any pitfalls?