Hypoxic Chronology

Who's kit is that?

 

Looks like the Toytec kit. Looks good!

 

It's the one from toytec.

When I first built my bastard pack the stock Ubolts were just long enough to expose a single thread outside the nut after removing the washers (which became my brake line extensions)

I had thoughts of throwing the overload back in because it has the "fence" to keep the leafs aligned and a place to bolt the ebrake lines.

I don't think the flip kit has a whole lot of advantages as my stock plates are only scratched up a little but I figured as long as I had to buy new ubolts, I may as well get a flip kit.

I still haven't put the overloads back in and I don't think I will.

The passenger side leaves have been starting to spread on me, but I just ordered some of these instead

$57 Pro Comp 98-250B 2.5" Leaf Spring Bend Clip

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EP2PIS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

Good luck with those, I've had them migrate to the end of the pack most every time. If you have a leaf with a lip on the end they have a better chance of staying. I have some extras, new, laying around if you want them.

 

Could you tack them to the bottom leaf?
Or even just put a little booger bead outboard of them so that they couldn't slip outwards?

 

So you clamp the leaf pack tight, and hammer the retainer tight, then clamp the retainer tight. Tight, tight, tight. Then weld the tabs. The rubber piece in the top helps keep it in place.


Eventually, you'll want to go off road and that leads to pack flex, which just beats the retainer in to submission.


This one likes to hang out near the shackle. Notice the not so square angle it was left with. Also notice the tiny tack weld on the bottom edge, in an attempt to keep it in place.


This guy is stout, riveted to the leaf, but only folded over on top, no bolt through the ends


and the flex of the pack still had it's way with it.

 

So what would you recommend?
Two stout side plates bolted top and bottom?

 

Tie a little bastard back there and tell him if they are straight he will eat. #BASTARDPACK

 

Well, I'm not saying don't use them, just don't expect any kind of perfect alignment. They will keep them located as far as the stretch will allow. If you have a leaf with a hole in the end, the pressed out portion is supposed to go into that and will help keep it there. I really have issues with welding on a leaf, even on the end. Even though I did try it. The flex is just too much and will break the weld or fatigue the softer metal in the retainer.

I've used the bolted side plates too and this gives a harsh ride and reduced flex. Keeps the leafs in place though.

 

A little misalignment won't bother me but the partial wrap on the second leaf was contacting the spring perch.
You can kind of see where it was rubbing on the right side of this picture before I mostly straightened them out.

 

Is Rock Stomper still in business?

 

If you look at the first picture I posted, maybe I could put the clamps just inboard of the clamp that's still riveted to the donor leafs.

It might be a little farther inboard than would be ideal but they wouldn't be able to slip out that way

 

If you just need the two leafs to align, that should work ok.
Of course the opposing force of the two below it may help too if you wrap them as well. I'd order extra's.

I think he went out of business a few years back for reasons unknown. His website just shows the main page but goes nowhere.

 

I don't think that would work either as a little stretch on them being inboard will equal more misalignment on the end, if that makes sense. You want them near the ends so they yield less misalignment as the stretch.

 

The pack is nice and flexy as it is. I don't want to make a brick out of the thing

 

Just carry a nice big deadblow with ya and beat them back now and then.

 

Yes, geometry makes sense.

I guess the problem with 360 degree clamps is that they limit vertical spread as well as horizontal. The ideal solution, in my mind at least, would allow vertical spread to retain flex without allowing the horizontal spread.

 

Exactly, like the overload leaf had...

 

I wasn't really able to budge them until I took the ubolts off.

Which is actually another problem with this flip kit. The way the stock ubolts went around the leaves, they prevented spread a bit even though it was just along a 4 or 5 inch section.

The flipped ubolts don't go around the leaves but next to them so now there is relatively nothing preventing horizontal deflection which makes me think I'll have more of a problem if I don't come up with another solution.

 

It looks like you still have the remains of the alignment clips on the bottom leafs, I'd use those. Weld them longer and run a bolt through the top.