[Kilborg]

Okay

My whole full 1 ton setup/4link thing seems a bit unfeasable. I think the new plan will call for much less tube and money, and will still keep me plenty busy with fab.

Rear axle will probably be a 14 semi floater. This should hold up...I can get a detroit locker and 4.10 or 4.55 is fine correct? Will this hold up to say 400 horsepower and 35's without too much hassle? It will be getting a disc conversion. I dont really see the huge need for the huge amount of extra weight...its still gonna be a half ton truck.

Front axle..eventually a 12 bolt? I have never seen problems with these...Ifs will have to do for now.

I am now planning on simply doing a psuedo 3-link... big traction bars and leafs for now. Coils may come later. I am still wanting to do a rear subframe but if I am not doing coils I am going to leave it as basically a rollcage that I can build off of more later on if I want to.

The truck will be seeing a decent amount of offroad...but still be a daily driver. I really dont have the time of money for a million dollar moneypit...I need something that will be drivable as I build it up and hence the plan for a less involved buildup.

 

[Dark Eternal]

Ok I see a few problems.
1) I think you ment 4.56 gears, that is what I would go with for 35s. Also its MUCH easier to convert a 14ff to discs, and they are alot stronger - thats what I would go with.

2)No such thing as a 12 bolt front. Sorry. there is a 10 bolt front, and then a d44 and d60. A 10 bolt or d44 would do just fine for 35s.

3) psuedo 3 link? You mean design your trac bars to act like the lower links and the leafs as the upper? Thats kinda a 4 link. You dont use links if you have leaf springs.

 

[Kilborg]

Yeah I meant 10 bolt front, sorry...was confused with the old 12 rear.

That is basically how I think I am going to do about it. I'm going to add links and leave the leafs in place, eventually replacing them with coils. The whole Idea is to keep it as drivable as possible...so when I do get the coils and stuff (if i do), it will be ready for basically dropping the springs and bolting them in place. Gonna run 2 big traction bars.. It's gonna be basically a 3 link setup

 

[willyswanter]

If your adding links to a leaf spring suspenion it will bind like no other. The links will be trying to make the axle travel in an arc as it cycles through compression and extension. The leafs are meant for a vertical movement. You will be breaking center pins often...

The only way to make it work is to make shackles at both ends of your leaf springs. This way they can move front to back and not bind and the 4 link can locate the axle while the leafs hold the truck up.

 

[Kilborg]

I know it will bind.. I had an idea to compensate for the large amount of binding, but upon looking into it further it would really not be durable enough to bother with. So, I will probably just get the axle and stuff setup, and do all the rear suspension newness right at once. I will have all my mounts and stuff made, just basically bolt the new stuff right in once the leafs are dropped.