Hey guys,I've been experiencing some very pronounced axle wrap while going up my gravel driveway and in small amounts of snow.I was wondering if by adding an extra leaf to the spring pack would take care of this issue.I don't want to spend upwards of $600 or press in adapters into my leaf springs.Any ideas or comments are welcome.Thanks,Andy.

 

Adding a leaf won't stop the axle wrap. The stock leaf pack is about as stiff as can be.

The only real way to eliminate axle wrap is with triangulated traction bars. Single bars will help reduce it probably to the point where it's not an issue any more though.

 

$600 will buy a nice set of traction bars which should eliminate your problem.

 

Where do you suggest to get the trac bars from?Thanks,Andy

 

Doesn't an Add-a-leaf usually stiffen the ride? I am debating doing a 2" block or 2" add-a-leaf in the back. It seems to ride really nice, but it needs an extra .5-1" in the back(I already have a 1" block).

Doesn't Fabtech make traction bars for 3rd gens?

 

DTT is in the process of designing some now.You might want to E-mail Stephan to get the info. dtt_stefan@telus.net

Bob

 

Yes, add-a-leaf's traditionally stiffen the spring pack and make the ride rougher. There are some exceptions like the mini packs sold by Thuren and/or Carli. Those mini packs are custom designed to improve the ride.

Keep in mind that a larger block will make axle wrap worse. The larger the block the more leverage the axle has to work against the spring pack.

 

And those really aren't an add-a-leaf. With those setups you dismantle the stock pack, pull out some of the stock springs and replace them with the new half pack, mini pack, add-a-pack, or whatever you want to call them.

The typical add-a-leaf is usually very stiff, and makes an aready rough ride rougher.

 

In rockcrawling some of the better leaf springs come with an anti-wrap leaf. It is half a leaf that is mounted on top of the spring pack. I runt hhem on my rig and do not get axle wrap. I run a fairly wide/big tire, and have a lot of torque do to the gearing in my T-cases, 207-1 in Lo-Lo-Lo.

Here is a crappy drawing of what I am talking about.

 

Give Mike with Lazarsmith a call. He makes some awesome traction bars. http://www.lazarsmith.com/tractionbars.html


Here are some pics of Lazar II's on my truck.....














..

 

I haven't really found the need yet for traction bars but did add a leaf and a sway bar. I like the ride and the extra capacity much better. I really don't feel the ride is too stiff or harsh at all. I will admit though, out here in the sand the traction bars will help a lot with the hop and have a buddy who made his own which worked very well on his 3500 short bed.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't classify them as add-a-leaf's either. I just mentioned them in case that was what he was looking at when he said add-a-leaf.

Most serious rockcrawlers use a triangulated traction bar design with leaf spring setups. The anti-wrap leaf will on a light rig, but it won't eliminate the wrap on a heavy truck.

 

Most serious rockcrawlers do not run leaf springs, they run 3-4 link set ups with long arms.

 

Well it sounds like both of us are still running leafs on at least one end!

Not sure about you, but I considered myself VERY serious when I lived in Utah. My buddies all had 4-links front and rear (some were even competition buggies) and my front leaf/rear 4-link setup would go just about everywhere their rigs would.

 

In the above pics are those two pieces of steel(don't have a bend to them like the leafs) under the rear leaf springs stock?

Mine has the same thing, but I thought they were not stock?