Quarter elliptic bobber suspension

[plym49]

I have wondered whether, when bobbing a Deuce, it is feasible to convert the stock rear suspension to quarter-elliptic. Simply remove the rear-most axle and torque arms, cut the rear spring off behind the mount, and leave it as a slipper design for the remaining axle.

This would seem to eliminate the various trade-offs involved with either Deuce front springs or trailer springs.

 

[ODdave]

keep in mind the whole rear suspention is mounted via a pivot pin......

 

[plym49]

keep in mind the whole rear suspention is mounted via a pivot pin......

Would that need to be locked, or otherwise accomodated?

 

[ODdave]

taking 1 axle out would be like sitting on a teeter-totter with 1 person.

 

[plym49]

taking 1 axle out would be like sitting on a teeter-totter with 1 person.

The weight of the truck would be to the front. If the pivot was controlled or eliminated, would it not be similar to an air bag setup?

I'm not trying to be a smart aleck about this. I have just wondered whether a quarter-elliptic setup could be done.

 

[ODdave]

I understand. Locking that pivot might be quite a feat though. Lots of stress on stuff with that system too.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I would think bagging it would work well, but it seems like this thread is all theory, so we will never know.

 

[Loco_Hosa]

I would think bagging it would work well, but it seems like this thread is all theory, so we will never know.

This is not a sarcastic question, or supposed to be inflammatory, but is that a bad thing? Heath posted up a THEORETICAL idea for a water injection idea that both has some awesome math info, and I plan to turn his theory into reality once I have a chance.

(I know very little about what an Elliptic suspension is) I also can tell you that trailer springs and front springs are not the only ways to bob a Deuce. There was a member that bobbed his truck and used the air bag suspension off the tail of a Pererbuilt semi truck. He was very pleased with his results.

Maybe I read it wrong, your post just had a negative feel to it.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Sorry about your interpretation. I would say I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not.

 

[leroygreen]

I have seen this done on an old gasser Deuce. It was a mud truck with a blown 454 and 400 turbo. The rear half of the leafs looked like they had been torched off. It looked like a weird setup but it worked for him.

 

[Oros35]

It could be done, but you would have to toss most of the original suspension.

 

[eldgenb]

I would think that the stress would be too great, If you ditch the leaf springs, leave the dog bone 3 link setup and find a way to stick an airbag in that little space that would move all of the leverage out of the bogey setup and on to the airbag. I was going to do this with a 5 ton I had a while back but I sold it before doing this.

 

[booger]

your talking about Mighty Mite suspension, only BIGGER

 

[joshuaz223]

i contemplated that among other things but the weight savings and cheap price of stock duece springs was a winner for me.

 

[Bob H]

I have wondered whether, when bobbing a Deuce, it is feasible to convert the stock rear suspension to quarter-elliptic. Simply remove the rear-most axle and torque arms, cut the rear spring off behind the mount, and leave it as a slipper design for the remaining axle.

This would seem to eliminate the various trade-offs involved with either Deuce front springs or trailer springs.

It won't work with stock suspension componants, modified , cut, locked in place or whatever. You may be able to incorporate the stock dogbones into your new suspension design, I wouldn't.
So what are the trade offs using deuce leaf springs for the rear suspension?

 

[plym49]

The benefit would be not having to cut up another Deuce or trailer to create a bobber.

I wonder if this could work:

Remove the rear axle and torque rods. Cut the spring behind the center stack. Leave the pivot in place. Now, take some of the cut-off frame and create a saddle/stirrup that wraps the center of the spring. Do it so that it locks to the vertical face of the frame rail. Now the stock pivot is in place to take most of the weight, and the spring is locked against the frame rail as typically done for a quarter-elliptic setup. You could probably remove some of the rivets and replace with bolts that attach the new saddle/stirrup to the frame. You should be left with 1/2 of the stock suspension with complete articulation.

 

[plym49]

I would think bagging it would work well, but it seems like this thread is all theory, so we will never know.

Thought experiments can be helpful sometimes. If the idea is feasible, maybe someone will try it someday.

 

[Highdiver]

The benefit would be not having to cut up another Deuce or trailer to create a bobber.

I wonder if this could work:

Remove the rear axle and torque rods. Cut the spring behind the center stack. Leave the pivot in place. Now, take some of the cut-off frame and create a saddle/stirrup that wraps the center of the spring. Do it so that it locks to the vertical face of the frame rail. Now the stock pivot is in place to take most of the weight, and the spring is locked against the frame rail as typically done for a quarter-elliptic setup. You could probably remove some of the rivets and replace with bolts that attach the new saddle/stirrup to the frame. You should be left with 1/2 of the stock suspension with complete articulation.

The only reason the rear suspensions works as well as it does is because of the pivot point that you would be disabling. By locking the rear of the leaf spring to the frame. you would end up relying on the leaf spring only, for suspension travel. The springs themselves, don't have that much travel in them.

 

[DeucesWild11]

There was an episode on Extreme 4x4 which they bobbed a deuce and used an air suspension in the back which they controlled to raise and lower the bed. Not sure if that helps you but here is the link for the first half of the episode..

http://www.spike.com/full-episodes/...itary-6x6-bobbed-deuce-part-i-season-3-ep-119

 

[KsM715]

That truck is now owned by a SS member.