Yes and no mt_goat. I readily achieved the flex I was looking for but I made some mistakes along the way.

Mistake #1 was not adding a load leaf to the rear spring packs, as required by Downey in their instructions. The reason the Downey springs are relatively inexpensive is because they don`t come complete. This is not indicated in the catalog or in their ads. The All-Pro springs are looking good at $280 US now!

Bad move #2 was using degree shims to level the truck out. It was only 1 1/2 inch but it gave the axle some more leverage on the springs. I might have been OK had I not done this because the original angle was lower and chances are the u-joint would never have bottomed out without it. In my defense, degreeing the axle so that the u-joint at the diff is level (or just a few degrees below level) IS the correct way to do it when you have a CV joint at the T-case. By comparison, if you have one u-joint at each end, you should rotate the axle so that the u-joint angle at the diff matches the one at the T-case. This is so the eliptical paths the u-joints travel get cancelled out by each other. (as long as they are in phase)

Despite those two mistakes, I could have avoided damage had I fabricated a control rod that would connect the top of the rear diff to the frame crossmember to prevent axlewrap. Why didn`t I do that? Lack of time. Plain and simple.

So in retrospect, yes the suspension was TOO flexy but the negative arch is not what should have clued me in. I designed the suspension the have the springs as flat as possible so that I could have as much suspension droop as compression. From what I have learned, this is the correct way to design a suspension for rockcrawling and generaly slow trailriding. If I had been designing a suspension for high speed whoops and sand washes, it would have much more compression travel than droop and the shock dampening would be much higher.

Here is a pic of what will become my torque rod. It`s just a farm tractor implement lift rod thing. It cost $20 from Princess Auto. I will lengthen it and make some mounts.


I will rebuild it, I have the technology!

Toughguy