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View Full Version : SOA Spring Suggestions?


JeepHD
05-16-2008, 12:30 PM
Well, with almost no abuse I already bent a front YJ spring and both my front and rear wrap terribly. So I am considering other springs and looking for some good suggestions.

I have accumulated the parts to do a anti-wrap bar on the rear, but was considering different springs before I fab it up. Currently I am running Stock YJ springs with an added main leaf with the eyes cut off. It flexes great but I don't think it will last at all for offroad abuse. I would prefer not to lift it any higher, and would like to actually lower some. I am currently leaning towards some 2 inch BDS YJ springs and then drop the 1 inch body lift off, hopefully the result would be less no more than 1 inch of lift. I am just worried about it resulting in more lift than expected. I think the Military wrap and the beefier BDS springs would help and they are only $80 a piece with a replacement gaurantee.

Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts on what springs to use? I would like to get away from needing the front anti-wrap bar and have a more durable spring. I will still put a rear anti-wrap on.

Pics of it on RTI recently and stance
909
910
911
912

I also go to Coldwater, MI (BDS Warehouse Location) monthly for work and can pick up with no shipping, which helps some too!

ORIGINAL BUILD THREAD
http://www.cincyoffroad.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1271

Aquaman
05-16-2008, 03:43 PM
I run the RE 1.5" SOA springs and they are great. No wrap issues and they are durable. But they are pretty expensive.

JeepHD
05-16-2008, 03:48 PM
I run the RE 1.5" SOA springs and they are great. No wrap issues and they are durable. But they are pretty expensive.

I would like to try them but at double the price of BDS, I would rather not spend that much on them.

kyrel69
05-16-2008, 03:52 PM
I run front waggy spring in my CJ the ones with the 7 leafs. They seem to last a long time and flex great, but I have gotten mine out of waggys that I was parting out. I run them in the front and rear. Almost no axle wrap I do not run any kind of ant-wrap bar

Mike F
05-16-2008, 05:48 PM
The 2" BDS springs are 4 leaf packs or used to be and will not hold up, even BDS says they will not hold up SOA and suggests the 3.5" springs that are 5 leaf packs or to add a 5th leaf to the 2" packs.

I bent up several 2" BDS springs front and rear and one rear set of the 3.5"s before I installed a traction bar and only bent the front 3.5"s after a couple years (fixed them in a press). The springs have lasted OK and have settled out.

My jeep http://www.mv4w.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=3562&orderby=titleA

JeepHD
05-16-2008, 06:38 PM
The 2" BDS springs are 4 leaf packs or used to be and will not hold up, even BDS says they will not hold up SOA and suggests the 3.5" springs that are 5 leaf packs or to add a 5th leaf to the 2" packs.

I bent up several 2" BDS springs front and rear and one rear set of the 3.5"s before I installed a traction bar and only bent the front 3.5"s after a couple years (fixed them in a press). The springs have lasted OK and have settled out.

My jeep http://www.mv4w.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=3562&orderby=titleA

Interesting. I talked to BDS and they told me the 2 inch springs were great for SOA.

Mike F
05-16-2008, 07:23 PM
Interesting. I talked to BDS and they told me the 2 inch springs were great for SOA.

Are they 5 leaf packs now? Or maybe they are made different now?

It would be good if the 2" ones hold up. I killed 3 2" sets in about a year and a half 4 or 5 years ago. My Jeep weighed about 4300lb then, maybe that was the problem.

carwash
05-16-2008, 11:48 PM
i have always used the 2" lift springs for soa. and bds is great cuz they will cover your springs, lifetime warranty, minus shipping. i went thru a couple sets this way.

any spring is going to wear out in a soa situation, especially if you don't have a serious anti-wrap bar.

itbrokeagain
05-17-2008, 11:15 AM
I am sprung over with stock Yj springs with no issues, now. On the front I added full length Yj main leaves and cut the eyes out. I cut several leaf springs in half and put them in every other spring and put them on the back to eliminate my axle wrap. On the rear I added a 2500 Lb main leaf from Brighton Spring and put a anti-wrap bar on. You will need to build a beefy one because I destroyed the first one. My wrap is pretty much gone and it flexes very well.
I am running a 302, T-18, and 37 boggers. I can dump the cluth and not have any issues.

One problem I did have is the shackles folding up against the frame when coming up to an obstacle. This happened on the front and rear. I welded some stops to the frame so the shackle could not fold back.

I am very happy with this set up and if you get yours right you will be happy with it.

shawnb
05-18-2008, 02:53 AM
the best and cheapist way i have found is to run rear cj springs all the way around and add a leaf there thicker and hold up well

JeepHD
05-19-2008, 09:28 AM
Response I just got from BDS, really pretty vague:

" Our 2" YJ springs have 4 leafs. As for how well they hold up in a SOA application varies depending on the setup. Rigs with heavily modified powertrain tend to be harder on the springs."

JeepHD
05-19-2008, 09:41 AM
Still not sure what to try next. I think I have a couple sets of CJ rears that I can try and won't cost me anything but time.

94Dodge Truggy
05-19-2008, 10:29 AM
I have seen the 2'' BDS springs used on a SOA with good luck behind a 350 motor and alot of wheeling. Finding the right spring combo can be difficult! Hopefully you can eliminate the wrap bar though.

JeepHD
06-19-2008, 12:06 PM
Picked up four new BDS 2 inch lift springs this week for $73 a peice new. Purchased at Planet Powersports in Coldwater, MI and drove down the road to pick them up at the BDS distribution. They are 4 leaf with full military wrap, and are much thicker than stock springs, just hope they will flex well and not lift me too much.

94Dodge Truggy
06-19-2008, 12:28 PM
I have had good luck with the bds springs in the past. Performance offroad (roy) carries them too.