4 Link Vs Leaf Springs

[mr 32]

i have a car that is currently leaf spring and i want it to have the best possible handling.

know does anyone know what would be the best approach to take?

i could stay with the leaf springs, or a 4 link with a coil type set up or a 4 link with an airbag set up

(not to drop it on it sa$$).

any help would be great.

[hrd-hr30]

what type of car (and engine), and what do you use it for?

leaf springs can be made to handle very well. There are alot of things you can do to help control the rear end better, from a better designed leaf pack, to additional links. A well engineered 4 link should be better, but not those 4 link kits you'll see available around the place that are simply deigned for drag/traction. And alot of production 4 link setups can be worse than leaf springs for racing applications.

[mr 32]

what type of car (and engine), and what do you use it for?

leaf springs can be made to handle very well. There are alot of things you can do to help control the rear end better, from a better designed leaf pack, to additional links. A well engineered 4 link should be better, but not those 4 link kits you'll see available around the place that are simply deigned for drag/traction. And alot of production 4 link setups can be worse than leaf springs for racing applications.

street car that will go to track and drag strip once every blue mooon.

the car is a 1971 capri gt which has a an essex v6(stock motor rebuilt with efi forgies etc etc) twin turbo(n1 LM turbos) 500hp at the flywheel mini tub, toploader gearbox. i have been told to look at some of the mustang set up as they are the same weight distribution??

[djr81]

street car that will go to track and drag strip once every blue mooon.

the car is a 1971 capri gt which has a an essex v6(stock motor rebuilt with efi forgies etc etc) twin turbo(n1 LM turbos) 500hp at the flywheel mini tub, toploader gearbox. i have been told to look at some of the mustang set up as they are the same weight distribution??

Like this?

[Sydneykid]

For combination circuit and ¼ mile I would go to a 6 link, consisting of 2 trailing arms each side and a watts linkage with coil over double adjustable shocks on a cut down Ford 9“ rear end. That gives you adjustable squat, adjustable roll centre heights, adjustable ride height, adjustable bump and rebound on the shocks. Plus you have an almost endless selection of coil spring rates to choose from, which are easily swapped depending on the activity of the day. The Ford 9" give you an equally endless choice of diff ratios.

cheers

[mr 32]

Like this?

yep thats it

this is mine

Edited September 8, 2006 by mr 32

[mr 32]

For combination circuit and ¼ mile I would go to a 6 link, consisting of 2 trailing arms each side and a watts linkage with coil over double adjustable shocks on a cut down Ford 9“ rear end. That gives you adjustable squat, adjustable roll centre heights, adjustable ride height, adjustable bump and rebound on the shocks. Plus you have an almost endless selection of coil spring rates to choose from, which are easily swapped depending on the activity of the day. The Ford 9" give you an equally endless choice of diff ratios.

cheers

thanks SK. good thing i havent bought my 9" diff yet. would i have to tell the diff builder that it will go into a 6link real end?

[hrd-hr30]

with the power you've got, its always going to be hard to deal with that using leaf springs. But it can be done - alot of very powerul and fast Group N Historic race cars running the Biante series do very well on leaf springs. Depends which way you want to go.

[mr 32]

with the power you've got, its always going to be hard to deal with that using leaf springs. But it can be done - alot of very powerul and fast Group N Historic race cars running the Biante series do very well on leaf springs. Depends which way you want to go.

well it has to be engineered and its already getting a pile of $$$ being spent on it so a few extra isnt going to make the world of diffrence in the end.