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Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:16 am
by 12callum
Was searching last night and found these, I think this is the link not very good at copying/pasting sorry!
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/suspe ... f-springs/
They look awesome didn't know if anyone had seen or heard of them!
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:22 am
by twiss
Blimey!
Hmmm Im not too sure though... I know fibreglass is strong but I've managed to snap a few steel springs already, and Im not at all keen on single-leaf springs... as its one chance then game over!
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:41 am
by twiss
Also, as that article was from 2007, and they aren't selling them any more... I wonder what happened?
Can't have been a massive hit...
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:15 pm
by dan_2k_uk
They sound awesome in that blurb.
I would happily try them.
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:38 pm
by 12callum
I would defo try them out! But like twiss said I couldn't find anywhere that is selling them!
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:57 pm
by twiss
Been doing a bit more googling...
This place will make fibreglass springs to your supplied specs
http://www.flex-form.com
There is some good info from a load of Gypsy drivers here, apart from they are referring to composite springs
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-techn ... ing-5.html
... but on the flip side - this article describes my opinion of single leaf springs pretty accurately
http://www.eatondetroitspring.com/mono-leaf-springs/
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:27 pm
by Rhinoman
When I was at Reading uni in 1997/98 they were developing composite/plastic springs and were testing them on a London Taxi, they had racked up 100k+ but they were only driving around the campus so not much flexing.
I did exchange a number of emails with Dr Pawar a number of years ago, his manufacturing set-up seemed to be a bit 'garden shed' but he seemed a fairly sound guy and was enthusiastic about the springs, but the Team-BHP guys had a few failures and I was skint so work on the KJ came to a halt, I think there was also an issue with the spring rate as he only had two types for the SJ at the time. I'm quite pleased to see that he is still going, I may try and get some when the KJ build restarts.
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 10:37 pm
by Rhinoman
In my experience its usually the main leaf that breaks so you're no better off with multi-leaf anyway.
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 11:25 pm
by twiss
I've broken my main leaf a couple of times and the pack has held together enough to limp home...
Re: Fibreglass yj springs!
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:17 am
by Rhinoman
twiss wrote:I've broken my main leaf a couple of times
Then maybe what you need is a spring that's designed to flex.
I was thinking back over this last night, as I recall it was around 2008 that I spoke to this guy and at the time he only did SWB springs and only offered a soft spring for stock travel or a heavy duty spring for SPOA, I wanted 2" lift spring for SPUA, he was prepared to make some springs but I didn't really want to do the design proving. At the time he was doing a lot of work for loom parts for the textiles industry in India, according to his website he now has an 8000sq ft factory so his company does seem to have taken off.
If anyone is seriously interested in some of these springs then let me know as combined shipping would save a lot of money.