Leaf Spring mount skid plates/ sliders |
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2389 |
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Posted: 13 Oct. 2017 at 10:47pm |
A few years ago I made this leaf spring mount skid plates/sliders up after not seeing anything I liked that were commercially available. I made these out a a section of 1/4" wall 4' tubing. They mount over the stock spring mounts and are secured front to back by the bottom of the bolts that go over the axle tube so the dont move front to back and are held in place by bolts that between the U bolts and above the bottom spring mount plate. Here are a few photos to give an idea of what they look like. You loose about 1/4" of ground clearance but you gain the sliders which keep things from getting bent or the CJ2A from getting hung up on rocks.
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6141 |
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I’m confused about how those are secured. I see the two long bolts that go over the spring mound, but what else holds them? Do those holes just fit over the ends of the ubolts, or is the some other mechanism that keeps them from sliding around? Do the rattle?
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2389 |
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Stan,
The U bolts locate off of the four holes in the bottom. The four side bolts clamp the skid plate the top of the spring mounting plate (two on each side). The picture only show the side bolts on one side there is another set of two bolts on the other side. The skid plate is tapped for the side bolts and the bolts get turned in tight against the side of the leaf spring (no rattling). The side bolts ride on the top of the spring mounting plate and inside of the U bolts. Sounds confusing - Here is a second attempt at explaining them: The U bolts are cut off so that there is 1/4 inch sticking out below the nuts of the spring mounting plates. The skid plate has 4 hole that the ends of the U bolts fit into - those bolts keep the plate from shifting forward or backward once installed. The skid plate has two bolts on each side that are tapped into the 1/4" steel. The holes are place so the bolts fit just above the top of the spring mounting plate and positioned just inside of the U bolts. When the bolts are tightened they hold the plate up so that the 1/4" of the u bolt is captured by the skid plate.The four side bolts are tightened up against the side of the bottom two or 3 leaf springs. I can pull one of the plates and take a few pictures. Tomorrow I will be wheeling so it might be a day or two be for I get it posted. When I do these on my next trail jeep I will mount them and then cut the U bolts off flush. Edited by Stev - 14 Oct. 2017 at 1:39am |
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2389 |
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Here is a photo looking down from the top.
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6141 |
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Here's some photos that fltfndr sent me of some u-bolt skid plates that he made.
Here's what he said about them: Can be built in your garage, requires a welder and a means of cutting 1 1/4 in. holes. we had the bottom plates bent on a brake on each end for us. I wouldn't say any one could make, but given the projects that I have seen on the page, it is possible by a fair number of members |
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Mark W.
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 09 Nov. 2014 Location: Silverton, OR Status: Offline Points: 7982 |
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Here is how I went. Mine plates move the U-Bolts out about 1/2" and move the Nuts up beside the springs. The spring sits in a "saddle" with the bottom being 1/4" steel. This then gives me almost 1/2" more clearance then I would get if I cut the U-Bolts off at the bottom of the Nuts in a normal installation.
Lots of fabricated parts and special short U bolts were ordered. |
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Chug A Lug
1948 2A Body Customized 1949 3A W/S 1957 CJ5 Frame Modified Late 50's 134L 9.25"clutch T90A D18 (1.25") D44/30 flanged E-Locker D25 5.38 Since 1962 |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6141 |
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Mark,
That looks pretty stout, and the u-bolt head is well protected. I wonder if a carriage bolt instead of a hex bolt to hold your bottom plate on would make it more of a slider type thing. I can see those hex bolt heads hanging on a rock.
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2389 |
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Mark, All I can say is WOW! I think that is a great looking set up. Make sure to post some pictures after you do a little trail riding.
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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Mark W.
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 09 Nov. 2014 Location: Silverton, OR Status: Offline Points: 7982 |
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smfulle They were originally designed with using Button Head bolts or better yet Flat Head Bolts that would be counter sunk into the bottom plate.
The only problem is Grade 8 Flat head or Button Heads are not available ANYWHERE. I later found out I could have used Metric Button Head bolts with a 10.9 grade rating (basically equal to our Grade 8) BUT that would have required a metric tap and the corresponding pilot drill and I did not find out about the High strength Metric option until after these were made. Not being an engineer I had no way to know what would equal the holding power of the U-Bolt long nut combo as designed. SO when I went for something that would have to replace that I went for over kill. I actually have sliders that would fit over the Bolt heads using a couple of counter sunk Flat heads into the Bottom Plate designed and drawn up. They would turn the plates into a true slider. But Those will come later. If at all. After Dad running this Jeep for 8-9 years for wheeling and such and me going crazy with it in High School for almost 3 years. When I took it apart the U-Bolts and Nuts showed no damage. And this setup gains 1/2"+ of ground clearance. SO I think for what I am likely to do with Chug I'm good. If not I can always fab up the skids and screw them in place at a later time. You also need to keep in mind my idea of four wheeling does not involve trying to drive over soccer ball sized rocks just to see if I can do it. I'm more the can we get there from here kind of adventurer. Lots of Sage brush High Desert sand and forests. I have a LONG list of where I want to go and what I want to see once Chug is done and Dedicated 4x4 trails and places like MOAB just aren't on it. That part of the Hobby is way cool just not my thing. I want to be able to drag my little Off road trailer to some place 20 miles from the closest road set up camp and stare at the stars or go fishing/hunting for a week and then head somewhere else. |
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Chug A Lug
1948 2A Body Customized 1949 3A W/S 1957 CJ5 Frame Modified Late 50's 134L 9.25"clutch T90A D18 (1.25") D44/30 flanged E-Locker D25 5.38 Since 1962 |
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jeeper50
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 01 Mar. 2008 Location: Spanish Fort AL Status: Offline Points: 2579 |
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Belleview ol skool winch soon. '48 CJ2A 283 V8 sm 420 granny low, tera low D18, overdrive,lockers Texan at heart,Alabama by retirement |
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JeepFever
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 07 Aug. 2012 Location: VA Status: Online Points: 2749 |
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An alternate design, not quite as protective as others, but very simple to make. . . has served my '2A well for past 25 years.
Made from 1" square tubing. simple Edited by JeepFever - 10 Dec. 2017 at 5:03am |
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Unkamonkey
Member Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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It looks like a good way to deal with it. I haven't bent a U bolt for many years, I am more concerned with keeping my PTO intact so I may take some odd lines. The last trip out to Moab, I managed to get hung up in rocks with both differentials but the PTO was fine.
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uncamonkey
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minnow1193
Member Joined: 11 June 2014 Location: Tampa FL Status: Offline Points: 209 |
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So that's what these are....I've wondered what the point was. I guess my PO just never got around to cutting off the rest of the threads.
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JeepFever
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 07 Aug. 2012 Location: VA Status: Online Points: 2749 |
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Too funny . . yeah -> cut those threads above the protection plate, out of harms way !! edit: or at least flush Edited by JeepFever - 10 Dec. 2017 at 4:59am |
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jeeper50
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 01 Mar. 2008 Location: Spanish Fort AL Status: Offline Points: 2579 |
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Got a set for Christmas off ebay $22 pair, ol skool design that works. Lots of great ideas posted in this thread. Now the buy new ubolts to replace the old beat up bolts
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Belleview ol skool winch soon. '48 CJ2A 283 V8 sm 420 granny low, tera low D18, overdrive,lockers Texan at heart,Alabama by retirement |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6141 |
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Jeeper50,
You got a link to where you bought those skid plates? I was going to go with the angle iron things, but if those nicer one are out there for that price i think i might do that.
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3A Steve
Member Joined: 10 June 2016 Location: West Virginia Status: Offline Points: 879 |
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berettajeep
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 03 Feb. 2009 Location: Astoria OR Status: Offline Points: 4304 |
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