help: intalling HD front torsion leaves

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Mon May 02, 2005 1:41 pm

so i've had this heavy duty front torsion leave laying around for some
time, and i'm finally getting around to installing them in my new beam.
these are made by Sway A Way, and available through CB Performance.
anyhow, now that i'm getting ready to install them, i'm kinda confused...

IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH HEAVY DUTY FRONT LEAVES,
PLEASE HELP!!!

there are 6 leaves in the kit, 3 for each beam. they are thicker, so
when you put 3 them in a stack they are as tall as 4 stock leaves.

but they're a wierd width. in the stock stack there are 4 fat leaves
and 6 skinny leaves. when the skinny stock leaves lay next to each
other they are still not as wide as one fat stock leaf. the heavy duty
leaves are as wide as the two skinny leaves laying together - not as
wide as one fat leaf.

so of the stock stack is like this:

skinny
skinny-skinny
---------fat---------
---------fat---------
---------fat---------
---------fat---------
skinny-skinny
skinny

am i supposed to install these SAW leaves like this?

skinny
skinny-skinny
****SAW****
****SAW****
****SAW****
skinny-skinny
skinny

or like this?

skinny
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
skinny

the first way was what i expected to do. but then when i saw that
the SAW leaves are only as wide as a pair of skinny's it occurred to
me that maybe this other thing was what was intended.

THEN WE COME TO THE DENTS FOR THE GRUB SCREWS.

remember there are 6 SAW leaves total. 4 of them have no dents
anywhere. 2 of them have dents ONLY in the center of one side.

now if you install them the second way i gave above, then maybe
it's okay that 4 of them have no dents - they can be the ones that
go in the skinny-skinny locations. but then what about the leaves
in the center of the stack. sure they have the dent for the middle
grub screw. but they have nothing for the ends. does this mean
i have to drill dents myself? these things are damn hard.

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Mon May 02, 2005 5:56 pm

OK, I looked at a pict I took and it looks like:

skinny
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
skinny

Send me your email if you would like a pic.

Theo
[/img]

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Mon May 02, 2005 6:28 pm

cool thanks!

send me the pict and i'll post it for all to enjoy. : )

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:07 pm

Theo wrote:OK, I looked at a pict I took and it looks like:

here are theo's picts:

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:10 pm

wow, so it looks like you really did install them without cutting dents
for the grub screws on the ends. i'm amazed that works. maybe
because they are not as wide, and the end grub screws are on opposite
ends, they get pushed in. so the middle leaf actually ends up being
in there sort of diagonally. do you get my meaning.

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Mon May 02, 2005 8:39 pm

One thing to note about the stiffer springs: They will raise the car...

I welded the adjuster in using the old springs as a guide and now I'm a little too high when I lower it all the way. I set it up to raise and lower the front but I can't get it very low.

Not a big problem cause I'll use a lowered spindle if I decide to realy drop the front.

Theo

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:03 pm

how much lift are we talking here?

1/2 inch? 1 inch?

i have CB 2.5 inch droppers, so i'm okay with a little pick up.
but not too much.

i'm also not sure i want to install them in both the beams.
the SAW claims you can install them in only one of the beams
for a more modest increase in front spring rate.

i wondering whether it would be better to do them in the
top or the bottom alone if i do put them in only one.

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:32 pm

Compaired to old sagging springs I would say 1 inch of lift. They seem to be settling so I would guess it will work out closer to 3/4"

I'm not sure about doing only one beam. One of the reasons I put adjusters in the beam was so I could change the pre-load between the top and bottom.

I'm very happy with the front spring rates. It could be a little stiffer for Autocross and to balance with the rear spring rate (30 mm short torsion bars).

FireDancer · Post by **FireDancer** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:51 am

When I bought my SAW leaves from McKenzies (who I trust) I asked this question and was told to install them like this:

skinny
skinny-skinny
****SAW****
****SAW****
****SAW****
skinny-skinny
skinny

Which I did, and I'm very pleased with them.

But however you choose install the leaves you WILL need to make dimples in them. It's unsafe if you don't.

gcorrado · Post by **gcorrado** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 7:55 pm

hmmm....

i did put them in as:

skinny
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
---------fat---------
****SAW****
skinny

and without dimples. they're narrow enough that the grub screws seat on the impressions in the --fat-- leaves. perhaps i'll try to contact SAW directly and just confirm what it is that's really supposed to happen.

flat_iv · Post by **flat_iv** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:26 pm

How did your springs turn out? Are you using new stock spring or the heavy Duty ones? Also, approx. how much did it raise you car?

Thanks...

flat_iv · Post by **flat_iv** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:19 pm

OK, I just installed the SwayAWay heavy duty front torsion springs. Just to let everyone know it will increase the height 2". This is adding 3 springs to the top and 3 to the bottom. It in creased it more than I wanted but I am going to let it settle for a few days an see what the measurements are.