SOA on 78 Scout II?

d-scout II

New Member
Joined
May 28, 2008
Location
Clinton, N.C
I have a 1978 Scout II and was about to get a friend of mine to do a spring over but I began to be concerned about the springs. I dont want to do a spring over if my springs are fatiqued or weak and If Im going to buy new springs I might as well do a lift kit from Super Lift. Can anyone tell me if there is any way I can tell if my springs are still stout and not sagging or weak. I dont know the miles on the Scout but its in great condition for a 1978 matter a fact Im driving it on the road now. I know the shocks are shot but worried about the springs.
Thanks
Don Butler
Clinton, N.C
 
my lil brother has a 74 scout II. we did a soa about a year and a half and it worked out great. you can take in consideration the age of your scout, has it been used off road a lot, carried a lot of weight, things like that. i wouldnt know exactly how to check the spring rate from home. do you know anyone else with a scout that you could compair the heights with. btw, we just lifted jasons scout about 2 weeks ago, again, about 9 inches and put on some 39 tsl's and one ton running gear. its looking real mean now, and its painted olive drab.
 
Do the springs sit completely flat, or do they have some arch?

If it rides decently, I would keep the ones that are there. If you get a lift spring, and then do an SOA, you are going to end up with a sky high scout.
 
OEM springs are made by Triangle and are good quality. The IH V8s are heavy pigs, so the front springs are pretty beefy. Rears will sag over time (particularly the non-XLC springs), but since yours is a post-'75 they're XLC ... bonus! If the rears have sagged at all, you can run a slighltly longer rear shackle to level things out. You'll still have mild axle wrap on the rear if you are really heavy on the trottle off-road. You can compensate (somewhat) for this by welding on some longer spring perches, stockers are pretty short. FYI, scout springs (front and rear) are 2" wide.

If you go SOA with stock springs and stock length shackles, you'll probably only be able to run a 33" tire without cutting fenders.

I highly recommend you cut and turn the axle for better caster. Stock is zero degrees, so longer shackles = death wobble. If you try to shim for caster the pinion will be in the dirt which = u-joint bindage. If you don't know what I'm talking about, search SOA and read pages and pages of threads here ... www.binderbulletin.org

If you're able to break the stock springs after the SOA, then go for a set of 2" lift skyjacker or rough country springs (still SOA) and then you can go with 35" tires without cutting fenders. FYI, scout superlift springs are crap.

Are you going Z-link or High-Steer for steering? CV front shaft or Standard?
 
YOuve lost me on the Z-link, high steer, cv joint and etc. Im just a poor old chicken farmer in Sampson co. that loves Jeeps and Scouts and a little moderate rock climbing with my son LOL. He owns a Jeep with all these mods for rocking and Im trying to get the Scout that I bought from him ready for Uwharrie in a month or so. IM going to run 33/12:50's so hopefully I want have to cut the fenders. I hate to take away from the original Scout look if I dont have to. Its for sure there wont be anymore IH Scouts made and the ones we have is all we got. Wanted one when I got out of High School in 1974 so bad but couldnt afford one. NOw Im 52 yo and still cant afford one. LOL
 
The Z link he is referring to is the drag link for the steering. When you lift it with a SPA you really mess with the geometry of the steering. Even with a drop pitman arm your drag link will be at a great angle. So a Z link takes the steering from one plane , to another plane via a bent tube, which is in the shape of a Z.
High steer basically moves all your steering up high to do away with the need for a Z link. Not sure about a Scout 44, but many 44's come with flat tops, that make high steer easier. That along with a drop pitman arm will level out your steering pretty good and you can use a straight drag link.
CV joint, or constant Velocity joint, is a drive shaft end that has two u joints in one end rather than just one. Allows you to set the angles of pinion up a little different. Some say not as strong, but I have not had issues with mine.
Doing a spring over on stock springs puts a lot of leverage on the springs, and if not bent or sagged, they soon will be.
 
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