Custom Alcans anyone

Clubbs

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Location
Blounts Creek
I've taco'd my third set of front waggy springs on the CJ. They're so off design and I keep buckling the main leaf. Running this with the shackle forward puts considerable compressive stress on the main leaf when climbing ledges and stuff that even with an anti wrap bar they're done after one trip.

My local jeep junkyard closed up so no more cheap springs.

Gave all the specs to Alcan and they quickly quoted a pair for around $900.

Thought about linking it, and the link and truss stuff would be about $900 but then oris or coil overs is $5k+... And leaves work nice on the street too.

Measured and calculated sprung weight to 1,200 pounds a corner, but there's a lot more to it I would think. I built this thing with springs and tacked hangers to get ride height correct and level. Anyone had experience with Alcans and they just worked out first try? Don't want a squatted rig or other issues.

I'm sure Alcan is the legit leaf spring guru of our industry, just seems like more of an art than a science...

Dave
 
You could save a lot of money using tj lift springs and regular shocks over coilovers, Barnes makes brackets that would simplify the process.

Otherwise shackle reversal kits are are a good way to protect the springs from bending and though they reduce front traction when climbing ledges they also prevent the front from pointing skyward and reduce bounce since the axle path travels rearward with compression instead of forward with a shackle out front



 
I've had at least three sets of Alcans on my Jeepster. Wonderful spring all around. I had my last set special built and military wrapped for more strength for just this issue but it did not prevent bending if your rig is prone to it. Once the front shackle digs in, something's going to give and its the spring. I wish that I had reverse-shackled my last build and that was the plan until I ran out of time. I think thats the only cure. I finally linked my rig front and back and bent springs are a thing of the past...
 
As part of the shackle forward crowd, front leafs are a consumable. RE 1.5" SOA springs with one leaf removed is the ticket on the YJ so whenever it gets bad enough I'll throw a new spring in it. That has only been once since I have had the rig. Fixing my shackle inverting issue has helped but digging the shackles into anything makes the main leaf the weak point. I can put a lot of leaf springs in it for the cost of linking the front. You should TOTALLY throw 5 grand at the front of yours though. It will be sweet when its done.
 
Uhg, you people...

I suspected all of the above, and know you're right. Was hoping for an easy bolt on unicorn solution, but also rather looking forward to linking the front. Will probably use tj coils, but I don't know if there's enough meet in the barnes brackets to clear the tubes on my Dana 60. I'll dig around more as I think Ive seen Dana 60 sized brackets on their site too. The top frame brackets will work for sure.
 
I run clayton's in the rear, military wrap. Also an anti wrap bar keeps leaf's from gaining the superior "S" shape.
 


Coilovers:
wheelNC94GC

Thread 'Toyota Samurai Buggy Project Part Out'

$1800 FJ80 axles - Rear is FF with 4/.10 and spool, Front is HP 4.10 with lunchbox locker and hellfire knuckles and high steer arms. Stock shafts in f/r.
$SOLD PSC double ended ram, orbital, reservoir, tc pump with PSC pulley
$300 2 Corbeau seats
$1800 Toyota dual cases, Front 2.28, rear 4.7, triple shifter, rear case mount bracket, front case crossmember mount
$700 w56 trans with RingR adapter and new clutch included for 8V tracker
$350 1.6 8v propane kit with 1 tank (22R parts SOLD)
$150 electric fan and Al radiator
$250 turbo manifold, ko3 turbo, wastgates (internal that came with turbo...
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Boom, done….. sort of lol….
 
While I love coilovers/ORIs, if you are wanting to street drive it, and dont want to spend time to tune/adjust them, stick with coil springs and shocks. I might look at JK/JL/JT springs, since they are generally dual rate and from heavier jeeps.
 
Still running the set of Alcan springs I had made for the Frontier back in ~2004 when I wanted a 3.5" lift for the rear. When I did the solid axle swap on the front I sent them back to Alcan somewhere in 2012 for a rebuild (at that time freight and parts/labor was cheaper than new) and they are still great all these years later (all the additional lift came from portal boxes so the axle stayed right where it is and I needed no changes to the springs). I did a miliary wrap front eye to combat axle wrap but being spring under it probably serves more to protect the pack and give somewhere to scrape on over rocks. I added some capacity (cannot remember how much) to the pack to account for wheeling with a full bed of camping gear and tools. That transitioned into a super-heavy wraparound rear bumper, a spare tire carrier and spare hanging off of that (the wheel and tire is ~140#), an 18 gallon aux fuel tank, an 8 gallon air tank, and still all the camping gear and tools. I ended up changing my shocks to Fox units that I could charge up just a little bit with Nitrogen to boost the rear for added load.

Getting all your measurements and weights correct is key with Alcan. Since you are considering new springs you may want to think about wider leaves and re-work the perches and shackles, but that is probably overkill. I know nothing of your CJ but assume you are running an I6 or V8 so relatively heavy on the nose (although not as much as a stock Wagoneer) but then bumpers and winches add so much weight and leverage out front.
 
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Clubbs said:
Uhg, you people...

I suspected all of the above, and know you're right. Was hoping for an easy bolt on unicorn solution, but also rather looking forward to linking the front. Will probably use tj coils, but I don't know if there's enough meet in the barnes brackets to clear the tubes on my Dana 60. I'll dig around more as I think Ive seen Dana 60 sized brackets on their site too. The top frame brackets will work for sure.
Click to expand...
If you decide to link it, I'll give you my remaining links and big ass heims from my Ranger. They may have a pleasure curve here and there. But they'll save ya $500. Should have enough for a 3 link at least.
Holler.
 
I wheeled the shit out of a SOA YJ with 2” BDS springs and MORE 5/8” lift boomerang shackles. On more than one occasion I slammed into something hard enough to break the center pin on the spring. Once on Welder trail at Callallantee I hit so hard it sheared the center pin and pushed the axle back so hard it broke the entire front output half of the 231 completely off. Never once bent a spring. I really believe that was because of the shackles. I wheeled with a buddy with an almost identical rig with stock shackles and he was constantly bending springs.
 
skyhighZJ said:


Coilovers:
wheelNC94GC

Thread 'Toyota Samurai Buggy Project Part Out'

$1800 FJ80 axles - Rear is FF with 4/.10 and spool, Front is HP 4.10 with lunchbox locker and hellfire knuckles and high steer arms. Stock shafts in f/r.
$SOLD PSC double ended ram, orbital, reservoir, tc pump with PSC pulley
$300 2 Corbeau seats
$1800 Toyota dual cases, Front 2.28, rear 4.7, triple shifter, rear case mount bracket, front case crossmember mount
$700 w56 trans with RingR adapter and new clutch included for 8V tracker
$350 1.6 8v propane kit with 1 tank (22R parts SOLD)
$150 electric fan and Al radiator
$250 turbo manifold, ko3 turbo, wastgates (internal that came with turbo...
  • Love
  • Like

Boom, done….. sort of lol….
Click to expand...
This and @Jody Treadway generous offer has really got the plan in motion...

I'm 30k feet eastbound over Montana right now trying to remember what the bottom of the CJ looks like. As much as I'd like to 4 link the front, that big block Mopar commands lots of room...

Thoughts on streeting a 3 link front rig? Should I just figure out the 4 link? I've got hydro assist steering and not full hydro
 
Clubbs said:
This and @Jody Treadway generous offer has really got the plan in motion...

I'm 30k feet eastbound over Montana right now trying to remember what the bottom of the CJ looks like. As much as I'd like to 4 link the front, that big block Mopar commands lots of room...

Thoughts on streeting a 3 link front rig? Should I just figure out the 4 link? I've got hydro assist steering and not full hydro
Click to expand...
3 link if you’re not gonna run full hydro. You need a panhard bar with a steering box/ drag link setup anyway. Benefit of a true 4 link is no need for a pan hard if triangulated correctly. If you 4 link with a pan hard (5 link really) it will not perform any better than a 3 link with pan hard and may bind

Adjusting toe and caster correctly will have a bigger impact than what type of link on streetability. If you leave rear leafs they will help with body roll and you might not even need a swaybar. I would not street a full hydro rig personally. Illegal on Tennessee roads and any wreck will immediately be your fault after the insurance guy looks at your rig. Plus I’ve heard it feels really wierd and doesn’t like micro corrections
 
FWIW front sway bars create understeer so if the car oversteers you need a front swaybar.

Read sway bars increase oversteer, so you would use one to correct understeer

If your steering is neutral enough you can get away with neither
 
Haven't heard that on sway bars but good to know. Not running any sway bars currently, but it's a leaner in turns. But it's also incredibly streetable. 70mph on 40" mickeys is no problem, let go of the wheel and it tracks straight. Probably helps that the spring warpage has added more caster. Probably couldn't steer it at all if not for the psc hydro assist

One day I may go full hydro but wouldn't put it on the street, and its too much fun around town at this point in life
 
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FWIW apples to oranges but my wonton xj was a ford d60/10.50 surplus center hydro assist. It was a 3 link front/ track bar setup w/ the third link on the drivers side by the driveshaft to above the pumpkin. It was a one finger @65mph rig. No sway bars at all. The rear leafs held it just fine. They were a bastard pack for ride/flex. Probably should have had an anti wrap bar on the rear but never did and also never had an issue.
 
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