It's Springtime - XJ LEAF SPRINGS

[Jimmyb]

If your rear end is sagging, or wish to make your existing suspension a little more trick, then you need to see a suspension expert.
Since I had acquired a second hand set of leave springs that needed a reset, I had to see such an expert. So I headed for the Sunshine Coast to Bob Buhk from Allset Springs.

Working out of a large shed on his property at Woombye, Bob reworks and tunes suspension from all over the country. Experience is everything in this field, and with years of it under his belt, I figured Bob was more than capable to do my springs some justice.

Spring packs will not retain their rigidity forever, over time the pack will soften and that’s when you’ll need to see someone like Allset Springs. The total time taken to do one pair of leaves is quite quick. It is a day turn around to reset and put the spring back together. It is preferable for the customer to have their vehicle on the premises, that way it is easier for Bob to accomplish the final ride height of the four wheel drive.

After some discussion about what I wanted from my springs, it was decided that a leaf would be removed for more comfort and extra flex.

The packs are first measured to determine how much they have sagged. In order to do this, you need to know the pack’s “Free Camber Height”.

This height is different for every model of four wheel drive. The camber height is normally measured from the top leaf to the centre of the eye, and is essential for Bob to work his magic.

The centre bolt is removed and each pack totally disassembled. Starting with the main leaf, Bob puts it back into shape by pressing it under a hydraulic ram. All the work is done by hand, moving the spring up and down until Bob is happy with it’s curve.



Once he is satisfied the main leaf is a perfect camber, he presses the remaining leaves to follow that bend. Each leaf spring is pressed along it’s length so that it hugs the next.

Once this is completed, the pack is put back together and measured again. At this point the spring pack will be a little taller than needed, and that’s where the next step comes in.

It is far easier to remove height from the spring than it is to put height into the spring pack. To remove the extra height a process called “scragging” is used.

The pack is inverted onto the hydraulic ram and pressed below the horizontal. This is done to remove about an inch of spring tension a new pack would lose early in it’s life anyway. That way you won’t lose too much lift after the installation. After scragging, the pack is measured again for the last time to ensure it’s at the correct height. In my case we’re aiming for 190mm, that’s for the four-inch lift kit.

The centre bolt is replaced and the excess length is rounded off, then the finished product is painted in what Bob calls “GBS”. That’s Good Black Shit (when you can’t get it off your hands, it’s “FBS”).

Once the springs have dried, they’re ready to make your rig bigger!

Resetting your springs is definitely not a do it yourself job. This article was filmed under controlled conditions so don’t try this at home! It takes years of experience and good hands to do the job right. Over time some might call you an expert. Not Bob, he’s a legend.

Now that the springs are finished, all I need to do now is get them fitted.

That’s part two of this story.




Allset Springs are located on Old Palmwoods Road, Woombye. You can contact Bob on 5442 2919.