scx10 converted to leaf springs.. why do these things break so damn easy??

[m1009cucv]

crawling is pretty big in my family now.. there is a bunch a leaf spring trucks.. 3 scx 10 and 2 tf2.. we went to the park for the day.. a lot of rocks, hill climbs, full throttle a lot of the time.

why do these damn thing bend and break so easy?? im thinking these are not worth the time.. 5 trucks go out.. 4 trucks with bent springs.. wtf?1 broke because the esc smoked.. like the looks and performance for the most part.. any ideas what to do? thanks

[552jrider]

ive never run leafs but ive seen guys switch to leafs that are leaf pack instad of just one leaf. might try something like these: Soft Steel Leaf Spring for Trail Finder 2 or these:http://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/c63leafs.htm

[TNT1]

I don't get why people like to fiddle around with leaf springs on a scx10 when they clearly don't work as well as coilovers.To me the ''more scale'' looks don't justify the loss in performance and breakages, if you had a 1/1 truck and the money wouldn't you rather have a 4-link and coilovers?

[heinie_21]

Sounds like you're doing the WRONG kind of driving for leafs. Haha.

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[m1009cucv]

maybe i just need some better quality springs.. i do like the look. maybe there not meant for much abuse.. dont really know

[RiceBurner]

If you use leafs soft enough to give you the articulation you want there gonna bend. You need to rig up some sorta 2-link to eliminate torque twist of the axle. Similar to what the Bruiser has. Fought this problem for last two years. Either drive more conservative, run more leaves, or modify with 2-link set-up. Rc4wd also sells a non-metallic leaf but they will let axle twist and bind driveshaft if not linked in some way.

[dkchance74]

what if you run your lower links kinda like traction bars or whatever its called? im gonna try it on my blazer build.

[Ronchio]

Originally Posted by m1009cucv

crawling is pretty big in my family now.. there is a bunch a leaf spring trucks.. 3 scx 10 and 2 tf2.. we went to the park for the day.. a lot of rocks, hill climbs, full throttle a lot of the time.

why do these damn thing bend and break so easy?? im thinking these are not worth the time.. 5 trucks go out.. 4 trucks with bent springs.. wtf?1 broke because the esc smoked.. like the looks and performance for the most part.. any ideas what to do? thanks

Leaf springs are early 1900's technology (pre motor ... horse & cart!)

Leaf springs work great with up and down forces but that's it. We now demand the same or more force up and down, side to side, back and forward ... add twice or three times the torque/power introducing those forces.

The way to compensate that force and put the power to the ground is to have full cross and lateral braced bars and links resulting in what is now common 3 or 4 link suspensions.

[tozrovr]

Originally Posted by Ronchio

Leaf springs are early 1900's technology (pre motor ... horse & cart!)

Leaf springs work great with up and down forces but that's it. We now demand the same or more force up and down, side to side, back and forward ... add twice or three times the torque/power introducing those forces.

The way to compensate that force and put the power to the ground is to have full cross and lateral braced bars and links resulting in what is now common 3 or 4 link suspensions.

The wheel is even older than that, but that doesn't mean it won't work well

A good leaf pack that flexes well will have more, thinner individual leaves in it. Try the Chino Military Wrap springs.

[Szczerba]

[QUOTE=heinie_21;4064205]Sounds like you're doing the WRONG kind of driving for leafs. [QUOTE]


Ill have to agree. Leaf setup trucks take a different driving style and aren't really a "hammer down" setup.
I use a RC4WD full length red with the shortest hilift spring under it for support. Kinda a two stage effect. Rig is 6lbs 2oz. It crawls scale and I try to drive it like that.
Good luck.

[GreenAX10dude]

You have to have some sort of "traction bar" to keep the springs from twisting. On our 1:1 Bronco we have leafs in the back and there is one link from the top of the axle to the frame to keep it from binding. You might as well go with a 2 link on top.

[pottymouth]

If you want to look scale, you've got to drive scale or it will break scale.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by GreenAX10dude

You have to have some sort of "traction bar" to keep the springs from twisting. On our 1:1 Bronco we have leafs in the back and there is one link from the top of the axle to the frame to keep it from binding. You might as well go with a 2 link on top.

Not really needed at this scale unless you have a really heavy rig. Other leavers may chime in and correct me. You can play with different main springs and helper springs.

Originally Posted by pottymouth

If you want to look scale, you've got to drive scale or it will break scale.

[Jcplante]

I have leafs on my 73 bronco build. Im not a big fan of them for the same reason but I refuse to go linked in the rear. I did the rest of the build as scale as I could so I wasn't gonna put coilovers and 4 link in it. What I ended up doing tho is cheating a little. I used the rc4wd scale shocks in the rear too. They look like scale shocks that the 1:1 bronco would have for dampening but, they have hidden internal springs that carry most of the weight. Now the leafs are mostly for looks other then locating the axle.

[LoC]

Jcplante, I really like that idea. I am collecting parts and material for a build right now, and I have been dwelling on the rear suspension as it will need to be strong but short and located almost at the rear of the frame. That setup seems ideal but I am curious. When you use the internal spring shocks did you mount the upper points to the frame or to shock hoops? I also Have heard that these internal spring shocks do not like mud. That could be an issue in my case.

[Jcplante]

They are mounted to a shock hoop but if you had short enough ones they could mount to the frame I guess. This is the first I have heard about the mud issue. I don't know why they would be any different tho

[WHITE-TRASH]

Originally Posted by pottymouth

If you want to look scale, you've got to drive scale or it will break scale.

I bounced and beat the absolute monkeyfawker out of the leaf springs on my 1:1 wheeler and they never failed me all that bad. Bent a pair of fronts from years of usage and bent a rear in a multiple roll off the side of a mountain. It doesn't get much more scale than that.


The problem isn't that people aren't driving scale it's that the leaf packs on rc's would be crazy soft in the 1:1 world and would likely bend the first time the clutch is side stepped at 5k rpm. If you want leafs to hold up in the 1:10 world make the pack have multiple leafs and get used to having very little travel unless the rig is extremely heavy to make the packs flex.

[Jcplante]

Yeah if you think about it........ You have a rig all perfectly scaled to 1:10 now do the math and figure out what 1:10 of the weight of that 1:1 is.............. Better reinforce the rc shelf lol

[Undefined]

Originally Posted by GreenAX10dude

You have to have some sort of "traction bar" to keep the springs from twisting. On our 1:1 Bronco we have leafs in the back and there is one link from the top of the axle to the frame to keep it from binding. You might as well go with a 2 link on top.

Not needed unless all you do is hammer down..just as to a 1:1
If you actually crawl and don't use full brunt to achieve a line...you don't need traction bars in scaling IMO

My leafed TF2 does just fine without em and all my 1:1 yotas ive ever built have had no issues either..most of em having at least 228:1 ratio if not 270:1
Of course runnin 4 pissed off squirrels though..not a 400whp LS6

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[Undefined]

And i've crawled some of the best trails on the West Coast....Con, 4Dice, Schwartz, TSF, Hammers, Dusy...never had a problem with leafs. Leafs for life!

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