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Suspension Secrets - Leaf Spring Military Wrap - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Fred Williams Brand Manager, Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road

Are you looking for some more strength and spring-wrap control from your leaves? We were, so we sent our rear leaves out to Atlas Spring to get them a military wrap. Atlas also equipped our pack with new Teflon pads and gave the leaves a diamond cut for less friction. Though the cost is a little steep at $135 per corner, we now have springs that will take some serious abuse in our dedicated trail machine, and our tired springs have been given a new lease on life and an extra inch of lift.

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PhotosView Slideshow Our tired springs would flex really well, but were also prone to being twisted out of shape. One trail repair had the clamps welded on that were both limiting flex and concentrating stress onto our single main leaf.

Our tired springs would flex really well, but were also prone to being twisted out of shape. One trail repair had the clamps welded on that were both limiting flex and concentrating stress onto our single main leaf.

Our first order was getting the leaves diamond-cut to reduce the friction of the front edge of the spring to a smaller area sliding over the leaf above it. All leaves were also outfitted with new Teflon friction pads to replace those we lost and produce a smoother ride.

The Atlas Spring crew fitted a torque wrap to our pack. The torque wrap runs only from the center of the spring forward to the spring eye, and it sits on top of the main leaf and wraps down under the spring eye. As the axle tries to wrap up, the torque leaf tries to pull it back down and cancel out wrap, which can bind driveshafts and cause general mayhem. We have found that in anything less than a healthy V-8 these work great. Otherwise we would consider also adding an anti-wrap bar.

To make the military and torque wrap, new pieces of spring steel are put into a manual roller and fitted perfectly for each specific pack they are built for.

Our old springs are reborn with a fresh coat of paint and two new leaves for extra strength and an inch of added lift. The leaf that runs under the main leaf now wraps around both the spring eye and the torque wrap. Also note the new spring clamps that allow an inch of separation while still keeping the leaves from splaying out to the sides. When installing them under the rig, be sure the nuts for the clamps are on the tire sides of the leaf for safety should they ever come loose.

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Suspension Secrets - Leaf Spring Military Wrap - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

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