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best ride-mono or multileaf

2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Philip 
#1 ·
what gives the best ride-I have mono leaf now, but changing the rear so I can weld on whichever perches I need
is there a clear diff in ride quality-I see some multi leaf have diff #'s of leafs also
 
#2 ·
How do you define best?

The mono-leaf was invented to give your mother a smooth riding second car with cheap to make leaf springs which were know to offer a rougher ride that coil spring cars. This was because the varying thickness in the mono-leaf offered a variable stiffness in the spring rate that offered a smoother ride than a fixed spring rate that couldn't change to meet changing conditions.

As you noted there are three leaf springs sold to replace the mono-leaf using the mono-leaf spring perch, and, four through six leaf factory springs that fit in the multi-leaf perch. The changing number of factory springs was to offer different spring rates. All performance applications used a multi leaf spring depending upon engine torque and assumed driving style of the purchaser based upon model options (the factory assumed SS or Z/28 optioned cars were intended for semi-competition as opposed to being driven by your grand mother to church on Sunday). The SS Nova with a big block had a five leaf spring, the small block had either a four leaf or five leaf depending upon factory rated horsepower.

In full competition leafs (or half leafs) were frequently added and the front half of the springs are bound to stiffen the front half of the spring to make it in the upper link in a four link system when you added either a pipe in a pipe or a rectangular tube bolted to the axle for drag racing. The six leaf was used in road racing being designed to assist the Trans Am with it's low torque five liter motor spinning to ten grand to make a bit over three hundred horsepower. It is a bit too soft for a big block when drag racing (I discovered).

Big Dave
 
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