home made rear spring isolator

[4x4kayak2112]

is there any way to make rear isolators? maybe out of some plastic or metal??

i know 45 bucks dont sound much but why buy them when you can make them with materials around the shop....

 

[TAHOE]

There was a guy on here or Lost a few months back who made front spacers like daystar from the hard white plastic that cutting boards are made from. not sure how it worked out. I guess it can be done with right materials and tools. The rough thing about the rears would be to get a decent groove for the springs to sit in and not slip out.

 

[candpliberty]

is there any way to make rear isolators? maybe out of some plastic or metal??

i know 45 bucks dont sound much but why buy them when you can make them with materials around the shop....

Rear isolators are made out of hard rubber. A material around the shop would most likely cause noise at the least. They "isolate" the metal spring from other hard surfaces. I paid 12 bucks a piece plus freight from an online parts house(only needed to add one per side). A couple of days of ramen noodles instead of BurgerKing should be enough! :-k

 

[TAHOE]

Rear isolators are made out of hard rubber. A material around the shop would most likely cause noise at the least. They "isolate" the metal spring from other hard surfaces. I paid 12 bucks a piece plus freight from an online parts house(only needed to add one per side). A couple of days of ramen noodles instead of BurgerKing should be enough! :-k

True, but if he wanted "extra" isolators, he could make is own spacers and place them between the rubber and mount, the springs would never touch the new spacer. Only worry I would have if they were just flat is there would be nothing to hold them in during heavy flex unlike the rubbers that have lips.

 

[ridenby]

There was a guy on here or Lost a few months back who made front spacers like daystar from the hard white plastic that cutting boards are made from. not sure how it worked out. I guess it can be done with right materials and tools. The rough thing about the rears would be to get a decent groove for the springs to sit in and not slip out.

That fellow was from Sweden,did a whole lift,good stuff. He was on Lost,don't remember his handle.

 

[candpliberty]

For 30 to 60 bucks that worry is eliminated. We can sleep at night not worrying that 4x4kayak's rear springs don't fall out.

 

[TAHOE]

I agree 100% but OP was asking about building something without spending $45 so just replying to his questions.

 

[candpliberty]

TAHOE I agree 100% but OP was asking about building something without spending $45 so just replying to his questions.


ok, I think you could mold yourself some spacers using the original isolators but I think it would be cheaper to buy the ready made units from the parts supplier.

I remember that thread where the guy made his own front spring spacers out of hi tech plastic but he used it because he had a source(I think his work) to make it affordable. A CNC milling machine would be a perfect way to make a couple of spacers if one had access to one.

 

[tommudd]

Heck cut some out of plywood , easy to do paint them good and throw them in, it will work

 

[TAHOE]

Heck cut some out of plywood , easy to do [aid them good and throw them in, it will work

Tom... I knew you were a true redneck!!! My long lost brother! lol3.gif

 

[tommudd]

Just wait until they hear about my top 1/4 inch top plates made out of a plastic cutting board.
And I am running them instead of the two sets of steel ones I have laying in the garage(dropmouth)

 

[Boiler]

steel ones too thick?

Most plastics should be fine unless they melt. Cutting board is pretty durable.

I looked into various materials for the fronts, but found aluminum to be the cheapest considering cutting.

He is talking about the rear though, IIRC.

 

[long_tall_texan]

Just wait until they hear about my top 1/4 inch top plates made out of a plastic cutting board.
And I am running them instead of the two sets of steel ones I have laying in the garage(dropmouth)

So using HDPE would work! Glad you tried it. Have you re-checked the torque on the 4 strut plate nuts after running them for a while? My only concern on that idea a while back when I brought it up was that the plastic may compress a little initially and those nuts getting loose.

 

[tommudd]

steel ones too thick?

Most plastics should be fine unless they melt. Cutting board is pretty durable.

I looked into various materials for the fronts, but found aluminum to be the cheapest considering cutting.

He is talking about the rear though, IIRC.

Yes steel ones too think since both sets of extras I had on hand were 3/8 inch thick which if you remember will not work on a Frankenlift due to length of the bolts. I could of switched the bolts out but did not want to go over 24 inches

I know which he was talking about! I answered that question, I was making a different remark, I am looking at ways so no one has to buy, just cut, mine were done in less than 5 minutes

 

[tommudd]

So using HDPE would work! Glad you tried it. Have you re-checked the torque on the 4 strut plate nuts after running them for a while? My only concern on that idea a while back when I brought it up was that the plastic may compress a little initially and those nuts getting loose.

Over two thousand miles now on them, yes I did check them after 500 miles and no problem so far. I always check mine every 500/750 after each time I have it torn down, which is a lot! ( for testing purposes)

 

[long_tall_texan]

You could use TJ spacers....like I did..(

Please elaborate...

 

[Ry' N Jen]

I'm about to make an additional pair of spring isolators out of a ⅜ inch thick
sheet of heavy duty rubber that I have in my assortment of metals and
materials.
I'll be adding one of them to each coil spring, under the factory lower spring
isolator to compensate for all the crap we carry in out Liberty.

 

[tommudd]

Ryan those will work, my two uppers are cut from very hard rubber and work great

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Ryan those will work, my two uppers are cut from very hard rubber and work great

I've got a 4'X6' sheet...
I'll make a half dozen and see if anybody would like to buy a pair or two for a very reasonable price.

 

[4x4kayak2112]

Heck cut some out of plywood , easy to do paint them good and throw them in, it will work

will that actually work??? just cut them into donuts i guess