ShadowsPapa
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Bill
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2019
- Threads
- 247
- Messages
- 40,440
- Reaction score
- 53,854
- Location
- Runnells, Iowa
- Vehicle(s)
- '25 JTMX, '23 JLU 4xe, '82 SX4, '73 Javelin
- Occupation
- Retired auto mechanic, frmr gov't ntwrk security admin
- Vehicle Showcase
- 3
I'd put any Javelin I've ever owned up against a lot of "cars" that have coils. They are leaf spring rears and have the nicest rides of almost anything I've ever owned. Smooth across tracks, bumps are no problem. I used to autocross (rather unofficially) my 68. My 70 rode even better. It was a great car for taking parents out to dinner, or going on a date it was so smooth riding and handling. Curves, dips and bumps - smooth. I could drive one of them across the country with fatigue from rough roads.I kept leaves on the rear of the XJuggy for a reason, they worked. Did I add traction bar after snapping a center pin on a steep hill climb, absolutely. That trail fix required three winches and two hilifts to stabilize the rig. ?
Never could get the Waggy leaves in the front to stop bending and wrapping severely due to space constraints so back to coils it went. That was a shame, those leaves rode and flexed amazing.
They aren't meant for radical articulation and pushing the limits of flex on rocky trails, but if you want smooth rides and decent performance on road - they're good.
The factory had a great idea for controlling wheel hop in the 70 I had - torque links. They were a bushed rod that bolted to a frame bracket and another bracket on the axle tube. Made my car squat and scoot with no wheel hop, no axle twist, and impressive traction.
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