Odd front sway bar

[snowho]

OK, let's make this a better day and see if I can learn something - educate me on why different spring isolators are needed.
Assumption 1 is that since you are using springs that are longer - you are lifting the truck STRAIGHT UP from the axle. Assume that no other factors come into play, assume the track bar is adjusted and the axle centered perfectly left to right under the truck. You lift the truck straight up with springs that are simply longer.
Why would different "pads" be needed?
Springs should be straight, truck goes straight up. It's not like one spring is longer than the other and the truck sits at any sort of angle. Isn't it like using a jack with a pad that stays level as it goes up? Nothing tilts or tips, no side forces introduced. If you keep the control arms level and parallel, the axle isn't tipped forward or rearward at the top (caster remains the same) and if the track bar is lengthened you haven't shifted the bottoms of the springs left or right with the axle moving left or right. The top pads remain exactly straight up from the bottom pads - if you draw a line from the center of the bottom pad and the center of the top pad before you change springs, assume that line is perfectly plumb - if all you do is lift straight up, that line should remain plumb - so why are different pads or isolators needed?

I dont why they need different isolators but the axle does move as you cycle through suspension travel. The track bar is going to pull and push it left and right. The upper and lower spring mounts are not even close to lined up when my gladiator is at full articulation.

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[ShadowsPapa]

I dont why they need different isolators but the axle does move as you cycle through suspension travel. The track bar is going to pull and push it left and right. The upper and lower spring mounts are not even close to lined up when my gladiator is at full articulation.

Yes, I do alignments, rebuild and restore suspension so I guess I know/understand all of the arcs, geometry and so on - and that's why I wondered why the springs need different seats or isolators (IF the track bar is adjustable and the control arm geometry is corrected)
The track bar swings in an arc. So do the control arms, but I was referring specifically to why some springs require different seats if they are simply longer, stiffer, etc. as it's lifting the truck straight up IF the track bar and control arms geometry is kept in check.
(meaning you center the axle under the truck again)

As the chassis is lifted from the front axle assembly - differential - itmoves to the left because of the swing of the track bar in its arc (the reason for adjustable trackbars on lifts) And as the axle assy/differential is shoved up closer to the chassis, it moves to the right due to the track bar becoming more parallel and in the far right part of its swing.
We are talking stationary trucks, sitting in the driveway or garage. That's what the original pictures were of - not one in full articulation.
Springs should not bow IF the ends are identical, etc. There is nothing about the suspension geometry that should cause springs to bow outward -especially outward.

 

[LostWoods]

Yes, I do alignments, rebuild and restore suspension so I guess I know/understand all of the arcs, geometry and so on - and that's why I wondered why the springs need different seats or isolators (IF the track bar is adjustable and the control arm geometry is corrected)
The track bar swings in an arc. So do the control arms, but I was referring specifically to why some springs require different seats if they are simply longer, stiffer, etc. as it's lifting the truck straight up IF the track bar and control arms geometry is kept in check.
(meaning you center the axle under the truck again)

As the chassis is lifted from the front axle assembly - differential - itmoves to the left because of the swing of the track bar in its arc (the reason for adjustable trackbars on lifts) And as the axle assy/differential is shoved up closer to the chassis, it moves to the right due to the track bar becoming more parallel and in the far right part of its swing.
We are talking stationary trucks, sitting in the driveway or garage. That's what the original pictures were of - not one in full articulation.
Springs should not bow IF the ends are identical, etc. There is nothing about the suspension geometry that should cause springs to bow outward -especially outward.

My understanding is that the new isolators aren't really different design so much as they're different material that is more durable. The factory isolators are definitely pretty soft so making them out of urethane would prevent deflection and allow the springs to stay straight.

I'm guessing it has to do with longer springs being more susceptible to bow in general that is causing the more lateral stresses.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My understanding is that the new isolators aren't really different design so much as they're different material that is more durable. The factory isolators are definitely pretty soft so making them out of urethane would prevent deflection and allow the springs to stay straight.

I'm guessing it has to do with longer springs being more susceptible to bow in general that is causing the more lateral stresses.

As one response a day or so ago pointed out - at least one type of lift spring has a flat bottom and that would totally explain the necessity of running their own lower pad. Putting those springs on the stock bottom isolators would definitely do funky things.
So I would say after more looking that if the spring bottoms are not IDENTICAL to the factory springs, they would absolutely need a different support or pad to rest on.
I had assumed all were designed with the same bottom coil configuration - mistaken assumption. That alone explains at least some requiring different bottom supports.

It's like these guys out there that want to lower a car so they chop off a coil - and then wonder why things are funky because the coil up one or two is sitting at a different angle than the original bottom coil.

 

[Mac]

Here are some pictures of the stock spring pad vs the Daystar pad, the Daystar is much higher on the opposite side from the side where the coil ends. I put them on my JT with the 1.5” Daystar spacers with 340 and 343 springs.

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