Thanks for the info. I was actually just talking to our spring shop about re arching and sagging with a trailer. then we got on the topic of rubber versus poly and I for rubber and he is for poly (this applies to trailers too). What do you think?
Thank you Jeep Dreamer for fighting to ensure or freedom.
A couple thoughts come to mind here, all just my opinion and based on little more than my own experiences so take that as you will.
-Rearching springs has usually proven to be a temp. fix. Somehow the retempering and curving of a "used spring" never seems to last or perform as the OE did. And in the case of adding a little extra arch to compensate, the spring will lose its original length...not good either. Similarly, using an add a leaf (AAL) is only a temp fix and results in a harsher ride wile unloaded. In some cases the use of it will actually cause the original leaves to fail faster as they were not designed for it to be there...Not that they break or anything, just cycle differently and will deteriorate faster until you are back where you started, if not worse. Not to mention that even the newest FSJ/Waggy would have springs that have already spent almost 20 years holding up the rotund ones...
So if your intenet is SOA to fit bigger tires I would suggest you look at all components carefully. Try and judge the condition of the originals if possible. If all the require is new bushings (get to that in a minute), then cool. But if you will need to repair or replace them prior to going SOA...you may weigh the cost vs a kit such as BJs or Rustys.?.
Bushings...
While Poly was all the rage in the late 80's and through the 90s I feel there are some areas they are not really warranted. Leaf springs on a vehicle I will usually stick to rubber. I find it softer and less expensive when applied to a part I may be replacing at intervals anyway. Poly seems to be more race oriented which is not what I do with my jeeps so I don't run it. Only exceptions here are when the original rubber is either no longer available or the price is similar and performance is a non-issue.
On a trailer though I find it a different story. The reality is that trailers tend to spend the lions share of their life sitting and doing nothing. Its true. And while performance is niether here nor there with a trailer realistically...I feel that by nature poly will out live a static item far longer. Rubber deteriorates over time much faster than poly does. And since there are far less bushings needed on a trailer and "ride quality" is not a concern then I will always go poly on my trailers unless it is a restoration.
Hope my little opinions are helpful...let me know if you need more! :elkgrin:
