HD springs all around on DS?

[Dano63]

I have acquired an 03 DS that needs some work. I will be doing a controller, torque motor upgrade since the D&D speed motor that came with it is fried, along with the batteries.

I don't really want to lift it much but would like 19 or 20" tires as it will be a farm cart mostly, so it will have a rear seat/cargo box also.

The front spring is bent on one side and I'm pretty sure the rears are sagging. So my question is would HD springs front and rear make sense for me and would it be enough to fit the tires? I know it will ride stiffer then stock but this will mainly be used off road and to haul stuff around.

[NoleFan4Ever]

If you can get them they will work great for your use. They will lift the cart a little, although I have never purchased HD front springs, they would most likely lift your front just as in the rear from the heightened rise of the springs themselves....

You are using it on a farm so you want a strong suspension.

[DaveTM]

Springs hold the weight. Shocks dampen the up 'n down bounce. If your cart is going to carry a lot of weight......most of the time, then your HD springs.....along with good\new shocks should work well for you.

OTOH, if your cart is going to take you most of the time.....or you and someone else with no other load, then you may want to re-think your spring stiffness.

My cart is built for hunting and as such, when I had lead acid batteries....8 of them....the total battery weight was 480-lbs. When I just upgraded to Lithium, I lost 400-lbs. Now my 4-spring rear leaf springs need "lightened up." My plan is to remove one of the 4 leaf's on each side and try that. Right now it's way to stiff to provide full rear end travel.

FWIW

[mrgolf]

You can restack your HD springs for a smother ride. Just switch the 3 shorter leafs around so the short one is on top below the long main spring etc.

[dundeebarnbuggy]

Farm cart eh?? What do you raise? Acres? What jobs do you have planned for the cart? Terrain and roads condition? "Payloads?" All these will have an impact on how you will want to set your spring rates. Too stiff and it will be miserable to drive, too soft and you will bottom out.

[Dano63]

I raise meat goats and live on 220 acres but most of that is rented out farm land. I do about 30 acres of hay and 1 of my fields is 4 miles away.

The cart will mainly be used to make/fix/move fences, haul tools, a few hay bales and 50 lb feed bags, etc around up to probably 4-500 lbs. There will be times that it may have just 1 or 2 people and the dog in it and just save me and the wife some walking from building to building. The terrain will be field and gravel roads and also some tar roads.

I've been looking at the Modz HD springs 3 leaf rears and 2 leaf front.

[DaveTM]

Originally Posted by Dano63

I've been looking at the Modz HD springs 3 leaf rears and 2 leaf front.

That sounds about right. When your traveling light.....the ride shouldn't be to......(now you know this is coming)......Baaaaaaaaaaaaad.

[dundeebarnbuggy]

Meat goats! There is a big demand for them here due to immigration. [We haven't built a wall either.] One local farm has 400 at any one time. Breeding stock [genetics] is very lucrative for a hobby sized operation. My cart does a lot of the same duties as you are planning. I used only one helper leaf in the rear and I have hauled over 500 pounds of stones without issue and still kept a good ride. BUT, my cargo bed is tight up against the seat backs and does not extend past the bumper with the tailgate closed. The "payload" is over the rear wheels as much as possible. [The other reason for this is I tow really heavy stuff from time to time and needed a drawbar that is close to the rear axle/wheels as possible and didn't want to crawl under a cargo box to lift a heavy pole.] Now if you are going to use a floppy seat, the load is almost completely behind the rear wheels, effectively doubling the load on the axle, much stiffer springs will be required. As far as increasing the front spring rate, I have no idea. In fact, the Jake's A arm kit I put on, I substituted a shorter thinner helper spring than the one it came with to let the front suspension work as it should.