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Thinking about an all-leafsprung SAS WD21 - is this crazy?


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I've been gathering parts and getting ready for my 91 WD21 SAS project, and have been pricing out my options to build a nice clean, road and trail pathfinder. I'm invisioning the Japanese version of a landcruiser or land rover. Sturdy expedition vehicle, like you'd see in Australia or South America. I want to use 33x10.5 mt tires and keep it low and flexible on stockish track width and stock lego wheels. Hwy ride quality isn't really that important to me, because it's pretty primitive by today's standards of comfort anyway. Just be capable of 70 mph safely. I like to drive down the fire roads nearby and it's a varied terrain.

 

Where I live in the PNW leaf sprung vehicles seem to do really well offroad in mud and root conditions. Thy seem to ramp up over obstacles. I've owned both, and the coil spring vehicles have been smoother on the road, and seem to flex a little more, but I bet if I carefully chose which leafsprings to buy I could make it plenty flexy. I used the TG weld-on creeper shackle mount once on a 4runner and it flexed nicely.

 

Does anyone have a suggestion what springs and shocks would be a good fit for the wd21? Seems like there are some 52" chev springs that might work well in the rear.

 

I'm using a wide-track dana 44 that I'm cutting down to waggy-width, with 4.88/4.9 gears and an OX in front and ARB rear

 

I also think leaf springs might be a LOT cheaper than going the link/coilover/trackbar route... Don't get me wrong - a pathfinder like Steevo's is the ideal, but I have to consider the fact that I am essentially throwing money away, because the vehicle has so little value anymore. Its all sentimental now. I think $4-5K is reasonable for an SAS WD21, but thats still a load of a money to put into a vehicle that commonly sells of CL for $1000

 

 

I'd love to hear my fellow wd21-fan's thoughts on this. IMG_4216.jpgIMG_4492.jpg

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Ive seen a few guys running with this type of set-up on a early 90's model.

​Mainly at mud mountain, though I've only seen a few over near elbe hills.

 

Next time I see one of them I'll asked them to drop this topic a line.

 

 

I can tell you that, I've spent over 8k on my 91 pathy. (mad max the banana's out of it :laugh:​) Only to watch it catch fire and burn down to a shell of what it once was.

If you doing a all leaf makes you happy, then do it. You can't put a price tag on happiness.

Edited by WiredWrong
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The waggy shafts are getting harder to find for spare so chromos are the next option. I would keep the wide track width and throw spacers in the back or replace the rear axle with something cheaper and bigger to match the front if you're looking to save cost.

 

Leaf springs you have a lot of options. Stock waggy packs with more/thicker leaves. and Chevy 52s for the rear. Of course, any yota spring pack, marlin crawler or trail gear packs will work. Although you may save money with leaves, the chunk of costs goes towards your driveshafts unless you can get them built good for less.

 

Any shock will work. Bilsteins are good and just find the right valving for your needs as with any shock.

 

 

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I don't have a problem buying chromo waggy shafts at all. I may go even a little shorter than waggy to properly match the 59" wide rear axle and have a custom shaft splined. I definitely don't want to keep it wide, though. For me wide is more of a problem than a benefit. One of the things I like about the wd21 pathfinder is it is narrow enough to squeeze between obstacles. I also want to run stock Legos. I'm not rock crawling or extreme wheeling. I'm putting lots of miles on forest roads and narrow trails, and I want to keep the CoG as low as I can and the tires under the fender flares.

Thinking I will go SUA. I have a full set of Cherokee chief leaf springs that are 44" long fronts and 54" rears. Lots of thin leaves on them so they can be tuned with addition and subtraction. It would be nice to use the stock left side spring perch that is cast into the d44 center, so that may necessitate cutting down the r side of the axle too. I wonder if I could get away with a left waggy inner shaft and a cut and splined right shaft.... Either way, it can't be 66" wide. Too much sticking out.

As always, I really appreciate the advice and input.

Edited by Dma251
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I'm spring under up front and coils in the rear but I have a 3" body lift to help with clearance.

I notice that you don't have body lift. If all you plan on is 33x10.50s. Then I would recommend that you push the axle as far forward as possible unless you plan on running shackles up front. I have body clearance issues because I didn't push my axle forward at all. You will need to relocated your steering box forward as well. How much forward you go depends on clearance with your radiator and body which you will need to cut and move. This will help with oil pan clearance. All this is spring under with rancho 44044s or similar. I have early bronco 3.5" lift coils that I will put in the rear later.

 

I am running BJ's offroad 3-4" springs which are stiffer than the 44044s. I may consider relocating everything forward in the future and reduce the lift. I like the 3" body lift as it gives me clearance to work under the hood and body. As you can see, I'm sitting pretty tall already. I have plenty of pictures of leaf spring SAS pathfinders on my computer that I"ll upload later for you to view.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks man! I'd really like to see some more pics of how you did yours. Do you have a build thread? I don't think I will go front shackles. 20 years ago I had an FJ40 landcruiser with front shackles, and I attribute that to some of the bad hwy manners it had. I may be wrong, but there were a lot shackle-correction kits to move them to the rear for the old cruisers.

I also really prefer to stay body-lift free. I used to do a lot of those as a younger wheeler, but I really don't like the concept. I know most Nissan guys do it, and I have before too, but I'd rather put this together the way the factory might have if it made a WD21 ruggedized version for serious expeditionary use. I want as low as I can go with 33" skinny tires. Lots of downtravel and locked axles. That combination has worked really well for me in the past.

 

Not too many lovers of the old NWd21's anymore, but I'm stockpiling them as I find them. I think during the late 80's - early 90's the Japanese were really at the top of their game. I'm staying true to them!

Edited by Dma251
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33x10x50s is doable with no body lift. You will lose full turn lock as your tires will rub the leaf Springs. I have a small build thread in member rides.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ive seen a few guys running with this type of set-up on a early 90's model.

​Mainly at mud mountain, though I've only seen a few over near elbe hills.

 

Next time I see one of them I'll asked them to drop this topic a line.

 

 

I can tell you that, I've spent over 8k on my 91 pathy. (mad max the banana's out of it :laugh:​) Only to watch it catch fire and burn down to a shell of what it once was.

If you doing a all leaf makes you happy, then do it. You can't put a price tag on happiness.

 

I agree with WiredWrong as to how much to spend on happiness.

 

Given most of the WD21 are pushing 25 plus year old, and if blue book value if the frame of reference for the budget, a nice set of wheels and 33 - 35" tires will be close to, or exceed the book value.

 

Look at what you want and your budget, and then come up with a design or plan and do the best "build" you can within your means. Are you doing the work yourself, or paying someone to do it?

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I've been thinking about it all week, and I think I'm going to go SUA something like this :

 

Calmini front hanger and bell shackle kit

Ruggedrocks crossmember and pitman arm

Wagoneer leaf springs (I already have)

 

 

 

I read through Nissannuts SUA wd21, and it is exactly as what I have planned. Even the color of the rig is the same!

 

First I'll narrow down the D44 to waggy width and put some money into chrome axles and a selectable locker with 4.88 gears. Gonna be a fun project in itself. My only wish is that if I known I would be narrowing a D44, I would have started with a high pinion.

 

Edited by Dma251
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

I'm doing a D21 leaf spring SFA, and found that I could not fit the shackles on the rear of the springs. I had to extend the forward spring mounts so far to keep the spring pack horizontal. First try turned into a bump steer nightmare.

 

Then, taking into account that you want to move the axle forward to fit bigger rubber (as I had to by just over 2"), you have to extend and drop the front end of the chassis so bad, it takes a lot of fabricating, and I don't know if the D21 chassis can take that type of stress with that much extension.

 

I turned mine around and put the shackles on the front again. I have a very flat leaf pack, and maybe with a left drop diff, I could have gone SUA. But I made life difficult for myself and went right drop axle and a SOA was the only way to get the pumpkin to clear the sump.

 

My minimum lift I can get away with to fit the axles I chose, was around 6"

 

I suppose you could start looking at giving the springs some angles to mount inbound of the chassis members, I was just not up to it, I use the car as my daily driver, so all the work happens in little off time moments I make for myself.

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