we need to get you more exposure on your build,ive seen other builds ,and your build is done right ,and your video editing is great,keep up the good work,cant wait for your next video,great job,i see your not cutting corners on your build,other videos are more about them,and why,and how much$,i can even say that your build is close to a factory build ,clean,keep it up
Thanks man! We really love our van, and we really enjoy the adventures we are having in it. Doing my best to build it to do the job we are asking of it, I'd rather spend the money and get it done right then cut corners and have it break on me in the middle of nowhere... besides... cutting corners looks cheap, even if it performs well... As far as exposure... we primarily do this for fun, and to document our memories. What little "talking to the audience" I do, I do because I know there are people out there that are interested. I don't consider myself an authority on these vans, I'm at best of average mechanical aptitude. I do my best to present my builds as that of coming from an average everyday guy.... I definitely do not want to be one of those guys with a huge ego, who may or may not even know what they are talking about lol....
If you don't want to go with the XHD springs the HD springs are a good alternative especially if aren't fully loaded often. I have a buddy who went with them and he loves them!
Great content. I'm curious do you need the 3 inch wide top plate because of the new hole spacing or can you get away with a 2.5 or 2.75 inch plate. Thanks
I think you can get away with a 2.75. 2.5 might be a little tight. This was just a commercially available option that was available without me having to have something fabricated.
I appreciate the video. I am about to switch out the fiberglass springs on my 93 to steel springs (I think 3100 or 3400ish lb rating). Hoping it will hold up to the weight of all the junk I haul around.
(I own a 1999.) Excellent video. The most clearly explained and detailed I've seen! Much appreciated. If I may ask: Did you install the modified bump stops/extensions (I didn't see them installed in the video), or are the springs stiff enough to not need them? 18:18 You drilled 3/8" pilot holes on the perch/bracket with the drill bit tucked into the corners. Did enlarging the holes to 5/8" not cut into the vertical portion, as you had warned earlier not to do? Thanks again!
Thanks... I really wanted to be concise and document a lot of the process, but also to talk about the thoughts that went into my decision... especially since it has drastically improved the offroad capability of my van... seriously... like night and day. Both good questions.... Bump Stop extensions - I did end up installing the beefy bump stop extensions I had made. I'll be using them short term until my fabricator can source the materials to build the narrower ones. I'm still undecided if there is a need to go taller. It's an ongoing thought process and I'll post up a video when I get a more clear direction. However... in the meantime the ones that I have work. They are just in close contact with the top plate on the springs... something I'll need to address at some point... both are beefy enough, I don't have much concern to run them like this short term. Notable... Im also running the Journeys extended bump stops...they aren't long enough for my lift at 5 inches, hence the thoughts about the fabbed extensions. If I wasn't constantly at max weight capacity, I might have just put extended bump stops on with a fabbed extender and called it good... but the weight was clearly becoming a problem. To answer the second part of this question. The springs are probably stiff enough that the bump stops may not even be necessary, but the only way to find out is to run without them and that's a risk I won't take because the damage could be catastrophic. 5/8 holes - it was a challenge to get deep enough into the rounded corner. The video doesn't show it well but the 3/8 holes weren't as tight into the corner as I would have liked. When I opened up the 5/8 hole it was damned near perfect. In one of the groups I'm in there was a conversation about taking an angle grinder and just removing that portion... Im in agreement with those who say not to modify your existing equipment to that extent. The flat portion of that tab isn't bearing any load, but is arguable offering strength to the perch... so the less you modify the better.
@@LoveTribeOverland Thanks for the response! I've been thinking about replacing my springs myself (stock, no lift), but the uniqueness and scarcity of the Astro clamshell makes me worry about finding replacements if I break my rusty ones. I've seen some wild custom jobs in forums that bypass the clamshells that are beyond my rookie skill level. Your approach, clear explanation and excellent video quality gives me confidence. I look forward to your follow-up video. If I may ask a couple more questions, and please feel free to tell me if they've been discussed in your other videos (I'm new to your channel): When fastening the springs to the shackles and brackets on the frame, did you "load" (not sure of terminology) the spring first, that is to say, did you lower the van or lift the spring to simulate the typical weight that the springs will carry? I think I read somewhere that doing this when tightening suspension parts this way lets the bushings "sit" at the neutral level and reduces twisting. Do you think it matters? I see that you were able to use an impact gun and a wrench to straightforwardly remove the front spring bolt + nut on the driver side. Since I have a stock suspension, the bolt/nut are higher up and the fuel tank is in the way. Do you have any tips on how to remove/re-install them with limited clearance without dropping the fuel tank? (I'm assuming that you installed the lift kit yourself and encountered this issue.) Lastly, what wheels do you have? They look really cool. Thanks so much, and keep up the fantastic work!
@@liuj88 I would only recommend changing out your leaf springs if you're hauling weight around enough that you're getting noticeable sag... if youre only concerned about body roll and sway then a sway bar might be a better solution to your problem and will have less impact on how your van rides on the highway. With our oversized tires, and the weight of our gear plus passengers, the springs were critically necessary. No, I did not "load" the springs before tightening the shackle bolts, but that would be easily done. Didn't see that info anywhere in my research and the lift kit install instructions didn't mention it either. Not sure it would be necessary as there is nothing stopping the spring eyes from moving in the shackles... but that would just be my thoughts. It certainly couldn't hurt to loosen and retorque them. I opted to torque the spring plates without the wheels on. I saw several recommendations otherwise... but even with my lift... getting in there with a torque wrench to tighten them was pretty tough. I figured that making sure they were adequately torqued was more important. That being said, if you are thinking of doing the spring swap... that bolt can only be removed by dropping the fuel tank, or by cutting it. When I bought my lift kit from Journeys, it included a replacement bolt and advised to cut the existing bolt. I was able to loosen the bolt enough that I could get to it with a Sawzall and made quick work of it. I dont recall the size of it offhand but it should be fairly easy to source as it is a common metric bolt. Of course when you reinstall, you'll have to put it in the opposite direction. My wheels are MB Legacy 16x8 with zero offset. (My van is an 05 hence 16 inch wheels) I got them at Discount Tire on sale for a little over $100 ea. (They are frequently on sale) Interestingly, I don't love them... the story behind them is funny and tragic at the same time.... I will eventually be getting the wheels I actually want... but this is what I got for now. I never mind answering questions... Im all about sharing whatever experiences or knowledge I have, and I don't mind repeating it... because someone else may only be seeing THIS video and might benefit from the question as well 😊
great video. I have a '99 AWD that has 2 inch blocks on rear springs and it just doesn't look right. I want a stiffer ride and more clearance for slightly oversize tires. I heard something about s10 spring and I need to do more research,,, yet...
Thanks man! I would definitely encourage you to take out the blocks and get the 3-5" lift kit from Journeys instead. You'll get more lift, that will be much safer than blocks. Alternatively you could go with S-10 springs, which will get you more lift in your stock hangers, but you'll still need the body lift pucks (or equivalent) for the front as there is not enough Torsion bar adjustment to level it up otherwise. There is more than one way to get where you want to be... you just have to find the way that works best for you.
I have not seen all of your videos yet but I love your astro & what you're doing with it. I have a stock 99 awd but can't afford the things you're doing. However, I'd like to know if you did anything to your engine to boost power, or is it completely stock? Thanks so much! Hope you're able to reply. Keep doing what you're doing...
Engine is completely stock. Other than maintenance and upkeep I've not done any engine mods that would boost power. I dont really intend to mess with anything in that realm, I'm more of a go slow kind of offroad guy. Loud pedal is 100% more likely to break stuff. Somewhere in the next 18 months there will be a drive train swap where both front and rears will be swapped out to Dana 44's from a jeep. At that point I will be doing a gear swap also that will allow me to run 33's within my torque specs to get back into the power band the engine and transmission are designed for.
They must have changed it from 2000 to 2005 because my 2000 Astro had the traditional U bolt set up. But then again my 2000 was not AWD version and had the axle over the leaf springs.
Someone had to have changed it. These Astros all the way back into the 90s have had a clamshell design. The outer bolt on the clamshell is a smaller ubolt... is that what you are referring to?
You should not be using the rubber pads under the plates. The rubber will allow the axle to move around in the u bolts. Take the rubber out and torque the ubilts to the u bolt specs.
Thanks..I appreciate your comment. Install instructions said otherwise... and a thousand miles later, over half of which is rough service and offroad... there's been no movement.
@traceyphillips6949 What???? And give up on the Astro? Nah... we love this van... We're second owners on it, have had it for nearly 20 years. This van has been puked on by our babies who are now adults. Its been in our family for a long time... and there's a lot of nostalgia in it... repurposing it for Overlanding is a natural progression for us. We've considered getting a bigger van a few times but have watched people with full size vehicles struggle to get into and out of places where we had zero issues. Nope... this van is with us and we are with it for as long as I can keep it on the road.
we need to get you more exposure on your build,ive seen other builds ,and your build is done right ,and your video editing is great,keep up the good work,cant wait for your next video,great job,i see your not cutting corners on your build,other videos are more about them,and why,and how much$,i can even say that your build is close to a factory build ,clean,keep it up
Thanks man! We really love our van, and we really enjoy the adventures we are having in it.
Doing my best to build it to do the job we are asking of it, I'd rather spend the money and get it done right then cut corners and have it break on me in the middle of nowhere... besides... cutting corners looks cheap, even if it performs well...
As far as exposure... we primarily do this for fun, and to document our memories. What little "talking to the audience" I do, I do because I know there are people out there that are interested. I don't consider myself an authority on these vans, I'm at best of average mechanical aptitude. I do my best to present my builds as that of coming from an average everyday guy.... I definitely do not want to be one of those guys with a huge ego, who may or may not even know what they are talking about lol....
Awesome! I was just thinking of replacing my flat rear springs
If you don't want to go with the XHD springs the HD springs are a good alternative especially if aren't fully loaded often. I have a buddy who went with them and he loves them!
@@LoveTribeOverland I'm tempted to do the HD and for $139 for the pair, that's cheaper than I thought
Great content. I'm curious do you need the 3 inch wide top plate because of the new hole spacing or can you get away with a 2.5 or 2.75 inch plate. Thanks
I think you can get away with a 2.75. 2.5 might be a little tight. This was just a commercially available option that was available without me having to have something fabricated.
I appreciate the video. I am about to switch out the fiberglass springs on my 93 to steel springs (I think 3100 or 3400ish lb rating). Hoping it will hold up to the weight of all the junk I haul around.
My understanding is your process will be slightly different... but still doable. It's a very well covered topic on the AstroSafari forum.
(I own a 1999.)
Excellent video. The most clearly explained and detailed I've seen! Much appreciated.
If I may ask:
Did you install the modified bump stops/extensions (I didn't see them installed in the video), or are the springs stiff enough to not need them?
18:18 You drilled 3/8" pilot holes on the perch/bracket with the drill bit tucked into the corners. Did enlarging the holes to 5/8" not cut into the vertical portion, as you had warned earlier not to do?
Thanks again!
Thanks... I really wanted to be concise and document a lot of the process, but also to talk about the thoughts that went into my decision... especially since it has drastically improved the offroad capability of my van... seriously... like night and day.
Both good questions....
Bump Stop extensions - I did end up installing the beefy bump stop extensions I had made. I'll be using them short term until my fabricator can source the materials to build the narrower ones. I'm still undecided if there is a need to go taller. It's an ongoing thought process and I'll post up a video when I get a more clear direction.
However... in the meantime the ones that I have work. They are just in close contact with the top plate on the springs... something I'll need to address at some point... both are beefy enough, I don't have much concern to run them like this short term.
Notable... Im also running the Journeys extended bump stops...they aren't long enough for my lift at 5 inches, hence the thoughts about the fabbed extensions. If I wasn't constantly at max weight capacity, I might have just put extended bump stops on with a fabbed extender and called it good... but the weight was clearly becoming a problem.
To answer the second part of this question. The springs are probably stiff enough that the bump stops may not even be necessary, but the only way to find out is to run without them and that's a risk I won't take because the damage could be catastrophic.
5/8 holes - it was a challenge to get deep enough into the rounded corner. The video doesn't show it well but the 3/8 holes weren't as tight into the corner as I would have liked. When I opened up the 5/8 hole it was damned near perfect. In one of the groups I'm in there was a conversation about taking an angle grinder and just removing that portion... Im in agreement with those who say not to modify your existing equipment to that extent. The flat portion of that tab isn't bearing any load, but is arguable offering strength to the perch... so the less you modify the better.
@@LoveTribeOverland
Thanks for the response!
I've been thinking about replacing my springs myself (stock, no lift), but the uniqueness and scarcity of the Astro clamshell makes me worry about finding replacements if I break my rusty ones. I've seen some wild custom jobs in forums that bypass the clamshells that are beyond my rookie skill level. Your approach, clear explanation and excellent video quality gives me confidence.
I look forward to your follow-up video.
If I may ask a couple more questions, and please feel free to tell me if they've been discussed in your other videos (I'm new to your channel):
When fastening the springs to the shackles and brackets on the frame, did you "load" (not sure of terminology) the spring first, that is to say, did you lower the van or lift the spring to simulate the typical weight that the springs will carry? I think I read somewhere that doing this when tightening suspension parts this way lets the bushings "sit" at the neutral level and reduces twisting. Do you think it matters?
I see that you were able to use an impact gun and a wrench to straightforwardly remove the front spring bolt + nut on the driver side. Since I have a stock suspension, the bolt/nut are higher up and the fuel tank is in the way. Do you have any tips on how to remove/re-install them with limited clearance without dropping the fuel tank? (I'm assuming that you installed the lift kit yourself and encountered this issue.)
Lastly, what wheels do you have? They look really cool.
Thanks so much, and keep up the fantastic work!
@@liuj88 I would only recommend changing out your leaf springs if you're hauling weight around enough that you're getting noticeable sag... if youre only concerned about body roll and sway then a sway bar might be a better solution to your problem and will have less impact on how your van rides on the highway.
With our oversized tires, and the weight of our gear plus passengers, the springs were critically necessary.
No, I did not "load" the springs before tightening the shackle bolts, but that would be easily done. Didn't see that info anywhere in my research and the lift kit install instructions didn't mention it either. Not sure it would be necessary as there is nothing stopping the spring eyes from moving in the shackles... but that would just be my thoughts. It certainly couldn't hurt to loosen and retorque them.
I opted to torque the spring plates without the wheels on. I saw several recommendations otherwise... but even with my lift... getting in there with a torque wrench to tighten them was pretty tough. I figured that making sure they were adequately torqued was more important.
That being said, if you are thinking of doing the spring swap... that bolt can only be removed by dropping the fuel tank, or by cutting it. When I bought my lift kit from Journeys, it included a replacement bolt and advised to cut the existing bolt. I was able to loosen the bolt enough that I could get to it with a Sawzall and made quick work of it. I dont recall the size of it offhand but it should be fairly easy to source as it is a common metric bolt. Of course when you reinstall, you'll have to put it in the opposite direction.
My wheels are MB Legacy 16x8 with zero offset. (My van is an 05 hence 16 inch wheels) I got them at Discount Tire on sale for a little over $100 ea. (They are frequently on sale) Interestingly, I don't love them... the story behind them is funny and tragic at the same time.... I will eventually be getting the wheels I actually want... but this is what I got for now.
I never mind answering questions... Im all about sharing whatever experiences or knowledge I have, and I don't mind repeating it... because someone else may only be seeing THIS video and might benefit from the question as well 😊
Hell yeah!
great video. I have a '99 AWD that has 2 inch blocks on rear springs and it just doesn't look right. I want a stiffer ride and more clearance for slightly oversize tires. I heard something about s10 spring and I need to do more research,,, yet...
Thanks man!
I would definitely encourage you to take out the blocks and get the 3-5" lift kit from Journeys instead. You'll get more lift, that will be much safer than blocks.
Alternatively you could go with S-10 springs, which will get you more lift in your stock hangers, but you'll still need the body lift pucks (or equivalent) for the front as there is not enough Torsion bar adjustment to level it up otherwise.
There is more than one way to get where you want to be... you just have to find the way that works best for you.
I have not seen all of your videos yet but I love your astro & what you're doing with it. I have a stock 99 awd but can't afford the things you're doing.
However, I'd like to know if you did anything to your engine to boost power, or is it completely stock?
Thanks so much! Hope you're able to reply.
Keep doing what you're doing...
Engine is completely stock. Other than maintenance and upkeep I've not done any engine mods that would boost power. I dont really intend to mess with anything in that realm, I'm more of a go slow kind of offroad guy. Loud pedal is 100% more likely to break stuff.
Somewhere in the next 18 months there will be a drive train swap where both front and rears will be swapped out to Dana 44's from a jeep. At that point I will be doing a gear swap also that will allow me to run 33's within my torque specs to get back into the power band the engine and transmission are designed for.
Where did you get the plate for the u bolts from?
I found it on Amazon but it's sold by Ruffstuff Specialties.
Ruffstuff Specialties Leaf Spring UBolt Plates (Pair) 3" Wide Spring a.co/d/7TXyZTN
They must have changed it from 2000 to 2005 because my 2000 Astro had the traditional U bolt set up. But then again my 2000 was not AWD version and had the axle over the leaf springs.
Someone had to have changed it. These Astros all the way back into the 90s have had a clamshell design. The outer bolt on the clamshell is a smaller ubolt... is that what you are referring to?
You should not be using the rubber pads under the plates. The rubber will allow the axle to move around in the u bolts. Take the rubber out and torque the ubilts to the u bolt specs.
Thanks..I appreciate your comment. Install instructions said otherwise... and a thousand miles later, over half of which is rough service and offroad... there's been no movement.
Just buy 2500 express
@traceyphillips6949 What???? And give up on the Astro? Nah... we love this van... We're second owners on it, have had it for nearly 20 years. This van has been puked on by our babies who are now adults.
Its been in our family for a long time... and there's a lot of nostalgia in it... repurposing it for Overlanding is a natural progression for us.
We've considered getting a bigger van a few times but have watched people with full size vehicles struggle to get into and out of places where we had zero issues.
Nope... this van is with us and we are with it for as long as I can keep it on the road.