M100 Bantam Suspension Questions

JRCCRW

New member
For those of you "in the know"

I'm trying to do a little more work on the trailer and I am stumped on the suspension. How much travel should there be in the leaf springs + shocks?

It seems to me that my springs may be overly stiff and I am trying to decide if my suspension is in real need of work or not. I'm sure the springs are original, so 50+ years old. The trailer rides smoothly on the road, but it does take most of the bumps off-road harshly. I can stand in the bed directly over the axle and get no movement while jumping up and down (I'm sure that's not the best way to test, but the only thing I could come up with at that moment). I tend to fill it up when I go out, but the added weight seems to not make any difference in how the suspension moves.

Any suggestions?
 

Robert Bills

Explorer
The springs on the Willys MBT, Bantam T3 and the M100 (which are not Bantam by the way) are substantially the same as the front springs on the MB and early CJs. Since your trailer is only 495 lbs. unloaded, the springs will seem stiff. It is not unusual to see WWII and Korean War era military trailers bounce in the air offroad rather than absorb the bumps with the suspension. They ride better fully loaded.

You could try to find springs with a softer rate, but you will sacrifice load carrying ability and it will be a spendy solution. I just learned to live with it on mine, and try to remember to keep the speed down offroad to avoid the bouncing.
 

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