Rear Springs

[Merle Coggins]

While at the Mopars in the Park show my truck was parked next to a very nice B3C and I noticed that the back of that truck sat more level than mine. My truck tends to be taller at the back. So I looked underneith and discovered that the other truck only had 7 leaves whereas mine has 9 + 5 auxillary springs. Now I know that the aux springs will do nothing unless the mains squat enough for them to make contact with their perches, so I'm not going to dwell on those. But why the difference between 7 leaves and 9 leaves?

Then a couple of days ago I was loading up the axles that I got from Denise Tripp's B3C project. (she has a Dakota drive train under her truck and gave me her old axles). I had these axles stored at work and I needed get them home for permanent storage. Anyway... the springs were still attached, so I torched the u-bolts to get them off for easier handling. It was then that I noticed that there were only 7 leaves on that axle too. Apparently there was a change in '51.

So I went to the parts manual. There are 2 rear spring P/N's listed for a B2C. P/N 1264097 shows 9 leaves rated at 1750 lbs and P/N 1264511 shows 10 leaves rated at 1950 lbs. And although there aren't any aux springs listed for a "C", there are for a "D". The aux spring P/N is 1263674 with 5 leaves rated at 850 lbs. For a B3C there is only 1 part number - 1272591 with 7 leaves rated at 1750 lbs. I guess the spring material changed since they have the same load rating with 2 less leaves.

I had hopes of swapping in the B3C springs into my B2C to get it sitting more level, and possibly improving the ride. But now I see that the load rating wouldn't change. Maybe the 7 leaf spring pack does have a slightly softer ride even at the same load rating?

Here's a couple of pictures.

This is my parts truck B2C with the same spring setup that my truck has.

And here's the spring set from the B3C axle. (sorry it's not the best picture)

Thanks for listening to (reading) my ramblings. Your feedback is welcome.

Merle

[grey beard]

My own PH has the standare light duty spring pack, but still seems to stick up in the air at the back end a lot more than the front - nowhere near level, at all. AND, as if that weren't enojugh of a problem, my truck sits a full inch lower at the rear on the left side than the riht. Megy it's cause of the battery, fuel tank and fat driver on that side, but the only way I can figure to level things out is to subtract a leaf or two from the higher right rear corner.

Any other suggestions from the intelligencia?

Thanks

[48Dodger]

It was my understanding trucks in general were "raked" from the factory to anticipate a load to the rear. Maybe the nice truck needs to have his springs re-arc'd. I agree with GB, removing a leaf or two til level would work. You have the overload springs to catch that "load of wood" you might get, and your ride might get smoother too.

48D

[Dave72dt]

While the ratings may be the same, the arc in the springs may be different. As far as removing leaves from one side to level the truck, I'd recommend replacing both rear springs with new and then removing equal number of leaves from each side to get the ride height you're looking for. You could get some really weird handling issues otherwise and it would look really chintzy.(word?)

[buds truck]

X2 (chintzy might not be a word, but it should be...)

[Merle Coggins]

X2 (chintzy might not be a word, but it should be...)

Sure it's a word. I use it all the time. Just never saw it spelled out.

[Dave72dt]

Didn't know if it was a local dialect word or not, but appears to be understood nationally, at least.

[48Dodger]

Sorry, I guess I missed the part about removing a leaf from one side only. I would only do that in circle track racing. I meant to remove equal numbers til level. Having said that, B-body muscle cars with HP motors had 7 leaves on the torque side and 4 on the other. How far off are you Merle?

48D

[MBF]

I wouldn't count on that solving the problem. What might work better is swapping the springs side for side so that the higher spring is moved to the left side. My 52 1 ton has a 3/4" lean to the passenger side in the front. When I did the king pins, I used neverseize in all the fasteners. Since I had several sets of springs, I took the old one out with and laid it along side the others. The arch in one of my spares was about 1" higher than the one I took out. So I put that spring in and let it down-still has the same lean in the same direction. Tires are the same size on the front but she's gonna stay that way. Probably sits level w me in the seat! Mike

[Frank Elder]

CHINTZY

1. Of relating to, or decorating with chintz.

2. gaudy, trashy

3. stingy, miserly

what is chintz?

[Merle Coggins]

CHINTZY

what is chintz?

Gaudy, trashy things that you aquired by being stingy and miserly.

My truck doesn't lean. It used to have a little lean at the rear, mostly because the right rear shackle was a bit stiff. But now that it's been greased up good, and I've been driving it, it seems to have loosened up and sits more level (side to side). This all started because I noticed the difference between my '50 and the '51 sitting side by side. My truck sits high in the back whereas the '51 sits more level. That's when I found the difference in the springs. If I do anything to mine I may slip out a couple of leaves. But it'll probably just leave it alone for now.

Here's what I saw.

[Fernando Mendes]

Merle good morning.Can you help me with an original pics for my B3-B front & rear springs?Thanks.

[Merle Coggins]

What do you need to see? I don't have anything more than what is in this thread. Otherwise I can try to get some more angles of my B2C parts truck. However, I won't be able to get too it until Monday.

Merle

[Fernando Mendes]

Ok,I am not in a hurry.

[Merle Coggins]

Fernando,

Here's a link to several pictures of the springs from a B3C ('51 3/4 ton) and my parts truck B2C ('50 3/4 ton.)

http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h254/mac2026/Other/Springs/

One thing that I don't think is right is the rear spring shackles on the B3C springs. This doesn't look quite right, although both sides are like this.

My B2C truck, and my parts truck are like this.\

If there's something more that you need to see, let me know.

Merle

[Fernando Mendes]

Merle my truck is a B3-B(52-1/2 ton).B springs(F&R) are not the same as C(pics).Mine not have the auxiliary spring.I only would like to know the original number of leaves(F&R).

[Dave72dt]

The rears on my '52 1/2 ton have only 5 leaves per side. I replaced the front suspension years ago with a IFS so I can't tell you what was there but 5 per side would probably be about right.

[Fernando Mendes]

Dave72dt,mine has 7 leaves on right side and 6 leaves on left.

[billwillard]

Remove the rear springs and turn them upside down on a level surface. Now measure the center of spring to ground. They should be the same. If you want to drop the truck 2" put spring in a press and gently bend in about 6 places until you are 2" lower. Thats how spring shops rearch them.

[Merle Coggins]

Here is what I found in the parts manual.

Front springs for B3B. There are two possible part numbers listed.

1194190 has 7 leaves - rated at 900 pounds

1194198 has 8 leaves - rated at 950 pounds

Rear springs for a B3B have 3 possible part numbers listed.

1271882 has 5 leaves - rated at 1000 pounds

1271888 has 6 leaves - rated at 1200 pounds

1271894 is marked "Export" and has 7 leaves - rated at 1400 pounds.

Merle

[Dave72dt]

According to Merle's part numbers, the rear spring with 6 leaves is probably correct and the one with 7 may be a front spring or a 3/4 ton rear. Count your front springs. Maybe you've got a 6 and seven up there also.

[Merle Coggins]

Fronts and rears are different lengths. They wouldn't interchange.

[grey beard]

Here's my spring question. I have seven leaves on each side in the rear. It's way too heavy duty as it is - rides hard - and the right side is an inch higher than the left. If I take leaves out - starting at the bottom - I'll have to remove at least two leaves to drop it an inch. Should I keep the shortest one on the bottom and remove leaves higher in the stackup - every other one - what?

This truck will haul things periodically, but never any heavy loads more than a few hundred pounds, so weight capacity is no longer an issue. I just want to do this intelligently when I'm doing it, and it's something I;ve never contemplated before.

Any wisdom from you gentlemen?

Thanks

[Fernando Mendes]

Ok,Thanks Merle,Grey & Dave.This subject is very dificult.I will ask to my friends here to learn more.

[Fernando Mendes]

Rear Springs Pics.

Right(image 190)=7 leaves

Left(image 187)=6 leaves.