What To Do About This? Rear Leafs

[pflaming]

"THis job is a real dogs breakfast" I love that phrase! If you have to cut and weld those perches, make sure you like the rear axle you have. I will take the same amount of work to put in a more modern one. BUT get ready for some heavy lifting.

As mentioned earlier, I really pinched one finger which turned blue FAST so I put a tiny, sharp bit in the drill press and went for blood. :I had to drill twice to get a good gusher. This morning, NO PAIN, and the nail is the same color as the ones next to it. I would post a picture but Hank gets too squimish!!!!

Edited May 6, 2012 by pflaming

[55 Fargo]

The diff is fine, a mopar 8 1/4, with 3.23 gears, modern enough. Now what can be done, will some stock type of spring perch work on this?

I will keep the shock mounts as they are if I have too, they will just were the eyelets easier, but they should still work.

[48Dodger]

Measure the tubes....measure the spring width...run to the nearest axle driveline shop....order/buy the correct spring perch....carefully cut and grind your old ones off....have the shop, or a friend, or you, locate the correct angle etc for the diff (search the forum, many threads on how to do this)...weld those suckers in....post the axle measurements, cuz I'm betting the shock mounts from the 48-53 era will work for your truck (I only bet a dollar at a time)....buy/trade a shock mount from one of us.....

48D

Edited May 6, 2012 by 48dodger

[Plymouthy Adams]

Summit Racing has the perches...get them about anywhere in the USA in 3 days as they have three distribution centers.

[55 Fargo]

Have not dealt with this yet. Will post again, as an update once I do the job, which may be a while. Thanx all for your input and help......

[John Mathias]

I'm going to be yanking the stock rear axle on my 54', if you want them, the shock mounts are yours for postage. OR, you can come get themm and help me pull the cab off:D

[55 Fargo]

I'm going to be yanking the stock rear axle on my 54', if you want them, the shock mounts are yours for postage. OR, you can come get themm and help me pull the cab off:D

Just peaking under the rear of truck, takin a break from the roof. Sorry did not see your offer, not sure why.

Going to get these blocks out real soon, this will lower things 3.25 inches, will this work,or will I need any block on spring perch? Should the spring perch on diff, be tight together, without any blocking?

[55 Fargo]

Mission accomplished, will post pics and details in a while

[55 Fargo]

Okay today pulled Ubolts of rear springs, and removed 3.25 inch blocks. This was a fairly straight forward task, not too difficult.

The shocks that are toast, were near full extension with the blocks, but seem to be the right length for the now lowered truck, willl investigate further soon.

The ubolts, 9/16 trhead were buggered, I do hvave a 9/16 fine die to try and re-cut the threads, so will need new shorter length U bolts.

For temporary, only to move the truck very slowly, I cut hard wood blocks, and tightened the bottom shock mount against them, in order to tighten u-bolts somewhat.

Gonna try and get U bolts tomorrow or Tuesday, then will get new shocks, hope this makes for better control and handling. I like the stance and look much better..........here are the pics, and the 1st one shows the old height.

Now back to the roof body work

Edited September 2, 2012 by Rockwood

[pflaming]

To my eye, the new look is fantastic. Are the short running boards stock? Your bed is a '52 bed, did the truck have a flat bed at one time. Whatever, it is really looking good. Will be looking for the final result.

[55 Fargo]

To my eye, the new look is fantastic. Are the short running boards stock? Your bed is a '52 bed, did the truck have a flat bed at one time. Whatever, it is really looking good. Will be looking for the final result.

52 bed, I have 55 rear fenders and running boards to match, those will go on later.

Those running boards on now, were just cut down by someone.

Hey I need square U Bolts 9/16 thread 2 5/8 space between threads 8 inches long or so. Do you or anyone know of a supplier????

[55 Fargo]

Today went to Winnipeg( biggest city in area) 18 miles away, to North End springs, had 4 gr#8 9/16 Ubolts made up, with washers and nuts $40.00, took about 5 minutes to make...

[55 Fargo]

This lower mount plate has the shock mount 90 degrees opposite of the top mount. That in itself is not bad, as long as both angles and the travel are congruent to each other, but in my case they are not. I need to heat and bend the lower shock mount stud, to allow a better fit, if that goes well, the travel, and load on each mount should be fine, regardless the fact they are 90 degree opposite mounted.

Is my thinking correct, is this does not work,will have some type of new shock mount welded to lower plates, will see about that tomorrow...

[Dave72dt]

Your thinking is correct if both ends of the axles travel up and down the same amount at the same time.

Correction: that's if the shocks travel in true vertical. Because they're mounted inboard and forward and the springs travel vertically and rearward, you're going to get all kinds of angles applied to the shocks and mounts.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Dave72dt

[55 Fargo]

Your thinking is correct if both ends of the axles travel up and down the same amount at the same time.

Correction: that's if the shocks travel in true vertical. Because they're mounted inboard and forward and the springs travel vertically and rearward, you're going to get all kinds of angles applied to the shocks and mounts.

Thanx Dave, if the bottom shock mount stud is the same angle as the shocks position from bottom to top, meaning the lower mount is on the mount stud at the correct fit, not binding. Would that be correct, even if the actual top and bottom mount are 90 degrees opposite. Physics wise it seems doable....

[Dave72dt]

Yes, that part is true. It puts the ends in the most neutral position for 90 degrees out of phase. That's sitting at ride height. You're going to get some regardless. It's inheirent in the design with multiple angles occurring during movement and fixed mounting points. If it doesn't work and you need to fab lower mounts, turn them the 90 so the mounting points run parallel.

[55 Fargo]

Just got back from heavy duty truck shop. One of the welders, heated the lower shock plate, and bent it to allow shock to align top to bottom mount. Cost me 1/2 hour labor....

[55 Fargo]

Pics of shock mount tweaking