Ride quality adjustments ?

[Jeff Balazs]

I am looking at methods to adjust the ride quality of my B-3-C. Now that I have had some time to begin road testing it the front suspension feels pretty good but the rear seems a bit on the stiff side. It is not super bad but I feel like I should be able to smooth it out some. The truck has the stock 3/4 ton springs on it and inexpensive ($90/set) gas shocks from Napa. I did not disassemble the spring packs as they were not rusty and appeared to be in good overall working condition.

 

I am not exactly sure where to start with this process. I don't think I need or want to do anything too radical. One thought I had was to put about 300# or 400# of sand bags in the rear section of the bed to see how that affected the ride. If this has the desired effect it would be easy enough to rig some bolt in weights in the area behind the rear axle as I have a side mount spare.

 

Do you think this is a good starting point? Or should I start somewhere else? I have heard people say they have gotten good results by having the spring packs reworked and teflon pads installed between the springs. And I am sure a better quality shock would make some difference.

Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas.

 

Jeff

 

 

[MBF]

You may want to remove the rear springs and take out a leaf or two if you're not going to be carrying anything approaching the capacity of the truck.  I'd also get some oil between the individual leafs after making sure that they're not too rusty to move against each other.  You may want to check your shackles to make sure they're able to move freely.  Neither of my truck ride very well unless there is a load in the back.   That's what they were designed to do.

[HanksB3B]

I believe the simpliest trick is to remove the second smallest leaf from the rear spring. I've also heard that having your springs rebuilt can make a big difference.  Here are a couple of threads on the topic:

 

http://p15-d24.com/topic/33477-front-spring-rear-shackles-on-b3b/

 

These Star one of our own:

 

 

 

 

Definately on my want to do list too Jeff,

 

hank 

[wallytoo]

jeff,

it's a 3/4-ton truck. empty, it will ride rough. without sacrificing capacity, your best bet is probably going to be to make sure the shocks are good, and to lubricate the springs/shackles. radial tires, if you don't have them yet (although i like my bias-ply tires just fine).

aren't you going to use this for work? i figured you'd have a fair amount of tools and stuff in the back? maybe ride around with the approximate weight in the back that you'll "normally" have in it?

wally

Edited November 17, 2013 by wallytoo

[Jeff Balazs]

Hey Guys;

I will use this truck for small pick ups and deliveries. Stuff like a run to the lumber yard for 10 or 12 sheets of plywood or delivering some doors or cabinets to a local customer. Nothing really heavy though......600# -800# most likely. It is my only vehicle so most of the time it will just take me back and forth to work and run errands. And it would be nice if it was comfortable on the freeways. Trips out of town and such. I may build a cross the bed box for it but I won't be leaving tools in it other than a jack and maybe some spares.

 

I was going to tackle the springs earlier on but got side tracked by the whole frame straightening process. By the time I got that sorted out other priorities took over. It could be that they would benefit from some attention. The shackles seem to be working as I would expect and have been liberally greased. It is a little hard to say how well the rear shocks are working. The fronts seem OK but then they are mounted quite differently than the rears. One idea I have had is to perhaps pull a leaf or maybe two from the rear sets and maybe find some air shocks to use to give me some adjustment capability. I have had this arrangement of more modern trucks and found it worked well.

 

Jeff

[Todd B]

My semi trailer would literaly bounce down the road because it had such stiff springs on it.  I took a few out and replaced with a steel plate to make up the distance so my trailer rails remained parralel with the road. Works perfect.  My semi rides extremely rough when I run bobtail but with the trailer on it is smooth as my new dodge dually.  Radial tires helped alot on the ride, highly recommend.

[B1B Keven]

Remove a leaf from the pack. Get some Teflon strips and install between each leaf.

[52b3b Joe]

It might help to put some weight (500#) in the back and drive it for 500 miles or so to get the springs used to working again. There is probably rust built up between them not letting them work as easy as they should. Maybe start spraying some penetrating oil in-between them too. It might be worth a try before trying anything more involved. Just a thought...

[41/53dodges]

It's been said before and will probably be said again, but radial tires are in my opinion the best thing for the ride

[Jeff Balazs]

I do have brand new radials on it already.

Joe I really think you might be right. I can easily throw some weight in it and give the springs the penetrating oil treatment. Nothing to lose there at all.

 

Thanks, Jeff

[HanksB3B]

I put on a pair of gloves and covered the springs with my favorite Kendall Blue Grease pushing it hard between the spring leaves. Eventually it made a big difference and smoothed out the ride considerably. I've wiped them down since and could see how the rust eventually broke down.  I guess starting with a penetrating oil would be a good way to go. Didn't wagons and some early vehicles have leather covered springs to maintain grease ?

 

Hank   

[52b3b Joe]

I know that both our 41 and 48 Desoto's have a steel covers over the springs for greasing them. They had some sort of special way of greasing them, but we have never done them. 

[TodFitch]

I put on a pair of gloves and covered the springs with my favorite Kendall Blue Grease pushing it hard between the spring leaves. Eventually it made a big difference and smoothed out the ride considerably. I've wiped them down since and could see how the rust eventually broke down.  I guess starting with a penetrating oil would be a good way to go. Didn't wagons and some early vehicles have leather covered springs to maintain grease ?

 

Hank   

 

 

I know that both our 41 and 48 Desoto's have a steel covers over the springs for greasing them. They had some sort of special way of greasing them, but we have never done them. 

 

They are called "spring gaiters" and are used to keep the dirt out and the lubricant in. Used on higher end cars for decades. I think Plymouth might have used them for a couple years but maybe they were only an option.

[Todd B]

I never knew greasing the leave springs them selves was necassary, I believe I learned something today.  One more item on my to-do list this winter on my truck.

[TodFitch]

I never knew greasing the leave springs them selves was necassary, I believe I learned something today.  One more item on my to-do list this winter on my truck.

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

 

Turns out that because of the friction between the leaves, leaf springs are naturally damped. So the designer has the option of reducing the friction (fitting gaiters, adding oil/grease, using oilite or other pads between leaves, etc.) and using one set of shocks. Or relying on the unlubricated spring friction and using another set of shocks or even, in some cases, leaving off the separate shock absorber.

 

So this is another thing that comes into modifying the design of the vehicle where you might be leading yourself into other unanticipated changes.

 

With that said, I have from time to time attempted to get some grease between the leaves of the springs on my car. To do it right you need to spread the leaves and that might mean fully disassembling them.

[Jeff Balazs]

Tod & Todd First time I have seen back to back comments from the two of you.

 

I don't know if lubricating these springs falls into the realm of a modification? They are 60 years old and probably have never been apart since the truck was built. I would think at best it could possibly restore some of the original range of movement between the leafs? I really can't imagine it having a radical effect on the ride.

 

I will let you know if it does. I think for now I am just going to add some weight, use spray type penetrating oil on the springs and see what happens?

 

Jeff

[pflaming]

My truck is a half ton. I disassembled all four of my springs, sanded them clean, then coated them with silicone. I removed the 2nd from the bottom leaf on all four springs. That did two things for me. (1) it lowered the truck about 2" all around and (2) gave me a softer ride. If I were going to haul things on regular basis, I would put air shocks on the back and adjust according to the load weight.  My truck is a nice riding vehicle, but it is still a truck. 

[Jeff Balazs]

Hi Paul;

I really should have taken the springs apart like you did. Just got side tracked by other items. And because it was a SoCal truck there was hardly even any surface rust. To top it off a PO had used military grade primer on most of the under carriage which prevented things from getting too funky during it's long sleep.

 

I am not adverse to making some minor mods if necessary. Certainly air shocks are a possibility. I would rather not remove leafs or do anything to change the height or stance. I like it right where it is at........just not a fan of lowering vehicles at all. It is really not too bad the way it is. No problem at all for short commutes. I suppose I am just thinking it could be made a bit more comfortable for long trips. There is a good spring shop in Santa Ana called Deavers. If I find I can't live with it for some reason my first choice would be to take it to them and let them do their magic. I have heard from several sources that they do really fine work.

 

Jeff

[desoto1939]

my 39 desoto has the metal leaf spring covers on the driver rear side of the car and this is the side where the gas filler tube is located.  On the passenger side the cover is not on this spring.  I have a friend that has the same car another 39 Desoto and his car is setup in the same manner.

 

Seems odd that both cars would only have the left cover and not the right one also covered.  But it might have something to do with the gas tank.  Not sure but just a WAG on my part.  I do have literature that shows them on both sides from the MOOG corporation

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Jeff Balazs]

my 39 desoto has the metal leaf spring covers on the driver rear side of the car and this is the side where the gas filler tube is located.  On the passenger side the cover is not on this spring.  I have a friend that has the same car another 39 Desoto and his car is setup in the same manner.

 

Seems odd that both cars would only have the left cover and not the right one also covered.  But it might have something to do with the gas tank.  Not sure but just a WAG on my part.  I do have literature that shows them on both sides from the MOOG corporation

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

That does seem odd. I wonder if it was much easier to get one side back on .....and that is why it may have gotten left like that? Probably never know.

Jeff

[52b3b Joe]

my 39 desoto has the metal leaf spring covers on the driver rear side of the car and this is the side where the gas filler tube is located.  On the passenger side the cover is not on this spring.  I have a friend that has the same car another 39 Desoto and his car is setup in the same manner.

 

Seems odd that both cars would only have the left cover and not the right one also covered.  But it might have something to do with the gas tank.  Not sure but just a WAG on my part.  I do have literature that shows them on both sides from the MOOG corporation

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

 

Our 41 Desoto has it on both sides. I would think that it should be on both and you are missing one. But know knows what they did.

[desoto1939]

Joe:

 

You are correct. There should covers on both rear springs, but maybe the prior owner had some spring work done or maybe the covers got torn and they removed them when it was in for servicing.

 

Being over 70+ years old I am not going to worry about getting replacement covers.  The car is a driver and not a show car and is not officially judged at AACA or Desoto events.

 

If I every find some then might consider but that is low on my priority list of things to do.

I see that you are in Ohio.  I did the bicycle ride call TOSROV  or Tour of the Scioto river Valley very Mothers day weekend that started in Columbus Oh and went to Portsmouth Ky and then returned back to Columbus on Sunday.

Did this back in the mid 70's  100 miles each day.

 

Are you located arounf that area? Went throught the town of Cicrleville and Chilocothee, OH.

Rich HArtung

[Don Coatney]

my 39 desoto has the metal leaf spring covers on the driver rear side of the car and this is the side where the gas filler tube is located.  On the passenger side the cover is not on this spring.  I have a friend that has the same car another 39 Desoto and his car is setup in the same manner.

 

Seems odd that both cars would only have the left cover and not the right one also covered.  But it might have something to do with the gas tank.  Not sure but just a WAG on my part.  I do have literature that shows them on both sides from the MOOG corporation

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

If the underside of yout floorboard has never been re-painted check for driveshaft rub marks. The rub marks would indicate a broken spring and the replacement spring did not have the wraps.

[desoto1939]

Don Thanks for the suggestion I will have to take a look under the car.

In 70 years who knows what ever happened with the prior owners.

Rich Hartung

[HanksB3B]

If a truck sits unused for a long time rust crystals form between the leaf springs. I think my truck being dormant for twenty years the individual spring leaves formed one heavy duty spring.  Even with new shocks my truck felt like being in a shopping cart off a curb. After I greased the springs the ride seemed to gradually soften up.  I think servicing the springs like Paul did (not counting removal of springs, that's personal choice) is what anyone rebuilding an old work truck should do.

 

Hank