Leaf Springs 2

[DollyDodge]

I have searched the forum and I can't find any information on how to take the springs off.  I know I saw a topic on that before but I can't find it. Does anyone have the link?

[pflaming]

I posted much of what I did on my truck. I removed front and rear, disassenbled, sanded, coated, and reassembled with the 2nd to the bottom removed. That was pre-fire build. Lots of pics there. 

[Desotodav]

Tim did a couple of great YouTube videos. I think he did one on the front as well. Search 'spring shackle' on the forum and that should bring up more results...

 

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by Desotodav

[DollyDodge]

18 hours ago, Desotodav said:

Tim did a couple of great YouTube videos. I think he did one on the front as well. Search 'spring shackle' on the forum and that should bring up more results...

 

 

Thanks so much, but did those videos save me a bunch of headaches!

[48Dodger]

Glad I could be of help!

Tim aka 48Dodger

[DollyDodge]

One other question, are the loop end on the shackle end of the spring threaded or not.  My new ones are not.  Yet I see threads in this forum that says they are.  I haven't taken the old springs off yet

[DollyDodge]

My tool I made for pulling the front pins on the rear spring, and my new rear springs.  So cool.

[DollyDodge]

I got the old springs off, and they came out easily.  All the bushings, nuts, everything came out easy.  when I looked closely at the ST. Louis Springs I saw they were a bit different.  My old springs the rear lope is toward the ground (front one up, rear one down).  The SLS both loops are up.  I sent them next to each other and they are the same height (SLS are about 3/16 lower, but with the design differences there is less arch in the SLS.  I decided to clean up the old ones and put them back, both the old ones have the same arch.  They seem in fine shape.  There was no wear at all in any of the old bushings, the front pin is like new.  I was surprised how good of shape everything was.  In any event I will put the SLS for sale on the for sale section.  A couple pictures, one of the old springs after cleaning the mud and rust of, then one of them after POR 15 and chassis black paint..  They look like new.

[Merle Coggins]

Did you contact them regarding the differences with the eyes? Maybe you can you can return them as Wrong Parts / Unacceptable.

[Jerry Roberts]

Or if you explain the non-stock shackle to them , they might be nice and allow you to return the new springs . It doesn't hurt to ask . 

[DollyDodge]

Hi:  I am going to contact them.  Trouble is it cost $100 to send them back.  Anyway I will contact them.  Thanks.

[Reg Evans]

I don't think anyone will know !

If you wanted it to ride a little higher some air shocks would do the trick.

[DollyDodge]

Reg, it wasn't a matter of wanting it to ride higher, but that the driver side was 2 inches lower than the passenger side, folks always told me it was that the driver spring was worn out.  But what it was instead was a short shackle on the rear of the driver side.. I also noticed  tonight looking at the rear driver side  spring hanger that it as a lot of wear on it from a spring rubbing, will post photo tomorrow.. I don't expect they will take the springs back either.. I will try and sell them or make wall hangers out of them, expensive mistake.

[The Oil Soup]

You need to disassemble the spring pack to determine if any of the leaves are cracked. That generally happens at or near the point they bolt together over the axle. Perhaps there is a broken leaf sandwiched within the others and it may function satisfactorily but the strength of the spring would be compromised. Your truck will actually sit higher with the new spring eye configuration.

[DollyDodge]

I don't think the truck will sit any higher with the new springs.  I put them side by side (old and new) on concrete, loops on the concrete and the eyes match up the same, and the height of the springs are the same, with the new ones being 3/16 lower.  I don't think there is anything wrong with the old springs.  They are the same height, arch the same..   I think the only issue was the shackle.  That being said check out the photos of the rear spring hanger (driver and passenger sides). The driver side had a lot of contact with a spring at some point, it is nearly warn through on the bottom.  The current driver side spring has no wear on it where it would have contacted the hanger, and it had a lot more paint remaining than the passenger side.  I will bet it was replaced at some point.  Anyway, the old truck cant tell me her story.  SLS will not let me return the springs.  Drat.   Also attached is a photo of the new shackles and the old set (short and long).

[Merle Coggins]

Maybe the shackle broke at one time allowing the spring to wear into the mount. To repair it they use a Jeep shackle, which is shorter, and this lead to your latest Dolly Dodge adventure.

[DollyDodge]

I agree Merle, that is the story I came up with in my head too. I wish that old truck could talk.

[Young Ed]

I'm guessing that someone used either a Jeep or front shackle and it being too short allowed the spring to rub on the mount. If that was old damage I don't think it would be so shiny.

[DollyDodge]

Hey, the spring hanger only looks shiny in the photo.  It is rusted.  Mainly the flash makes it look shiny, and I took a wire brush to the hanger to clean all the old dried up grease and dirt.  Both sides were completely covered with crud.  It was the hardest part of the job, cleaning those hangers/mounts off.  You can see on the attached photo before I took the springs off that there was crud on the underside of the mount and the top of the old spring, on both sides. 

Edited May 9, 2017 by DollyDodge

[kendall]

The missing material on the driver's side shackle looks too precise to be wear. 

 

Seems someone machined the bottom of the hanger with a grinder to allow the smaller shackle. It looks like he didn't remove enough material nearer the rivet heads to add the desired clearance anyway. I see a gouge in the hanger 1/2" below the removed material where the spring made contact. (2nd. to last photo.) Maybe I'm restating the obvious tho.

[DollyDodge]

Kendall, I wonder if  you aren't correct, that flat spot is very precise looking.  I noticed that second groove near the rivets too.  

Edited May 15, 2017 by DollyDodge

[DollyDodge]

Well it was a busy few days with DD.  I put on the old springs and found the driver side was about 1/2 lower than the passenger side at the  axle to frame measurement.  So I decided to take the old springs off and put the new springs on and after that there was about a 1/4 inch difference between the two sides at the axle.  The rear frame measurement raised about 1 inch on the driver side, and about 1/2 inch on the passenger side with the new springs, but there still is about a 1/2 inch difference between the driver and passenger side.  I emailed St. Louis Spring and they think the frame is twisted.  He said he would build me a pad to put on the driver side to raise the truck 1/4, but I think I will let it be.  He also offered to make me a main spring with the reverse lope (front loop up, back look down so the look like the old springs), they have been really helpful.  I now can change those rear springs really quick...Attached are a couple of pictures of the new springs installed.  I think eventually I would like to get my old ones re-arched and put them back.  The thing I noticed about the new springs is they are much more stiff feeling.  When I would step on the bumper with the old springs she felt spongy , now she is firm.  I also ordered new rear shocks, the old ones are shot.  I know they are at least 40 years old.  I got new front ones last year. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by DollyDodge