So as I'm staring at my F-2 and formulating a build plan, I'm starting to wonder about one of my rear springs. The truck was in a fire and there was some damage to the rear of the truck. The right rear tire burnt clean off the rim and the bed was mostly torched on that side also. The spring on that side and some portions of the frame rail got hot enough that the paint burnt off. Think this will have any permanent effect on the spring? I plan to use this old dude for a truck and the springs will get used. I will add that the fire had pretty well burnt itself out by the time the fire department got there, so it had probably cooled considerably before they started spraying water all over the place. Other than a light coating of rust that burnt metal will develop, the spring looks fine, doesn't sag, and none of the leaves appear to be cracked. It doesn't have any weight on it yet either, though. A pair of new springs will set me back $500 and I'd rather avoid that if I can. Thoughts?

 

Rage,
My gut feeling is that its probably OK.
My advice would be not to worry about it now. Worst case scenario is that you have to replace it later on. What you might do now though is to take a look at the crossmember by the front spring hanger and see if it has the hole in it to access the shackle pin.

Bobby

 

I agree with bobby. Run her till she blows. And I definitely agree that's a good idea about the access hole in case you ever need it. I used a 3/4" hole saw bit and it took like 5 seconds to drill out. Gives you a straight shot at that pin with a big punch if you ever need it.

 

Steel doesn't undergo any metallurgical changes until almost 650 deg. If it got that hot you'd see a lot of other damage.

 

From my time spend in high school metals class (4 years plus teachers aid senior year) I seem to recall that temp being more like 430 for tempering (but 650 rings a bell too - perhaps that's on the hardening side). Biggest thing I would worry about is if you ever loaded to max capacity then instead of cracking a weak leaf you would bend and deform it first - That is if the heat from the fire took some of the hardening out and tempered the metal.

But yeah I concur with everyone who said run it. Knowing what you know - what that truck went through - I am sure you will *pay attention* to it when you load it up heavy.

Rather than go new, why not keep an eye out for someone's part out here on the board - I can name one guy who is committed to a TCI chassis and probably going to scrap his frame (Tyler)

 

Ditto the others. If you end up needing to replace one or both, I've got some rear sets from trucks I've parted out. You're welcome to have a set, and live reasonably close to pick them up to maybe save on shipping. And on the removal subject, I like the puller method better than the hole in the cross member method. Here's an old thread on the subject. Stu

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post10613581

 

I agree, looks like it should be fine. You can also check to see if looks like it got hot enough to liqufiy some of that old nasty grease out of the shackles. If it got hot enough to melt the grease then you know it was hot in the area but my guess is the same as the others, that you will be fine.

As far as Stu's puller idea, I love it but I would start with a shorter bolt that has longer threads. I see no reason that you need all that blank shaft bolt below the head.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the input, guys. That was pretty much what I was thinking too, but for some reason it's been bugging me so I thought I'd ask. I had planned to pull the springs and rebuild them anyway during the build with new bushings/pins, a good blasting, and liners between the leaves. I would expect that any real damage would make itself known then. I guess more than anything I was just a little shaken by the specter of a spring failing at 70 MPH on the interstate. I think I just worry too much!

 

LOL....
the worrying is all parrt of the process. You must pace back and forth and do the hand wringing, then talk about it with anyone who'll listen until nobody will listen to you anymore, then finally make the decision and jump into.

of course, frosty beverages are an ever present part of this line of action. it must be applied liberally at any and all steps along the way....

it'll all work out
Bobby

 

BOR I do the same "worry pace" back and forth. When I got my truck I looked over the springs, both front and rear. They looked great. Then I took the rear ones apart and they fell apart like chiclets..I looked at some of the individual broken pieces and there were old cracks. You could tell because there was old rust. ( A new crack would be clean metal). As long as they don't do that, you are ready to haul (A--) wood...

 

Oh, and how I pace! LOL! I dream and scheme and plan every detail of the build while I walk around it and sometimes I do worry a little too. It keeps me interested. I can't wait until I can actually start turning wrenches on the truck itself! After two and a half years of pacing, I've worked out so much of how I want to build it that I bet I could screw it together it in my sleep. (And sometimes my subconscious is pacing then, too!)