Need front spring advice needed

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Dec 6, 2018 | 06:02 PM

Cobravii

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From: Fort McMurray

Need front spring advice needed

Ok, So I bought the wrong length front springs for my 1950 F47. I didn't realize they were available in different lengths. I know I know ...... I'm a *******. mine are 35" eye to eye and the ones I bought are 31" eye to eye.
Reordering new springs is the obvious first answer. My question is: can I move the rear spring hangers forward? If I do what can happen? Do I need to move all 4 hangers?

Thanks,
Larry

Dec 6, 2018 | 06:28 PM

56panelford

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From: northwestern Ontario

I'm only guessing but your axle would likely move forward and not attach to the steering arm

Dec 6, 2018 | 06:31 PM

Cobravii

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From: Fort McMurray

Quote:

Originally Posted by 56panelford

I'm only guessing but your axle would likely move forward and not attach to the steering arm

I was thinking that too. I am going power steering so I was thinking I could work around that. The more I look at it, if I move all 4 hangers in 2" the axle stays in the stock spot and less headaches.

So far I'm not seeing a down side to moving all 4 hangers other than labor. Anyone see anything I'm missing?

Dec 6, 2018 | 07:43 PM

ALBUQ F-1

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From: NM

Did you order by length, or by model? Are you measuring eye-to-eye, comparing a flattened old spring to a freshly arc'd new one? I could believe there is 4" difference if so.

Dec 6, 2018 | 08:09 PM

52 Merc

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From: Burbank, WA

Modifying something correct into something incorrect just to make wrong parts fit is never a good idea. The slippery slope going down on that road can get really ugly. The Ford chassis parts catalog shows 2 springs available for the F1/47 (assuming Canada didn't do something crazy different from US production), a standard and a heavy duty version, which is actually the F2/3 front spring available as an option. Both have 8 leaves. It does not reference length. My advice would be to do the job right, figure out what you should have and do that. You may not have looked closely at it yet, but the front spring hanger is built into the front crossmember. It will be really tough to move.

Dec 6, 2018 | 09:24 PM

Cobravii

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From: Fort McMurray

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALBUQ F-1

Did you order by length, or by model? Are you measuring eye-to-eye, comparing a flattened old spring to a freshly arc'd new one? I could believe there is 4" difference if so.

i ordered by application. there were way more options for 31" springs so I "assumed" mine would be the most common. There was one choice for a 35" spring which was 3 times the price.
The 31" springs definitely do not fit with the spring hangers where they are.

Dec 6, 2018 | 09:29 PM

Cobravii

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From: Fort McMurray

Quote:

Originally Posted by 52 Merc

Since starting this thread I I've moved the RH spring hangers both in 2" and everything lines up beautiful. The hangers were riveted in but 7/16 grade 8 bolts fit very snug (may have even cut their own threads).
Tomorrow,..... the LH side :-)
I think that the shorter springs might just tighten up the handling a bit too ;-)