How would you go about taking these front leaf packs out of the wrap-a-round straps. Doing a google search, it seems like people pound them open, and then pound them closed?

I was planing on taking them apart to wire wheel them and paint. I’m not sure if I’m going to do it right, but I was going to “prime” them with Eastwood rust encapsulator (I will use on the frame), then paint between the leafs with the graphite paint I read about here. I haven’t looked into the graphite paint yet, so I’m not sure if it can paint over something like the encapsulator paint? I would just paint the whole leaf with it, but I don’t know how much of a color match it would be with the frame, or how much it will resist rust?

So, if I pound these clips over, I will have to paint them after I pound them closed? Can I get the pins out of them to slide them off? One pin Is already rusted off, and the clip will slide off. The other clips were always a little loose. I wrapped them with black electrical tape to stop them from rattling years ago.

 

If not a trailer queen I would not go thru all that just to paint them as the first time you hit a bump and the spring flexes the paint will wear off and who will know if they were painted between the leaves?

Install new bushings, wire brush them and hit them with the paint. Nothing fancy like the rust encapsulator / converter, etc.
I wire brushed and painted with a brush using TSC brand black paint. Same paint I used on the frame but that paint I also added a hardner and sprayed the frame.

That paint was used on all the suspension parts and the bottom of the bed floor with just a de-greasing, wire brushing and then paint.
It has all held up really good for 5 years and 28K+ miles as I built the truck to use but look nice when doing so
Oh I have also power washed it a few times too as I had a oil leak that was hard to find but fixed now.

On frames, suspensions and motors I am not a fan of priming and then painting. Primer adds to how thick it all gets and with that the heating & cooling makes it want to flake off. Just paint I have never had that issue.
Dave ----

 

I really don’t want to take them apart, but the backs pretty much fell apart, and this would be the only thing that hasn’t been apart to paint. Plus if the slick paint helps the ride, I’m all for that.

I bought the truck in ‘87 and it had a 4 or 6” lift. I’m guessing it was the cheapest and stiffest lift made at the time. My other thought was to replace them with a softer ride lift, but I would rather put the money into the motor and body work.

I guess I could always just paint them with the thought of replacing them later.

 

 

If that's the case, disassemble them, grease good, then reassemble, and wrap them. You could apply slips of nylon sheeting or strips cut from oil containers to insert, then wrap them. If all I was gonna do was paint them, I'd paint them as a group and not take them apart.

 

You can straighten those clips out and re-bend them if they're still solid enough,but I have heard of them snapping off if they were too rusty. If you have access to an O/A torch, you can usually grind the rivet out to take them right off, then replace it with a countersunk head bolt that you heat the end and peen over, like a rivet.

What I did was wire brush them to clean metal, then tapered the ends of the leaf springs where the ends touched the spring above it. It's what i read alot of off roaders do to packs to help them the spring slide easier. Like this( not my pic)



Then I used graphite paint in between the leaves, assembled the pack with new hardware, wiped the assembled pack down with thinner, then primed and painted the outside with oil based paint.

It's hard to say exactly how much of a difference it made because i also did all new bushings and shocks at the same time, but it seemed to ride smoother and not be as jarring as most other trucks I've rode in. I'd do it again if i did another leaf pack, it's not alot of work to grind them down and doesn't hurt anything.

 

Are those old High boy front leafs? They look a little tired already. Make sure to insp the leaf edges (both sides) where the U bolts come down along their sides. They can cracking there. X2 heat and bend the straps open and then heat and beat closed. Yes that heating up is going to ruin your new paint job. So just beat bend them, and maybe risk breaking them. Use a large C-clamp or put them in a heavy duty vice when you go to take the center pin out and loosen carefully.

Some use Spring tape or UHMW (Ultra high Molecular Weight polyethylene) as a pad/liner, or paint them with Slip Plate No. 1.

 

The truck is a 77-1/2. I’m not sure of the trucks first ten years? I bought it off a young iron worker for $600. I assumed he bought it used and put the lift on it. I only drove it off road on weekends for about ten years before I bought my house. Then it went to the garage for 27 years. I don’t think they’re whooped, but it was always a super stiff ride, even for a F250. I’m sure after I put it back on the road, the instinct to duck my head at every little bump will come back!

when I get time I’ll try and open them. If it turns into a pain in the ***, I’ll just wire wheel them and paint. After I get it on the road for a few years, I’ll revisit the whole lift and tire size thing. After the bank account goes up a little.

Thanks everyone!

 

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT put the front blocks on, so calm down Karen. Lol The PO did it.! Ok so yours are not as whooped as these tired HB springs that the PO put on my 79... when he hit the pumpkin....on the swapped in 460 front sump swap oil pan...then decided to add front blocks.

Look at this red box area below real well. Believe they are suppose to be in a constant curvature. The spring steel has dune sprung in mine, I trashed them and (the blocks) and put some RC 4" lift ones on.


IMO 2nd and 3rd up from bottom look a little straight then up, then back down. Just insp the sides (where the U bolts are close) for cracks.

 

Alright, I definitely see what Rich is talking about. It even looks like the top two are doing the same thing.

After long consideration I decided to just do a quick wire wheel and paint. No taking it apart. Some sort of lift will come later. I’m just too undecided on tire size. I bought the truck with 36s, I put on 38-1/2s. It was a little too tight so I cheaped out and put a 3” body lift on it. For its resurrection, the body lift is not going back on. So I made peace with myself and am going with 36” or under. But then today…..

I’m taking apart the rears, they pretty much already fell apart, and wire wheeling the shortest leaf, and there’s a Ford part number? Did the short helper springs get reused on lift kits? Did I ever even have a lift kit? Back in the day, my friends and I always thought it had a 6” lift kit. After reading on here for months, I thought it was probably only a 4” lift kit. Now I’m wondering if it ever had a lift kit at all? It had a home made flat bed when I bought it. Maybe it never had a bed. Maybe some sort of utility body with extra spring? If these are original springs, I’m wasting my time.

What’s everyone’s thoughts?



(picture is from early 90’s)