My last post on the topic got 2 replys. I want to put leaf springs from a 78 ford dually(2.25") spring on my 78 f250 the leaves are 2.5" wide I will use the very top spring on my 2.5" pack along with the 2nd and 3rd the dually springs are a great deal thicker and the are nine leaves as pictured in my gallery on the dually packso it will have a total of 12 leaves but the 3 2.5" ones are really arched and the dually pack is really flat but i will just compress them with a C-clamp and use a real long center bolt?How much lift will I get ???The stock dually pack is 1.5" thicker that my 5 leaf pack but I will also use 3 arched ones...
Anyone see a problem??
Thanks
Dustin

 

I don't know about this, Dustin. I really doubt any serious "spring men" will agree with two different widths of leaves. But go ahead and call a spring shop or two and pick their brains. If the dually leaves are relatively straight and thick, but your present leaves have more arch, it sounds like you may not get any lift, just a spring that's a lot stiffer and rides worse. In fact, if the dually leaves are sufficiently stiff and straight, they may pull some arch out of your present springs when you clamp it all together. I guess the worst case scenario would be a truck that actually sat an inch lower, but rode a lot worse.

Honestly, I think you should scout out one or two 2.5" leaves, with about the same or a bit more arch than what you have now, and add them to your springs. Maybe you can get the next two leaves below the main leaf from another '78 F250. You'll be surprised how that will change your ride. I know you're trying to save money, so I'm not going to recommend buying a new add-a-leaf kit from a suspension manufacturer. Just scout those junkyards a but more; you'll find something better suited to your purpose.

And as I mentioned before, more spring requires more damping. That may mean double shocks.

(I generally think the British have silly names for things -- Bonnet = Hood; Boot = Trunk; gudgeon pin = wrist pin -- but I have to agree with one: Damper = Shock Absorber. It's really the springs that absorb road shocks, and those "Dampers" are precisely that; they damp the motion of the springs.)