Spring sag
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 278
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From: Lewisville, NC
Spring sag
The continuing quest for a level-sitting truck.
Elvis had a decided left lean, to the extent that the leaf springs were only 1/2" off the spring bumper. Had both sides rearched, installed and they looked very good, about 4.5" of clearance between the spring bumper and the leaf spring pack.
Two weeks later, Elvis is leaning left again. Right side is at about 4" clearance and the left side is down to about 2.5" clearance.
The leaf spring packs have all their original leaves. I did have to grind some rust and matchbook cover thickness pits out when repainting.
1. Are the springs shot and need to be replaced, not rearched? Which leaves are most likely to be bad? Who would have the replacements?
2. Are there later model springs that I could use essentially without modification on the front of this 1953 F100? A junkyard solution is OK with me as I'm on a budget.
-Scott
Elvis - '53 Ford F100 with Mercury 254
Elvis had a decided left lean, to the extent that the leaf springs were only 1/2" off the spring bumper. Had both sides rearched, installed and they looked very good, about 4.5" of clearance between the spring bumper and the leaf spring pack.
Two weeks later, Elvis is leaning left again. Right side is at about 4" clearance and the left side is down to about 2.5" clearance.
The leaf spring packs have all their original leaves. I did have to grind some rust and matchbook cover thickness pits out when repainting.
1. Are the springs shot and need to be replaced, not rearched? Which leaves are most likely to be bad? Who would have the replacements?
2. Are there later model springs that I could use essentially without modification on the front of this 1953 F100? A junkyard solution is OK with me as I'm on a budget.
-Scott
Elvis - '53 Ford F100 with Mercury 254
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
I suspect your spring may have been replaced sometime with one that has too little temper, or the grinding got them hot enough to draw some of the temper out? Did they rearch both sides the same? Typically the left spring has more arch than the right when new (the reason there is a left and right to begin with) to allow for the additional settling on the left that will naturally occur, but the difference I'd expect is more in the 1/2-3/4" range. At this point I'd probably take the stacks apart and compare the leaves side to side to see where the sag is ocuring. If most of the leaves match, but one or two are obviously different, I'd replace those leaves on both sides.
We race up your way a few times a season.
We race up your way a few times a season.
Last edited by AXracer; Dec 26, 2005 at 04:20 PM.
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 278
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From: Lewisville, NC
I took the springs back the the shop and they said that they would rework them no charge. I explained that they had settled over a couple weeks so that the left side was about 1.5" lower and they said that happens sometimes but they would fix it. I pick up the springs in the next day or so. Then we'll see.
During grinding the rust off, they never got hot enough to burn my hand much less draw the temper.
-Scott
During grinding the rust off, they never got hot enough to burn my hand much less draw the temper.
-Scott
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
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From: Near Fresno, California
Thanks for the word - please post again when you get them back. I wonder what happened - did they fail to do something, or do something wrong?
At least they stand behind their work, and you are not out a bunch of shipping!
At least they stand behind their work, and you are not out a bunch of shipping!
