Seeking leaf-spring recommendations
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: SANTA ROSA, CA
Seeking leaf-spring recommendations
I'm going to drop my F-1 front and rear week after next. The work will be done in a friend's shop as a "thank you" for favors I've done for the business over the years. While my friend isn't concerned about the amount of shop time required, I would like to tie up his equipment and personnel for as little time as possible. To that end, I'd like to do the job with little or no experimentation.
The truck is currently at stock height with a 2-inch "rubber rake" (big and littles). I'd like to retain this relationship and drop it 3 inches front and rear, and I'd like to do it with springs alone. It's flathead powered and likely to remain that way for a long time (no swaps).
In addition to the stock springs, my spring inventory includes a set of Posie's front springs with reversed forward eyes, graciously given to me by a fellow on FTE a couple of years ago for just the shipping cost. I'm embarrassed to say I've lost his name, but hope he will speak up and remind me who he is so I can thank him again. He replaced the Posies with new stockers to raise the front of his F-1 a couple of inches to clear the apron on his new driveway, and said the springs were good for nearly 3 inches as I recall. The Posies have eight leaves.
I also have a set of new reversed-eye springs custom made by Helwig with less arch than stock. These also have eight leaves.
The stock fronts have seven leaves and appear to be more recent than the rears which have nine leaves and are the originals, judging by the undercoating. The new Helwig rears with reversed eyes have ten leaves and were made up with a couple of inches less arch than new standard replacements. The new Helwig fronts and the Posies have essentially the same amount of free height.
MY THOUGHTS
The front -- I think I will use the Posie's because they are a "known" in terms of actual drop. I do want to remove one of the shorter leaves to soften them just a taste. (If I were to use the Helwigs [still might] I'd remove a short leaf from them also.)
The rear -- I'll use the Helwigs with two short leaves removed. The originals are extremely stiff. The truck hasn't seen a lot of heavy loads through the years, and it could stand to lose some stiffness and still support a reasonable (for me) payload of 500-700 pounds. I'm going to install them as-is and log some seat time to establish a "comfort" baseline. Then, next Winter I'll pull them out and do a full "tune up" with chamfering, etc., and reassemble them with moly-lube.
So, this is what I'm faced with. I'd like to hear from anyone who has direct experience with a similar situation.
TIA
Mike Bishop
The truck is currently at stock height with a 2-inch "rubber rake" (big and littles). I'd like to retain this relationship and drop it 3 inches front and rear, and I'd like to do it with springs alone. It's flathead powered and likely to remain that way for a long time (no swaps).
In addition to the stock springs, my spring inventory includes a set of Posie's front springs with reversed forward eyes, graciously given to me by a fellow on FTE a couple of years ago for just the shipping cost. I'm embarrassed to say I've lost his name, but hope he will speak up and remind me who he is so I can thank him again. He replaced the Posies with new stockers to raise the front of his F-1 a couple of inches to clear the apron on his new driveway, and said the springs were good for nearly 3 inches as I recall. The Posies have eight leaves.
I also have a set of new reversed-eye springs custom made by Helwig with less arch than stock. These also have eight leaves.
The stock fronts have seven leaves and appear to be more recent than the rears which have nine leaves and are the originals, judging by the undercoating. The new Helwig rears with reversed eyes have ten leaves and were made up with a couple of inches less arch than new standard replacements. The new Helwig fronts and the Posies have essentially the same amount of free height.
MY THOUGHTS
The front -- I think I will use the Posie's because they are a "known" in terms of actual drop. I do want to remove one of the shorter leaves to soften them just a taste. (If I were to use the Helwigs [still might] I'd remove a short leaf from them also.)
The rear -- I'll use the Helwigs with two short leaves removed. The originals are extremely stiff. The truck hasn't seen a lot of heavy loads through the years, and it could stand to lose some stiffness and still support a reasonable (for me) payload of 500-700 pounds. I'm going to install them as-is and log some seat time to establish a "comfort" baseline. Then, next Winter I'll pull them out and do a full "tune up" with chamfering, etc., and reassemble them with moly-lube.
So, this is what I'm faced with. I'd like to hear from anyone who has direct experience with a similar situation.
TIA
Mike Bishop
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 7
From: Erie, pa
Go with the posies in the front.
What ever rears you use, take out the leaves to get the ride you want and adjust the ride height with lowering blocks. Since the springs are on the bottom of the axle the lowering blocks don't work the way they do on cars.
What ever rears you use, take out the leaves to get the ride you want and adjust the ride height with lowering blocks. Since the springs are on the bottom of the axle the lowering blocks don't work the way they do on cars.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Mike,
You might want to try using the Posies front springs first before removing any leaves. Posies uses teflon buttons to make the springs work better than stock springs and softening them further might not be necessary. If you are already getting a three inch drop removing more leaves might be too much anyway.
Vern
You might want to try using the Posies front springs first before removing any leaves. Posies uses teflon buttons to make the springs work better than stock springs and softening them further might not be necessary. If you are already getting a three inch drop removing more leaves might be too much anyway.
Vern
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,337
Likes: 165
From: Harpswell Maine
Mike,
On my 49 using original rear springs I reversed the eyes on my original leaf and removed 3 leaves. With the reversed eyes and 6 leaves now (including the main) it dropped the rear 3 inches.
BY the way back in April, I managed to find myself out your way. I managed to spend about 6-8 hours visiting with Kent Fuller. What a neat guy. I had a super visit. The original purpose of the visit was to talk to Kent about the XJ Jag IFS. As you can imagine, the discussion went well beyond the Jag installation.
On my 49 using original rear springs I reversed the eyes on my original leaf and removed 3 leaves. With the reversed eyes and 6 leaves now (including the main) it dropped the rear 3 inches.
BY the way back in April, I managed to find myself out your way. I managed to spend about 6-8 hours visiting with Kent Fuller. What a neat guy. I had a super visit. The original purpose of the visit was to talk to Kent about the XJ Jag IFS. As you can imagine, the discussion went well beyond the Jag installation.
Last edited by 49willard; Jul 16, 2006 at 03:45 PM.
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: SANTA ROSA, CA
Originally Posted by GreatNorthWoods
Mike,
You might want to try using the Posies front springs first before removing any leaves. Posies uses teflon buttons to make the springs work better than stock springs and softening them further might not be necessary. If you are already getting a three inch drop removing more leaves might be too much anyway.
Vern
You might want to try using the Posies front springs first before removing any leaves. Posies uses teflon buttons to make the springs work better than stock springs and softening them further might not be necessary. If you are already getting a three inch drop removing more leaves might be too much anyway.
Vern
Mike
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Junior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: SANTA ROSA, CA
Originally Posted by 49willard
Mike,
On my 49 using original rear springs I reversed the eyes on my original leaf and removed 3 leaves. With the reversed eyes and 6 leaves now (including the main) it dropped the rear 3 inches.
On my 49 using original rear springs I reversed the eyes on my original leaf and removed 3 leaves. With the reversed eyes and 6 leaves now (including the main) it dropped the rear 3 inches.
BY the way back in April, I managed to find myself out your way. I managed to spend about 6-8 hours visiting with Kent Fuller. What a neat guy. I had a super visit. The original purpose of the visit was to talk to Kent about the XJ Jag IFS. As you can imagine, the discussion went well beyond the Jag installation.
Mike
