Hi guys,
finally got my leaf springs from Canada!Could you please tel me the proper way to install these, a way in which I won't snap my fingers off, LOL.

 

First you need a jack that can raise the wheels off the ground while it is under the frame as a jacking location.

Raise the frame till the wheels are almost off the ground.
Loosen the bolts in the front spring hangers and both bolts in the rear hangers.
Also loosen the nuts on the U bolts that fasten the spring to the axle.

Drive the bolts out of the spring on both ends and raise the truck a couple inches to make room to swap the spring packs out and back in.

Assembly is the reverse of the teardown.

 

Thanks Dave, simpler than I thought it would be, will attack the beast tomorrow!

 

If you don't have a jack that will lift the rear wheels off the ground if you put it under the frame (that would be a taller than average jack), then what you can do is put your jack under the rear differential and lift the rear wheels a couple of inches off the ground, then put jack stands under the frame to support the truck, remove the rear wheels, and lower the truck onto the jack stands. Let the jack down until the springs are completely relaxed but the jack is still just touching the bottom of the differential.

The other benefit of doing it this way (besides not needing such a tall jack) is that the rear axle is lowered down closer to the ground, but still supported by the jack, so that once you remove the u-bolts with the jack still supporting the axle, you can lower the jack and rear axle that extra half an inch or so to allow the leaf spring centering pins to clear the holes in the spring perches. Plus if you are installing new springs with more arch to them than the ones you're taking out (and they should have more arch if they are new), you can still lower the axle even further to be able to get the new leaf springs in.

I've replaced leaf springs in my Jeeps using this method several times and it has always worked very well for me.

 

Did you get new shackles and bolts?
Also you should replace the U bolts once they are removed.

New mounting hardware makes the job easier, just cut the old stuff off instead of fighting rusted bolts and nuts.

I would soak all nuts and bolts with penetrating oil for a day or two before starting if I were going to try and wrench it apart.

I also found it easier to attach the fixed end of the spring before I attached the shackle end.

Do use caution beating and pulling on the bolts after the truck is in the air, don't need any mishaps.

Another way of doing it is to block the frame up solid, then remove the tires and lower the axle housing away from the springs after it is unbolted.

Which way you need to go will depend on your tool inventory.

 

That is why I love impact wrenches! Makes jobs like this a piece of cake! Have you ever played with a battery powered impact Dave? Thats what I used to drop the axel out of my wrecked truck, worked like a dream.

 

Gotta second the U-bolt point. I think of them like head bolts, they should be replaced when installing new springs or a new axle. They stretch and especially on non-limited slip differentials, the axle can shift on the spring and cause you to track off center (ever notice Chevy Nova doing this a lot? That's why).

Although I don't see many F-series trucks tracking off-center, so maybe it's not an inherent problem. But U-bolts are cheap.

 

My last post almost sounds like I said to replace your head bolts when you replace your springs or axle.

Although in my experience, I've met a few shadetree mechanics who would probably do it. Like the one guy who was trying to slide-hammer his rear axles out (without removing the clips first) so he could grease the axle bearings. Or the other guy who thought putting Slick 50 in a newly rebuilt motor was a good idea, and wondered why he kept burning oil.

Oh, I've got a million of them.

 

Just a short post.....I didn't get new hardware and it's a bit late now so I am putting back the old u-bolts,I may be wrong but they seem quite new, maybe they had been replaced by the prior owner as he did alot of work on it before I bought the truck from him.I will post a couple of pics later on just for fun!

 

Does not look good at all!

 

Looks like the one I had to toss...

 

that looks better than mine did. both sides were cracked all the way through right ontop of the axle. amazing all the weight i had in that truck with that.......kind of scares me now. the original owner was an idiot and thought putting a gooseneck on a half ton was a good idea, well its not and now with a 2wd 3/4ton frame with the half ton 4x4 axle up front and 1 ton springs it is.

ya i say toss that spring lol

 

Ouch! Some dead springs there!

 

Well, they are in,after some struggling with rusted bolts and such! Speaking of bolts I snapped one on a shackle, the lower bolt and I can't find any here, just metrics here, they are either too small or too big, anyone know where I can get some online?
Thanks

 

How much does a set of springs usually run for a 1 ton dually? Anybody recommend an online vendor?