I have a 1955 Ford F-100 Chassis that I am rebuilding, I pulled the original spring packs of the back and found that the main leaf was broken .

I want to keep the frame original but I also want to lower the truck.

I was thinking about monos cuz then I can always go back later and switch back to original springs.

Have any of you guys put monos on your trucks?

How will they effect the steering, ride etc.


P.S. I am putting them on front and back and keeping the original steering and rearend. I am also droping in a small block chevy and wondering if the monos will be able to hold the weght ok.

Any comments or suggestions you guys have would be grat thanks!

 

I have a 56. It had busted rear main leafs when I bought it and I replaced those spring packs with monos. I have been running them for 3 years.

There are many stories about monos breaking and unlike the stock spring pack, when a mono busts, you're toast. I haven't seen any signs of failure, but plan to change back to leaf spring stacks for the following reasons:
1. Wheel hop like you can't believe. I suppose if you NEVER got on it, there would be no problem.
2. I had to add traction bars to handle the wheel hop. It does that, but only half of the spring is really working under acceleration load. Even the broken spring didn't let the wheels hop, so this is a major problem with monos.
3. Upon initial install, the monos were MUCH stiffer than the stockers. They have loosened up to be softer than I remember the stock ones to be. That worries me. In my experience, springs don't change their rate over time, but these have.
4. The monos actually sat the truck a little higher than it was (with the busted leaf), so I added 2" drop shackles to get the rear down some more.

My plan is to do what a lot of folks here have done: use a reverse eye main leafs and drop every other leaf from the stock stack down to a total of 4 leafs (min) to get the same lowering I now have. That will give me the same or lower ride height, but I can dial in exactly what I want by playing with how many leafs I leave in. I probably won't need the traction bars either. I will feel safer and the springs will be a true progressive rate like Henry originally designed.

Since the stock leaf pack is less expensive than the monos, your choice should be simplified also.

Welcome to FTE!!!

 

Midfifty catalog shows the "down-and-forward" spring assembly designed for small blocks at just about $40 more than monos. not only do they give you 3" drop, but they also move the front axle forward an 1 1/4" to center the wheel in the wheelwell. (lengthened draglink required) My F1 is getting the reverse eye every other leaf treatment, but with the roads I drive on, a 4" lift might be required, lol.

 

Mono's nor spring packs will work well with a chevy engine in a Ford Truck!

 

do the monos just bolt in with out any changes? RT

 

I was wondering about "weel hop" I definitly plan to lay down some rubber every once in awhile.
Were did you get the reverse eye packs from?? If I do the same thing you are going to do what about the front end??

Thanks

 

Mid Fifty (1-800-252-1956) is a good source for the springs. They offer just the reverse-eye main leaf so you can use the other leafs you already have, or you can buy the whole spring stack with a reverse-eye main leaf. I would also replace the bushings and pins. They also carry front springs in the same setup.

Get a Mid Fifty catalog, if you don't already have one. It has some really great illustrations and instructions. You should also have a Shop Manual. It is invaluable.

There may be other sources, including some of our sponsors. I'm just not familiar with them.

 

I can only agree with all the RJ writes and would strongly consider all those factors IF I was doing suspension work. However, if one must have, or justs wants to have the mono, then there is an optioin to that with the new "dual" from posies and it is made for the effie according to the posies ads in the mags. Just a thought.
RJ: all those factors must be common to the mono, a certain red effie near me went through all of that and yanked em for a reverse stocker with 3 leafs out. Claims to be real happy now.
For added data, I have a new Total Cost and it is a bit firm but has the right stance. I may take a few out later.
Jon

 

Thanks man I think I will try that seems like everybody agrees with what you've said that I've talked to around where I live.

How many springs are in your stock "F-100" rear spring pack??

 

I've been running the monoleafs on my truck since I restored it and don't have any real complaints other than the ride is a bit stiff, especially in the rear. I can't compare the monos to a stock leaf setup though since my truck was undrivable for many years before I restored it. It handles raised bumps pretty well but bumps that require the suspension to drop out are where I think the monoleaf setup may suffer. There just isn't much sag with the monos. I'm still running the stock flathead which is probably why there are no power related wheel hop issues.

 

Randy? You're as bad as AX!
Seriously, its a must have catalog. Good info, good drawings.....not too bad of prices. For the solo reverse eye main leaf, Sacramento had the best $$ I found.

 

I considered the monos but shyed away from them after reading all the comments others have posted on this site. Also have a friend with an Apache truck with monos and I really don't care for the ride. For less than the cost of the monos I took my springs to a local shop and had them make new main leafs with reversed eyes and then remove about every other spring placing the teflon strips between each leaf. I missed it on the front and had to have them make one more leaf to add back in as I got too much drop and I did go ahead and flip the hangers in the rear - other than that I'm happy with how it sits but I've not got it on the road to drive it yet.

 

OK you guys have convinced me to go with the reverse eye main and remove some leafs. My question is will this will mess the angles of my drive train (still original) and will any adjustments need to be made? I am looking to drop about 3-4 inches front and rear. Thanks Bing

 

I doubt that the pinion angle will change at all, or enough to make a difference. The pinion angle just wants to be the same as the tranny tailshaft. You do not want the pinion yoke to point at the tranny.

However, I am thinking that if it did change slightly, you could make up some small angled tapered shims to put between the spring and its perch (similar to castor shims for the front) to change the angle if need be.

 

Yes indeed, You most likely will NOT need them, but if you do any chassis/frame shop has them in1/2 degree and 1 degree with a slot so you need not unbolt the springpack completely. It is indeed a castor shim. Speedway has them with the hole.
Jon