Hello!

I have a quick question, I recently tore my front end apart to replace the king pins and axle pivot bushings and thought I would also replace my wore out front springs. I bought a 1972 F-250 a few years back as a parts donor and installed the power steering and C-6 auto tranny and now I went to install the front coil springs. From what I have read in the parts books the 65-72 two-wheel drive 1/2 and 3/4 tons use the same front springs. Well I now have everything put back together and the front end sits very high up and the tires do not sit flat on the ground. Is there a miss print in all the parts books, or is there something that I am missing that is causing my problem? Thanks, Jeff

 

There may be a difference in the springs since not all trucks do use the same springs due to options. Did you compare the springs side by side while you had them out? The 68 F-250 Camper Special springs from a donor truck are 2 inches taller then the stock set of 66 F-100 Custom Cab springs on my neighbors truck as an example.

 

My 65 originally had a 240 six cylinder with a three on the tree and now it has a 360 V-8 with the C-6 auto. Ever since I installed the 360 and 4 speed manual it has sat pretty low in the front compared to when it had a 6 cylinder. That’s why I wanted to install the springs out of the F-250.

I did look at the spring length and it is 2 inches longer as you describe and I was hoping with the added weight of the 360 it would level out. Boy was I sure wrong on that one. Now that I think about it the F-250 I bought was a camper special. It looks like I will be pulling the springs out tomorrow and put my original ones back in. I was hoping to have missed something simple but that does not appear to be the case.

 

Not all front springs are created equal. There are as many as 6 different ones, just for one year and model.

No misprint, you didn't take into account the load rate. Front springs have many variations. Your original front springs had load rates of between 1055 & 1250 lbs.


The F250 front springs from 1972 have load rates of between 1415 & 1715 lbs.

The bottom line is: The springs interchange, but the ones you used are too heavy.

>> The load rating is based on the wire diameter, NOT the length. <<

Front springs can be identified two ways: By the color and the number (1-2 or 3) of the stripes; or by the stamped Ford ID number.

 

one thing that I noticed is that if I jack up the truck from the center it will sit with tires at an angle until I drive it a bit. I think that it's due to the friction against the floor not letting the tire 'slide' back to position. It will sit higher too. Have you driven it after installing the springs? Or jacking up and lowering one side at a time will also get it to sit right

 

I swapped my springs out this morning. After I installed my old springs back in I did notice what you were talking about where the wheels were not sitting straight. Once I took it for a drive then the wheels were good.

The F-250 springs were not right and even taken it for a drive would not have settled in any. Thanks for the info. Jeff