Guys,

I learned by searching this forum that when it comes to standard duty springs the front leafs are the same between the 4X2 and the 4X4 versions. Is this the same case for rear leaf springs or did Ford do any changing when they built the 4X4's?
I'm changing my I6 4X2 into a V8 4X4 so the front springs are a little on the weak side with no arch. I just didn't know if I needed to address the rear leafs as well.

Thanks,

Nick

 

Guys,

I found out the following from our friends at ESPO Springs and Things:

Lengths should be the same, front is 2" wide x 22 1/2 x 22 1/2; rears are 2 1/4 wide x 24 x 28. Measurements are taken from centerbolt to center of front eye and centerbolt to center of rear following the arch of the spring. Yes, I'm showing 6 leaf front and 9-leaf rear on stock 4WD.

Later,

Nick

 

Yes. you could fit the springs from one to the other. Unless you want to be totally original, I would just work with a spring shop to either recondition and add leaves to the existing springs to get the proper ride height (and use the proper blocks under the rear springs for the 4x4), or have new ones made up to suit.

The rear bracket for the front springs is different for the 4x4 (different Ford part number), but I do not know the difference in the part. If I find a 4x2 to measure, I will post the difference.

 

I can measure and take pictures of my front spring rear bracket to find out the difference. Your truck is a 4X4?
Nick

 

Yes, I have a 60 F100 4x4. I have both brackets to measure, but I have to find the 4x2 bracket in the pile of old parts to measure it.

Also, on springs, this is as good a place as any to put this, but while doing a Google search on some part numbers, I found a source for aux rear springs for 53 to 60 F250 and F350 trucks.
http://www.sanluisrassini.com/pdf/CA...optimizado.pdf

Look at page 4, near top. They are in Mexico.

 

1959/60 F100: 2WD front springs are not the same as 4WD front springs.

1957/60 F100 2WD's offered two front springs. One had 7 leafs, the other had 9 leafs.

COTT5310D .. Front Leaf Spring / 2 leafs / 1050 lb. load rating.

Original applications: 1959/60 F100 4WD.
----------------------------------------
COTT5310B .. Front Leaf Spring / 2 leafs / 1200 lb. load rating.

Original applications: 1959/60 F250 4WD / 1960 F100 4WD.
---------------------------------------------------------
B7C5338A .. Front of Front Spring Shackle Bracket / 1957/60 F100 2WD / 1959/60 F100 4WD.

B7C5340A .. Rear of Front Spring Shackle Bracket / 1957/60 F100 2WD.

B9TT5340A .. Rear of Front Spring Shackle Bracket / 1959/60 F100 4WD.

FYI: Some ppl confuse shackle brackets with shackles. The brackets rivet to the frame rails (as original). Shackles attach to the springs...then to the brackets.
================================================== ================================================== ===================
C5TZ5560A (replaced B7C5560A) .. Rear Spring / 7 leafs / 1050 lb. load rating.

Original Applications: 1957/72 F100 2WD.
----------------------------------------
C5TZ5560N (replaced B7C5560B) .. Rear Spring / 7 leafs / 1350 lb. load rating.

Original applications: 1957/72 F100 2WD / 1959/72 F100 4WD.
------------------------------------------------------------
B7C5560C .. Rear Spring / 9 leafs / 1650 lb. load rating.

Original applications: 1957/72 F100 2WD / 1959/72 F100 4WD.

Info source: 1957/63 Ford Truck Parts Catalog.

This catalog is available on a CD from hipoparts.com for about $22.00.

* The problem here on FTE is: 99.9% of the members have no Ford truck (or car) parts catalogs.

 

Very good info from ND. And I do recommend the CD parts catalog if you are going to dig into one of these trucks, as it is a great reference. I have one, but it is often somewhere I am not.

I have seen alot of mixing and matching done with springs on old pickups (and home made springs with an original main leaf and a stack of junkyard leaves to make up the rest), and as long as you keep to the original widths and center dimensions (front eye to centerbolt and rear eye to centerbolt) things work out. When you want to go original, the Ford part numbers are the way to go. If you want something that just works, a spring shop has the info they need to get you down the road safely.

 

ND,
Your info is awesome. I greatly appreciate it. That gives me some more info to qualify replacements if I go in that direction.
Apparently in the aftermarket, both 4X2 and 4X4 front springs for my '60 must be close enough that both Eaton and Espo list the same spring as the standard replacement leaf set. They both say the rear springs have 1 extra leaf to differentiate the 4X4 from the 4X2.

3414,
There is a real good spring shop just south of where I live so I might investigate what they can do for me to put a better arch on what I currently have and maybe improve up on the rates with some additional leafs. The only thing I don't like is that the truck and its springs are 50 years old. The truck lived in NM its whole life so rust isn't a problem. That age thing is hard for me to get over.
The rear axle in my truck has what looks like lower mounts for an add-on/auxilary coil spring. I bet the top of the spring was held in place by the rubber bump-stop. I bet they are aftermarket. Any value in them or can I just pitch them?

Nick

 

ND,
I bought the same parts CD from hipoparts. With shipping new cost is around 26 bucks. Should be the best money I spent on the truck. Can't wait to review the CD!
I'm going to hopefully stop at the spring shop this afternoon and see what they can do for me too.
Later,
Nick

 

The parts book CD is one of the best tools I have. On the front spring rear bracket, I found what I thought was a 4x2 one in the pile, but every dimension is the same as the 4x4 one. Maybe I do not really know what the one from the pile is.

 

Thanks for looking.
Do you know if anyone has pictures of a 57-60 F100 4X4 chassis complete that I can look at? I'm curious to see what the blocks at the rear axle/spring interface look like, the spring mount we've been talking about, and any other weird differences. My 4X4 '62 chassis has a pretty substantial rear axle/spring spacer block so I imagine the stock '60 probably has something that looks pretty much the same.
I'm also curious to see what a transfer case crossmember looks like too. The '62's crossmember sits in an angled area of the chassis that dips below the cab whereas the '60's would be in a straight area.
Nick

 

The CD you have on order has those illustrations. They are not good enough to get dimensions from, but they show the relationships between the parts, and the general shape of the parts. You will want to look in the Frame section of the Illustrations Catalog.

 

I know this is an old thread and I am new to FTE. Just picked up a 1960 F250 factory 4x4. It is fairly complete and in restorable condition, but the front spring rear brackets are in bad shape.


Looks as though maybe the bushing went bad, then the springs rode directly on the bolt until the bolt got thin enough to fail. Looks like it was run like that for some time. It came off a farm, so there is bond to be some carnage I suppose.


I am looking for the factory brackets: B9TT-5340-A.


I know parts are a little scarce on these early factory 4x4s, but maybe someone has an idea where to locate them?


Thanks in advance. I don't mean hi-jack the thread either, but this thread and only one other came up when I googled the part number.


Jonathon

 

Moved to proper forum. You'll get more help here...

 

Good luck on finding the factory brackets, there may be some out there somewhere. Several years ago NumberDummy located one for me at a Ford dealer in North Dakota - it was the only one listed by his sources, but it is what was needed for my 59. I have seen good used ones occasionally on Ebay, and there are always junkyards. I never got around to making a drawing of the new one I bought, but someone with good metalworking skills and the right equipment could replicate one. Old trucks can frustrate you, but they are fun. One tip is to get active in an old truck organization such as ATHS, the members you meet are a wealth of information.