Leaf Springs - Would you do it yourself?

[Ross Wooldridge]

ESPO, and EATON DETROIT are the two major spring shops. Eaton was the original supplier to Chrysler, so if it were me I'd call them first. Espo gets good reviews too.

I spoke to E.D. a few years ago, and their customer service rep was a greybeard Eaton Detroit lifer with them - super knowlegeable and helpful.

EATON Detroit Spring

 

[Gerald Morris]

Can the front end be lowered by adjusting the torsion bars? Back end looks good to me, front is way too high.

You can adjust the front ride height a fair bit BUT, keep in mind the CASTER of the front assemblies! Caster defines the angle made with the axis between the top and bottom ball joints off the vertical, and you want plenty of it to make a stable ride.

 

[Just Carbs]

Back looks fine, front is star gazing.

 

[75LandYacht]

Thanks for all the intel on this. Definitely boosting my confidence on this being a DIY.

When ordering springs, is there standard part numbers, or are these things basically custom ordered by call ESPO?

When you call speak to Laura. Very helpful she is.. tell here what your working on and what your current springs have as far as leaf count and she’ll do the rest.

 

[Big_John]

Curious to hear any stories of folks that have replaced springs themselves. I have room in my garage to do one side at a time (as I would have to turn the car around to get to the other side). I have a floor jack and Jack stands.

Here's how I've done it.



I jack the car up as high as I can. Jack stands go under the frame just in front of the spring mounts. I leave the jack under the center of the rear and jack it up so there's no up or down tension on the springs. One spring at a time, I first remove the U-bolts followed by the shackles. With the rear of the spring laying on the ground, I unbolt the front. If you can get at the spring eye bolt, just undo and pull out. If you can't just pull the front hanger off with the 4 nuts.

Slide the new spring into place and put the bolt through the spring eye. Leave this loose. I like to jack the rear end up just a little and swing the spring up and loosely fasten the rear shackle and then let the rear drop down on the center bolt. Tighten the U-bolts and then do the other side. Drop the car down and then tighten the front bolts and rear shackles.

New rubber bushings, front and rear, should be installed and it's not a bad idea to recheck the bolts after you've driven the car. I leave the front eye and rear shackle bolts loose until the car is back on the ground so the rubber is in its ride position (for want of a better description) and not stressed from being tightened when the springs and axle are dropped down from being jacked up. I really think that's why some rubber bushings fail faster.

Another suggestion is to buy an electric impact from Harbor Fright. I bought one of these a couple months ago and used it to pull the rear out of my 300L.
20V Brushless Cordless 3/8 in. 3-Speed Impact Wrench, Tool Only

You really want an impact to undo the U-bolts. Yea, you can do it by hand, but the impact is soooooo much easier. I've been using the HF one for lots of other stuff and I've been using the 1.5amp battery (cheaper and lighter) and while the higher amp batteries will last longer, the lighter weight offsets it.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Spring pack centre bolt should be replaced, according to what I've heard.

 

[Gerald Morris]

I jack the car up as high as I can. Jack stands go under the frame just in front of the spring mounts. I leave the jack under the center of the rear and jack it up so there's no up or down tension on the springs. One spring at a time, I first remove the U-bolts followed by the shackles. With the rear of the spring laying on the ground, I unbolt the front. If you can get at the spring eye bolt, just undo and pull out. If you can't just pull the front hanger off with the 4 nuts.

Slide the new spring into place and put the bolt through the spring eye. Leave this loose. I like to jack the rear end up just a little and swing the spring up and loosely fasten the rear shackle and then let the rear drop down on the center bolt. Tighten the U-bolts and then do the other side. Drop the car down and then tighten the front bolts and rear shackles.

New rubber bushings, front and rear, should be installed and it's not a bad idea to recheck the bolts after you've driven the car. I leave the front eye and rear shackle bolts loose until the car is back on the ground so the rubber is in its ride position (for want of a better description) and not stressed from being tightened when the springs and axle are dropped down from being jacked up. I really think that's why some rubber bushings fail faster.

Another suggestion is to buy an electric impact from Harbor Fright. I bought one of these a couple months ago and used it to pull the rear out of my 300L.
20V Brushless Cordless 3/8 in. 3-Speed Impact Wrench, Tool Only

You really want an impact to undo the U-bolts. Yea, you can do it by hand, but the impact is soooooo much easier. I've been using the HF one for lots of other stuff and I've been using the 1.5amp battery (cheaper and lighter) and while the higher amp batteries will last longer, the lighter weight offsets it.

I put the front wheels up on ramps, use the floor jack and stands on the rear, and do things pretty much identically to how you do. I have several impact wrenches, though when removing the springs from Gertrude, even those didn't avail at first! I had to use a long cheater pipe and my 3/4" drive breaker bar to start most of those nuts loose, even with plenty penetrant. Once I just busted the nuts loose a 1/4 turn, then the impact wrench, (modern Crapsman from Low's) did fine.

 

[NitrousTuner1]

St Louis Spring & Brake has made me many sets of custom leafs. Jim is the Man over there as their the oldest spring company still in business. It's NOT that bad. IF your car has some rust underneath than soak the shackle bolts with some PB Blaster for a few days...
THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK PERIOD IS TO INSTALL SOME KYB (GRAY) SHOCKS! They will make the car ride & drive sooooooo much better!!
I have many customer's mad they didn't have KYB'S on their car's since purchased as they all drive the car's twice as much now

 

[Milo]

When I did mine I put a more arched spring right next to the main leaf got new center bolts and used a c-clamp to hold them together some while installing the fine thread center bolt to torque specs put the old clamps on then wire brushed the U bolts and installed them. I never took the main leaf out of the car

 

[Gerald Morris]

ESPO, and EATON DETROIT are the two major spring shops. Eaton was the original supplier to Chrysler, so if it were me I'd call them first. Espo gets good reviews too.

I spoke to E.D. a few years ago, and their customer service rep was a greybeard Eaton Detroit lifer with them - super knowlegeable and helpful.

EATON Detroit Spring

Good to know Eaton employs Adults in Customer Service! Never trust anyone under 60 with MUCH to do w our rides.....

 

[polara71]

Good to know Eaton employs Adults in Customer Service! Never trust anyone under 60 with MUCH to do w our rides.....

I've been on this board since it's inception. I am now 57. I think I've built up a lot of trust regarding our cars.
I can also name a few " kids" here that likely know more about them than I do.

" it's not the age it's the mileage"

Indiana Jones

 

[fury fan]

I've done what @Ross Wooldridge discussed (rebuilding springs) 3 times over the years.

I deviated from his suggestion, though:
I had an extra set of used springs, and borrowed a leaf from 1 set and put into the other. (I did not re-arch)
I replaced all the wear pads, center bolt, spring-pack clamps, U-bolts, etc.
I replaced all the bushings with B-body parts From Energy Suspension (or similar vendor).
Make sure to get the 2" front eye bushing, not the 1.5" used on the Hemi cars.
The shackles required knocking the pins out, re-drilling to 9/16", and using 9/16" bolts.
I got the bolts from a trailer-repair shop, and Mcmaster has suitable ones too.
You'll have some of the bushing riding on the threads of the shackle bolts, but I disassembled and inspected 1 set after 20 years of use and no ill effects.
The front bushings still look good from what can be seen.
And the beauty of the poly bushings is they are not press-fit, so can be R&R/re-lubed with minimal fuss vs the OEM.

Now - that's what I've done. It's an all-day job for sure.
Disassembling, knocking rust-layers off, reassembling and greasing, etc - just to get the springs ready to reinstall.
AND - it doesn't last as long as a new spring would.
The 20-year set I spoke of is ready to be replaced again (about 10 years overdue, actually).

The next set I do will be new, likely from St Louis Spring, and hopefully they can make me a set w/o the front eye bushing (I'll be using poly again, might even reuse the current ones!)

I have a 300L that had new springs when I bought it 16 years ago, I haven't driven it more than ~2000 miles since then, and it still sits proud and tall.
But the rubber shackles are squeaky, so they will get the poly shackle upgrade.

BTW - if you get poly bushings, make sure to use silicone grease on them.


Tip - if you have a stout breaker bar, sometimes the U-bolts are easier to tighten/snap than the effort to remove the nuts.
If you have a die grinder, cutting them a little bit makes that easier. Cut maybe 1/4-thru, on the straight section near the shackle plate.
If you cut on the top of the axle, it does not have a beneficial effect (you are then needing to bend the U-bolt, not shear the shank).

 

[Gerald Morris]

I've done what @Ross Wooldridge discussed (rebuilding springs) 3 times over the years.

I deviated from his suggestion, though:
I had an extra set of used springs, and borrowed a leaf from 1 set and put into the other. (I did not re-arch)
I replaced all the wear pads, center bolt, spring-pack clamps, U-bolts, etc.
I replaced all the bushings with B-body parts From Energy Suspension (or similar vendor).
Make sure to get the 2" front eye bushing, not the 1.5" used on the Hemi cars.
The shackles required knocking the pins out, re-drilling to 9/16", and using 9/16" bolts.
I got the bolts from a trailer-repair shop, and Mcmaster has suitable ones too.
You'll have some of the bushing riding on the threads of the shackle bolts, but I disassembled and inspected 1 set after 20 years of use and no ill effects.
The front bushings still look good from what can be seen.
And the beauty of the poly bushings is they are not press-fit, so can be R&R/re-lubed with minimal fuss vs the OEM.

Now - that's what I've done. It's an all-day job for sure.
Disassembling, knocking rust-layers off, reassembling and greasing, etc - just to get the springs ready to reinstall.
AND - it doesn't last as long as a new spring would.
The 20-year set I spoke of is ready to be replaced again (about 10 years overdue, actually).

The next set I do will be new, likely from St Louis Spring, and hopefully they can make me a set w/o the front eye bushing (I'll be using poly again, might even reuse the current ones!)

I have a 300L that had new springs when I bought it 16 years ago, I haven't driven it more than ~2000 miles since then, and it still sits proud and tall.
But the rubber shackles are squeaky, so they will get the poly shackle upgrade.

BTW - if you get poly bushings, make sure to use silicone grease on them.


Tip - if you have a stout breaker bar, sometimes the U-bolts are easier to tighten/snap than the effort to remove the nuts.
If you have a die grinder, cutting them a little bit makes that easier. Cut maybe 1/4-thru, on the straight section near the shackle plate.
If you cut on the top of the axle, it does not have a beneficial effect (you are then needing to bend the U-bolt, not shear the shank).

Commendable zeal in the effort, but unless you re-temper those leaf springs, you still will be using "tired steel." Steel loses elasticity over time as metallic crystal re-aligns into harder, yet more brittle configurations. While such is desirable for certain uses of cast iron as an example, spring steel doesn't improve with age.

 

[Just Carbs]

Commendable zeal in the effort, but unless you re-temper those leaf springs, you still will be using "tired steel." Steel loses elasticity over time as metallic crystal re-aligns into harder, yet more brittle configurations. While such is desirable for certain uses of cast iron as an example, spring steel doesn't improve with age.

Well, ten years doesn't sound bad for the money spent.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Well, ten years doesn't sound bad for the money spent.

I does if the old metal doesn't snap worth a damn. Spend $0 for that.

 

[SPF Required]

I appreciate all the feed back on this thread. It is definitely hyping my confidence to do this myself.

I will likely go with new parts (I know, not needed for everything, but worth it for
Me). I have a friend of a friend that has a sizeable shop and he might let me use it for the weekend. I will be able to get all the way around the car in a space like that. He also has a lot of tools I can use that I don’t have…. Torque wrench, torch, breaker bar, impact wrench, etc.

Fingers crossed!

 

[livininharrow]

do what nitrous tuner suggested. buy yourself some decent shocks and go from there. dont overthink ****. start with the basics and go from there .good luck my friend.

 

[SPF Required]

THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK PERIOD IS TO INSTALL SOME KYB (GRAY) SHOCKS!

@NitrousTuner1 any chance you can share a link to the shocks you’re referring to?

 

[Gerald Morris]

@NitrousTuner1 any chance you can share a link to the shocks you’re referring to?

More Information for KYB KG4507
More Information for KYB KG5512

 

[fury fan]

Commendable zeal in the effort, but unless you re-temper those leaf springs, you still will be using "tired steel." Steel loses elasticity over time as metallic crystal re-aligns into harder, yet more brittle configurations. While such is desirable for certain uses of cast iron as an example, spring steel doesn't improve with age.

Agreed, all the leaves were tired, but it was pretty cost-effective at the time. Not time effective for the long run, though.

I would be surprised if any local spring shop has the equipment to re-temper them. Re-arching them is just mechanically yielding them to back to their original shape.

I think your comment about steel is correct if you stipulate that it must be loaded beyond its yield point.
If steel's loading is below the yield point, it will last forever.