Hot Rods Removing '37 front spring with reversed eyes.

Hi y'all, I'm still plugging away at my '37 Ford coupe and want to remove the front spring to get it reset higher (I'm going for the gasser look)

Since the eyes are on the 'wrong' side of the main leaf how do I spread it to get it off the shackles?

Ta in advance.

 

Lower the whole spring and axle out of the cross member, clamp the spring in the center with a large c clamp, remove the the spring center bolt and slowly loosen the clamp and take the spring apart.
Then you can easily and safely remove the main leaf from the shackles.
Reassemble by reversing your steps...

 

E Z I’s suggestion is a good one.

As an alternative method, if you have a tool to spread the spring, you might consider securely clamping a short piece of angle iron on each end of the main leaf to provide a place for the spreader bar to bear against.

 

Here’s how I do it.
It won’t work without the center doohickey tool.

 

If the spring is still in the car, I usually leave the spring bolted to the front cross member and unbolt at the shackles.. I'm sure the are other ways of doing it however...

 

All good ideas. I have done quite a few in the car to add/remove leaves. With car on stands under the frame, jack with small head under one end of spring. Jack up til you can remove a shackle on one end, Then remove 4 spring center bolts. Lower and remove. Two large c clamps to disassemble spring with a long rod thru the center to align leaves. Reverse to put it back. Just did a 40 2 weeks ago.

 

That sketch looks to be my best shot, with reversed eyes I've got nothing to put a spreader against and with no load on the spring the shackle are almost pointing towards each other.

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody.

 

Dont overthink it. Unbolt the front from the crossmember and drop it. That spring isnt under that much tension just undo the shackles and knock the spring off with a hammer on one side. Stand off to the side. Seriously it'll jump a few inches thats it. Ive done this many times
Use oldscroungers method to put it back together.

 

Apparently you did not read post #3. Not claiming it is the best of suggestions received, only that it does address your problem.

 

Assuming the shacks and bushings are not bound,,, if they are bound up the following may not apply. If you can move the shackles or move the spring side to side nothing is bound. And if you can move it there’s no tension either.

...Then there’s little if any tension on the spring.
Dead straight with no load would have some varying amount of tension, the minimum amount of tension required to get the shackles dead straight with no load is relatively equal to the weight of the spring, IT COULD BE MUCH MUCH MORE when the shackles are straight.


You’re looking to get a higher gasser stance, the reversed eyes lower the stance, reversing also lengthens the spring reduces tension and the lack of preload tension drops the spring rate and that lowers the stance as well.

 

Well I got the spring off no sweat!
With the 460 in place to provide some weight I jacked up one end of the spring near the eye and while there was little tension on the shackle I took it off - and then the other end of the spring was now without tension so got it off easily.
Going to get the spring reset higher, the eyes put on the correct side and even an extra leaf put in.
Just need to give the spring guy the weight of the 460 vs the 283 weight so he can figure out what to do.