Hey all, gotta redo leaf springs and shackles bushings. Front drivers side pack of 8 springs flattened right out. Rears 1 side looks good, but other side has combo of stock and later looking springs. Thinking, of going to 80s 90s chevrolet truck leaf springs from the rears for both my front and rears. I'm still surprised how well my truck rides and tracks down the road with these springs... Any of you, go with non stock leaf springs on your old trucks?
Most of the early truck springs before 1960 at least were pretty narrow compared to the later springs. The springs on my 48 are 1-3/4 wife and I don't think the Dodge's springs are any wider. I'd have to go out and measure but am pretty sure that the mid 70's truck leaf springs I have are 3 inchs wide.
Yes Dodges same 1.75 wide .25 thick. If I retrofit moderns, will have to mount in New shackles to accommodate. I'm hoping to find stock type donor springs if I can..
No spring shops around you ? I know they are about extinct. I have had 2 we dealt with over the last 40 yrs and they hard to beat.
Newer truck springs might work on the rear, but not likely on the front as they are most likely too wide and too long. No reason you can't use the stock springs, just tune them up! Pull them apart and clean em. Re arch or de arch as needed. Or find a spring shop to do it. My F-1 has the stock springs that I de arched and removed some leafs for lowering. Rides as good as you could expect from an old pickup...
Take it to a local spring shop and have them rearched. They put in an extra leaf and replace the sliders and bushings at the same time. Costs about $200 - $300 and you are set for the next 50 years.
Have you checked with Posies? I bought a set of new rear springs for a 50 Chevy and seem to be nice springs.
McVeighs truck springs on the bay. https://www.ebay.com/str/mcveighstrucksprings I used them for new springs front and rear, very happy with the results. Not sure about shipping north of the border.
Amen! Local whenever possible; but locale isn't anything when the original proprietor sold out to some 'new guy' that's gonna make his fortune. Nice when they know about case hardening, eye rolling (not the WOKE kind) and re-and-de-arching, let alone measuring! Other than that, anybody can do it...
My ‘57 Fargo has the stock front springs with the two maybe three bottom leaves removed, the rear leaves are from an F body (Aspen). Won’t carry much weight but should ride decent
Hey 57, how did you hang the rear springs ? You enjoying the heat? Gonna be 100 here Saturday. Gotta get drivers side front spring pack. They are flattened and bending down a bit on front side of it.
They are the F body hangers and shackles on custom brackets bolted to the frame, it was probably 25 years ago now, if I remember tomorrow I can take a few pictures. It was a hair over 100 here today. I think I sweat a kidney out block sanding the rear fender This afternoon!
I used S-10 rear leaves on the rear of a '49 Chevy pickup I used to have. I had to make new front hangers and shackle brackets because they were wider, but that let me make it work with the factory spring saddles on the Ford rear I used and also center the wheels in the fenders. Gary
I contacted Posies last week about rear springs for the 49 Stude pickup I'm building. They replied that it would take 14 to 16 weeks to build em. I'm pretty sure Dodge springs would be on the same waiting list. I have decided to go with a Chassis Engineering rear spring kit.
esco spring there website springs and things check them out the performance muscle car guy's rave about there spring's and service