I need leaf spring advice!

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OK all you early ford spring gurus!
You see this!?! I was told by the P/O of my 47 that this was a common way of lowering a fat Ford back in the day!
Since I saw this I've been a little puckered up every time I drive "Henry".
Now the P/O just gave a single main leaf that he had professionally "re-arched" in the accepted manner.
Here's my question. I don't have a spring stretcher. Why couldn't I take the re-arched main spring, by itself, and mount it onto the shackles with them assembled on the axle, as though it was a mono-leaf. Then assemble the stack of leaves on the already mounted main spring, compress the assembly with a C-clamp enough to install the center bolt and put the axle back in place?
Obviously, I don't know what I don't know here, but my logic says that should work. What do you think? Thanks, Mike

 

sounds like your plan is the better way id be kinda worried having my spring bent that much and i would be worried about embrittlement of the metal

 

I do it that way all the time, Mike. In fact, many early ford suppliers provide leaf spring center bolts that are extra long, so you can drop it through all the leaves, tighten it up and then cut off the excess. No c clamp needed.

Or you can use a long piece of all-thread, once the leaves are all together, clamp them up, swap the allthread for you stock center bolt, and remove the clamp. Done...

 

Aha!! I am capable of independent thought!
I'll loose some of the lowering that bending up the spring gave the car in the first place, but not much, and I don't have to worry about breaking a spring going down the road.
I have 205's on the front, and 235's on the back. I can make my rake up with a "rubber rake". Thanks guys!

 

I'm not a "early Ford spring guru" but I do remember that a common way to lower these was to install longer shackles. You could just about get them anywhere, a friend of mine ordered a set from Sears and Roebuck.

 

If you don't use Teflon put some grease between the leaves

 

Years ago i bought a deuce 5 window with a spring heated and bent like that. I replaced it with a Posies spring, all fixed.

 

That is in fact an old style igmo method of dropping Fords. On the 35-48 (your example is 42-48) longer shackle bars are better BUT on 35-41 you should add a Panhard rod to eliminate side sway just as Ford did on 42-48s.

 

Panhard bar mount is in the upper left of the pic.

 

true center bolts are extra long ---that c clamp can get you hurt---what you have is ok but if it keeps you from enjoying your car replace it...

 

Black 62,
So then you are saying the spring hasn't been compromised by heating and bending?
If I was reasonably confident the thing wasn't going to break going over some railroad tracks one day, I wouldn't worry about it . Actually, I kind of like the stance.



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I'm not an expert, but I say that spring has been compromised.