are leaf spring pads necessary?

[1971ford]

are the little pads that go between each leaf necessary?
i have gone everywhere looking for them and no one carries them, so i'd have to order them online. i really want to get the rear together but i'm really in no hurry since the truck is still down to its chassis.
is there anything i can use to substitute for these pads that i might have at my house/local store?

I think they are just for anti-squeak (i dont want sqeaking..) and so they dont rub the paint off of the leafs)

[1971ford]

hmmm how about rubber mat

[papabug71]

I believe they are a anti squeak like you said. I have seen guys use old tire sidewalls in place of them. They will last forever. If you have an old tire laying around you could make some nice cuts & nobody would be the wiser.

How to cut a tire?? Hmmm. Im thinking angle grinder with a cut-off wheel. That would be the fastest way. I wouldnt try it with a pair of scissors tho. Might take a while with the ol' Fiskars...

[1971ford]

thanks im off to go cut up a tire

[1971ford]

well i just grabbed a old little spare tire and cut through the sidewall. even that small tire is way too thick it's more than 1/4 inch thick.

anymore ideas?

[FORDification]

On every leaf-spring pack I've ever disassembled, there's only been one of those anti-squeak pads, and it was between the thick bottom overload spring and the rest of the spring pack. And they're actually pretty thin...maybe about the thickness of the bottom of a Tupperware dish. (Maybe it's time to start rummaging around the [censored] cupboards....if the coast is clear.)

[fireguywtc]

I was wondering what you where talking about in your earlier post. I had just redone my leaf springs on my 67 and there was only a thin plastic piece between the overload spring and the rest of the leafs. The plasic pad reminded me of having the consistancy of milk jug plastic, flimsy and thin.

[1971ford]

sooo... should i throw away my creation
i just got done making 10 pads.
i got a rubber car mat from a local store and cut 10 pads to shape. should i just use two of what i made for above the overload spring? or should i throw the stuff away and grab a old milk carton/tubaware?

there goes $7

[FORDification]

Rubber is not going to work. (IMHO). Rubber on smooth steel? It's gonna squeak something terrible. You probably wear rubber-sole sneakers, right? Try stepping on some smooth painted steel and then just twist your foot back and forth and see what happens. (Or remember back to your PE class days in school, with those rubber-sole sneakers on the smooth gymnasium floor!) Plus the rubber is just going to grip too much, whereas the plastic will act as a sort of 'lubricant' between the two steel surface.

Sorry...but I'd strongly suggest using the plastic sleeves, like the factory did.

[fireguywtc]

I don't know what the best answer is but to me it seems like the rubber mat material would deteriorate quickly under the friction conditions in the springs. Not sure if the milk jug is the best material either, was just trying to give you an idea what it was like but the thin tupperware type stuff seems like a good idea since it is made of a high density plastic.

[heep70]

Thin aluminum sheet will work. Spring shops carry that stuff also.

[fordman]

i've seen large sheets of that stuff. i just don't know what its called. but you can cut it up for a spacer.

[blumule]

find you an empty gallon milk jug , get your razor knife, cut to size what you need. I then took a gasket punch & punched the appropiate size hole. I guess you could drill it also. seems to be holding up very well.

[1971ford]

thanks guys i put all the rear suspension together today
i used tubaware