Leaf spring re-arching in NC?

[brownac1983]

Does anybody know of a shop in the Charlotte, NC area that can properly re-arch and heat teat leaf springs? The front springs on my '67 F-250 are about worn out, as the left side's sagging a little (gangster lean). Has anybody had any success having these re-arched? About what would it cost to have it done? Does anybody know if new production springs are available, or if any later model springs will fit? Here are the specs: 1967 F-260, 6800GVW, 4x4, Dana 44 front axle, 352 V8. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Alvin in AZ]

First, don't let anyone re-heat them! :/

You can cold hammer re-arch them yourself if you want to.
BTDT and it works good! :)

If you aren't game for that because it's too much work or you don't know
how to use a sledge hammer ;) just call around to spring shops and ask.
If they don't, ask if they could recommend someone. :)

Don't listen to nay sayers, cold re-arching leaf springs works great. :)
If this dumb railroad-signalape can do it, anyone can. :)

Alvin in AZ is a pimple on a -real- metallurgist's ass! :)
ps- That's one step up from "wouldn't make a pimple on..."
pps- 'cause I've bin ed-gee-kated see? :)

[Alvin in AZ]

I hit the "quote button" instead of the "edit button". LOL :)

[brownac1983]

Thanks for the reply and the info. How do you cold arch them with a sledge? do you have to have a mounted anvil or some type of form to back them up? I'd definitely give that a shot.

[Alvin in AZ]

Yeah you need an anvil, I used a 3 foot hunk of 136 pound per
yard railroad rail. By the time I was done I'd hammered it into
the ground -sideways- three or four times. LOL :)

I've posted about re-arching your own springs many times
and never heard of anyone actually trying it. You gonna be
the first? :)

The 5/16" leaves respond to my 10 pound sledge real nice. :)
The 5/8" thick overload leaves didn't. LOL :)

Ended up with a 16 pound head, put a handle in it and it'd
"move" the 5/8" overload no sweat.

I painted the edges of one spring pack so I didn't have to keep
track of which leaf went with which pack.

Decide how much height you want to add before taking them
off. What ever amount of bend they got when you get them
all loose and separated out is the starting point. Just add how
much you want to that bend.

Use one side's leaf as a reference for bending the other.
Then just match the second one with the newly bent one.

The guys I watched doing this did -lots- of comparing of the
leaves so they'd lay nice and even with the others in their pack.
That's very important so the whole pack will work together.

Made my own "hick torsion bars" by just matching the curve
of the overload leaves with the rest of the packs and then
clamping their "noses" to the whole pack...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/zerks.jpg

The clamps were made from heavy wall 3" square tubbing. :)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/clamp.jpg
...and a piece of high pressure 3/8" fuel hose and a 3/8" bolt.

Here's how they looked after the "new wore off". LOL :)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/zerks1.jpg

I drilled holes to match the diameter of some steel rod I had
then chamfered the holes out kinda deep then hammered pin
material down tight.

This is a hickory knife handle I scanned off years ago...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/ballpeen.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/nails.jpg

They are just large finishing nails that's been annealed to
soften 'em up, they are .122" wire and fits perfect into a
hole drilled by a good 1/8" drill bit see?

What's funny is how many ball peen hammers there are out
there that's never peened anything! LOL :)

I have a peened pin I had to remove and will try scanning a
picture of it soon.

Old hot rodders were known to re-arch springs that had the
eyes on the ends and would hammer them from a "frown"
into a "smile". At least you don't have to do that! LOL :)

Alvin in AZ

[1971ford]

Or you can get a press/jack and make a little jig and do it with no arm strength needed
Keep moving the leaf along so you bend it in many places. Draw a line on th ground of the arched spring and match the others. I haven't done it, but i plan on it..

[Alvin in AZ]

Or you can get a press/jack and make a little jig and do it with no arm strength needed :D
Keep moving the leaf along so you bend it in many places.
Draw a line on th ground of the arched spring and match the others.
I haven't done it, but i plan on it..

I'm glad to hear you are doing your own thinking! :)
No kidding on that, BTW. :)

Just need to say tho, I would never use your idea on my own springs. ;)
I don't believe the results would be as good as hammering, IMO. YMMV

Some outfits have rollers they run the springs through (multiple passes?) that re-arches the springs. :)
Cool idea huh? Kinda like your idea, in a way. :)

You know? I'm not so sure that wasn't the same process used by the factory.
Made 'em and heat treated 'em -straight- -then- curved 'em. What do you think? :)
Anybody know?

>The guys I watched doing this did -lots- of comparing of the
>leaves so they'd lay nice and even with the others in their pack.
>That's very important so the whole pack will work together.

I fiNgured that needed repeating here. ;)

LOTS of checking, danggit! :)

They didn't hit it very many times before laying it down with the rest of the pack and looking at it close.
Lots of time "wasted" doing that from one POV and so figured it was important.
No more hits than needed and no "undoing" hits made too. But it was more than that.
It wasn't about saving effort! It was about doing a good job. If you watch 'em you'll see it too I bet...

It was a lot of work flipping that leaf up on the table and shoving all the leaves together and then pulling
that leaf back off the table and putting it back where it was ready to hammer on it again, in the same
spot or another spot very close to the last. Lots of time and effort spent doing that, I tell you, for a darn
good reason too, whatever the heck that reason is. LOL ;)

Read a metallurgy book about springs and their medium-carbon low-alloy steel.
The main reason they have alloying is for the same reason ball bearings have chromium in them.
So the heat treating can "reach all the way to the core" with the same hardness throughout, best they can.
If the surface is harder than the core the whole spring won't work together and will break sooner.

Somehow tying those two ideas together doesn't make much sense maybe?
But somehow they seem related to me anyway. ;)

I say, making the curves and spring pack "look pretty" is important.

Alvin in AZ

[cdeal28078]

There is or was a company on Sunset Rd at Hwy 21 called Springs Industry. I had my power-steering gear box rebuilt there and boughtsome NEW front coil springs for my F100 there. Haven't dealt with them in several years so like other places they might have shut down, Any Truck shop would have the ability or know someone that does I would think. A bunch of those shops are up and down I85 service roads around Graham Street and Suger Creek roads.
Clint