Leaf Springs and HP.... What rate?

J

Jimmys66

Founding Member
Nov 28, 2001
419
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0
Paw Paw MI
#1
As soon as the front susp. was done last year, both leaf springs went flat. Right in the middle of the Woodward Dream Cruise no less. I found a pair of stockers in town and changed them in the hotel parking lot.:rolleyes:

Now, after some research and a small budget, I'm staying with leaf springs. I looked into Flex a forms and after talking to someone there, I'm told they still need a traction device. Preferably Cal-tracs. $400 for the springs and $350 for the Cal-tracs. Ouch! I'd like to lose the weight of the metal leafs(leaves?) but, I can't find a whole lot of testiment for the FAF's.

I'd like to skip a traction device altogether, so this leads me to Maier Racing springs. I've always dealt with number of springs not spring rate. What rate should be right? I'm looking at the 165's.

Any other recomendations on springs other than the Maiers?

The car is a 66 coupe, 302 with alum. heads,alum intake, relocated battery and as much lightening as I could do to the front end.

Motor is roughly in the 400HP range with the next motor making 450+.
Toploader, 9", 3.70's, detroit true trac.
580-680 progressive spring, roller perchs, Opentracker UCA, 1.75" drop, GW LCA, S&T strut rods, IAS shocks 17" rims and tires.

Sorry so long......:D
 
#3
i just bought a set of eaton 153# from npd...199.00 plus 30.00 shipping... they are 4 leaf, so you will probibly need traction bars. the price is more inline imho than 400.00 per set. 153# is just about right for my coupe, and i have a sub box, with 2 10", 2 good size amps, and my battery in the trunk. i figure an extra 200#. and the ride isnt all that harsh, just about right for the 620's i have in front.
 
#4
Actually I've done it twice. The first set was a 4.5 leaf from Canadian Mustang several years ago. I thought they were flattened from the cheap clamp on traction bars I had at the time.

I replaced them with a 5 leaf mid eye set from American Mustang (I'm assuming it's the same company) and a pair of comp. eng. traction bars. I even relocated the snubber exactly under the spring loop. This set worked fine for 2 years until I took the traction bars off and dumped the drag racing front susp. last year.

Both sets springs lasted almost 2 years exactly. Both sets also had both springs go flat with in a day of each other. Driver side on day one and pass side on day two. Both sets the same way. Simpley wierd.

The first set went flat literally after going over a rough set of RR tracks and the second set dropped after hitting my first BIG Detroit pot hole.:D

Both sets were JRS springs I believe same as the stockers I have now.

The car only sees a little over 1500 miles a year if I'm lucky. More, now that the drag susp is gone.
 
#5
chromedog said:
i just bought a set of eaton 153# from npd...199.00 plus 30.00 shipping... they are 4 leaf, so you will probibly need traction bars. the price is more inline imho than 400.00 per set. 153# is just about right for my coupe, and i have a sub box, with 2 10", 2 good size amps, and my battery in the trunk. i figure an extra 200#. and the ride isnt all that harsh, just about right for the 620's i have in front.
Click to expand...


The Maiers springs are roughy $250-$260 and claim to not need a traction bar from the design of the spring. Kinda' like the old mopar super stocker springs or a modded set like Opentracker does. They also claim to use thicker pieces of steel for the spring.

I'm looking for some track duty, so a little stiff is ok for me so long as they aren't bone jarring. 165# might be just right.
 
#6
I've never seen springs "go flat" before.

I've seen leafs break... which will drop the car... but "go flat" is something new to me. Are you sure something else isn't going on? My stock springs still had arch to them 30 years later...
 
#7
I'ts new to me and my car buddies also. Esp. to have it happen twice. We can't find anything wrong. We blame cheap springs and the 4 speed.

It's the weirdest thing the drivers side goes first and it will drop the car 1.5" and will make the car lean to the driver side. Next day the pass side goes and the car completely sags in the back. After that there is no spring rate left in the spring.:shrug:
 
#8
I talked to someone at Maier today and he thinks the 165 race springs are the ticket for my car.

He really pushed the Bilsteins shocks to go with the springs. He sayes "They are hands down the best shock on the market short of a custom valved Penske". So who knows? I'm sure they are probably better that my IAS' but, how much better?
 
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