homegrown 5 leaf update

[chromedog]

i posted on here a month or so ago about taking an extra main leaf from an old set of rear leaf springs, cutting it to the proper length, and using it as a 5th leaf, so to speak...so far as i can tell, the results are better than i expected! i cut the extra leaf half way between the eye, and where the next leaf ends, ground a taper on each end of it, and bolted the whole stack together, using pieces of a bondo squeegee as friction material. i would say ive increased the spring rate by about 50%. which brings me to my question... does anyone know the spring rate of your average 66 v8 leaf spring?

 

[enferno]

sounds a little risky to me . .


it's what . . less than $200 for new springs?

why not just buy some new ones and not have to worry about it falling apart




bondo squegee for friction material . .

 

[zookeeper]

Yes, by all means spend money rather than being creative in solving problems or modifiying your car. Be a complete sheep, follow the herd, monkey see, monkey do. Your solution is not only very safe, but I think using a squeegee for a friction block is pretty crafty. Street Rod suppliers sell a teflon/plastic strip that does about the same thing, and some spring manufacturers use teflon buttons, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with your method. As far as the spring rates for stockers, I think they're something on the order of 160lbs, give or take a bit. If you really want to get into calculating spring rates for either coil or leaf springs, get a copy of Herb Adams' book. It's a few years old, but I think it's still in print and is full of neat ideas. BTW, don't tell anyone on this board, but he actually recommends cutting springs with a torch! But what does Herb Adams know? After all he was only GM's leading engineer for many years before starting his own suspension company.

 

[enferno]

Yes, by all means spend money rather than being creative in solving problems or modifiying your car. Be a complete sheep, follow the herd, monkey see, monkey do. Your solution is not only very safe, but I think using a squeegee for a friction block is pretty crafty. Street Rod suppliers sell a teflon/plastic strip that does about the same thing, and some spring manufacturers use teflon buttons, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with your method. As far as the spring rates for stockers, I think they're something on the order of 160lbs, give or take a bit. If you really want to get into calculating spring rates for either coil or leaf springs, get a copy of Herb Adams' book. It's a few years old, but I think it's still in print and is full of neat ideas. BTW, don't tell anyone on this board, but he actually recommends cutting springs with a torch! But what does Herb Adams know? After all he was only GM's leading engineer for many years before starting his own suspension company.

i wasn't saying that it wasn't crafy . . i was purely implicating that fabricatiing soemthing as important as the suspension might be a bit risky

 

[chromedog]

5/16 grade 8 bolt through the leaves, 7/16 u bolts, how does one figure a leaf spring stack falls apart? im not to tell you the part about hose clamps to fine tune the spring rate (old drag racers trick)

 

[Spoofty]

4X4 people buy add a leaf kits and make home make spring packs all the time. I say more power to ya. I'm always looking for junk yard upgrades. I will be looking into this more.

 

[6T6coupe]

On one of my old hot rods I used polyethelene seat webbing as anti-friction material between the leaves. It worked really great to smooth out the ride while not affecting spring rate.

Besides the obvious cracks and wear, the only other thing you should make sure you check are the spring clamps. The springs will want to rotate over time and the clamps will prevent them from doing that.

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Good process and totally safe, been there done that

Very good process you described. I have been there done that many times in the 4x4 world but not in the mustang world. In the 4x4 world using a main leaf cut down would give me height 1-2 inches and load carring capacity without sacraficing ride to much. I think applying this to mustang is simply genuis, save money where you can. I would replace u bolts and center bolts if rust showed any major effect, but that goes without saying. How is the ride? How is the ride height? Pictures man pictures. Love the idea and my 65 fb could use a little help. Two full size folks and and ice chest will cause slight rubbing on bridge transitions which are always dippy here in the mid west. Good tech more follow up please.

 

[66Runt]

I thought the stock leaf spring rates were really low

I may be wrong as I'm going from old memory, but (IIRC) the stock spring rate was 85-90lbs each spring, and the cars with factory suspension packages were like in the 110lbs-115lbs range. Except big block cars which were somewhat stiffer both stock and especially with the handling package.
There was a great thread on re-engineering spring stacks. Opentracker had written this up a while back, and it still surfaces now and again.

Scott

 

[chromedog]

ok, i took a couple pics this afternoon, ill upload them in a bit... the spring clamps were a concern of mine also, ive been eyeballing some punchlock clamps at work that should fill the bill quite nicely. they are super duty industrial hose clamps, roughly 5/8" wide made from 20 gauge stainless...they take a special tool to lock them in place, and once they are on, you have to cut them off. btw, now that i set my modified stack next to an old set of springs, it looks like i picked up about an inch of arch.maybe a set of lowering blocks to get down even with the grab a tracs up front! have to reinstall them, and let them settle a bit...