Leaf spring re-arching & options

[Dusty T.]

Got a '91 Ranger 2-wheel drive, with stock suspension.
Ever since I bought the truck, the rear end has always sat level and sags a bit when i put more than 300 or so lbs in the bed. The truck came with a fiberglass shell, which I leave on year-round so that adds some weight.
I just added a class III hitch, and want to be able to tow around 2500 lbs, with gear in the bed of the truck as well. I do currently have helper springs, but they don't do much and I want to get rid of them.
I've been looking at two condsiderable options:

1. Have the leaf springs re-arched by someone here in town. Apparently only one shop (it's basically a blacksmith shop) around here does this. For $450 (ouch!) he takes out the springs, heats them up, bends them, and may add a leaf. this would give me the desired 1-1.5" of lift in the rear so when I do carry considerable weight, the truck sits about level the way it does now.

2. Order new leaf springs alltogether. I could get these from Ford for $130 each, or from JC Whitney for around $80 each. http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...005966/N-111+1991+200728676+600003427/c-10101
I have no idea if these springs will make any difference, give me waaaay too much lift, or just sag like the old ones, but wow that's a good price! Anyone here have experience with these JC Whitney springs?

Lastly, spring and shackle bushings.... The spring shop guy said he rarely needs to replace them, but will if needed. The JC Whitney springs come with new bushings as they are. Should I just spring (no pun intended) and get new bushines either way? I'm okay with polyurethane since I rebuilt my whole front end with them and have had no problems, but rubber is okay, too.

Suggestions are much appreciated!

 

[Rick]

I bet the $80 springs from JC Whitney would work out just fine.

$450 for a re-arch sounds like way to much.

 

[cgriffin_5139]

Wow $450 and heating them up arent springs cold rolled, the $80 springs from JC Whitney sould work just fine.

 

[chbtech]

I had my Ranger springs re-arched at the local truck spring shop for $150 total, both sides. Like the previous contributor, I don't think springs should be heated for re-arching. The spring shop had a hydraulic machine the bends the leaf cold. He just kept bending it repeatedly until he achieved the degree of arch he was looking for. He didn't touch the bushings or shackles because he left the main leaf (longest one with eyes at ends) in place and just worked on the secondary leafs. The truck had a perfect rake when he was done...I guess experience plays a big part...a bit of an art.

 

[NHale623]

Never heat a spring and bend it. They should always be re-arched cold. The suggestion to take it to a truck shop is a very good one.

 

[RMcGowan]

I know this is an old post but I am going to post the correct information in case others stumble across as I did.

Re-arching Leaf Springs

Re-arching is a term which applies to steel leaf springs only. Once fiberglass or composite springs loses their ability to support weight, nothing can be done to salvage them.

Also nothing can be done to salvage tired coil springs.

The re-arching process results in the spring being brought back to it's original free arch. There are 2 ways of re-arching a spring. But only one correct way.

The most popular method is to use either a hammer or a press to change the arch. This is known as "cold setting". This is the method used by most shops.

Using the "cold setting" method will result in a short term fix. Spring steel has a memory and unless this memory is erased the spring will return to the height it was prior to it being raised and will happen even without weight on the spring.

COLD setting is not an acceptable way to re-arch a spring.

The only acceptable method of re-arching starts by erasing the spring's memory. This is done by annealing, then reshaping and finally re-heat treating each leaf in the spring.

In order to anneal a spring it must first be taken apart. Then each leaf is visually inspected for signs of fatigue.(see below)

Then each leaf is blasted to remove all paint, rust or whatever and re-inspected.

If the leaves are OK then each leaf is heated to at least 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once heated the leaf is placed on a pattern which has the correct shape and arch.

Once re-shaped the leaf is quenched in special oil to quickly cool it. The heating and quick cooling process results in a leaf which is too hard or brittle to be a spring.


So the leaf is then re-heated to at least 950 degrees for a set amount of time drawing out some of the hardness.

Once cooled the leaves are then shot peened to relieve stress.

The final product is a properly tempered re-arched, re-heat treated spring.

There are some considerations to be made prior to having springs re-arched.

First is cost. Re-arching is at a premium above the price of new springs. Minimum charge for re-arching is $225.00 per spring assembly. Add to this the price of new bushings, liners, clips, labor to re-assemble them and shipping costs. No, the old parts cannot be reused.


However, if you have a straight axle Corvette or any other car with original style grooved steel, the cost is well worth it to maintain originality because this type steel is no longer made.

Second consideration is the condition of the springs.

Are any leaves broken?
Are the leaves separating towards the ends?
Are there pit marks on the flat sides of the leaves? The pit marks can look like small rust spots.
Are there lines like those on the palm of your hand running across the flat sides of the leafs?

If your springs show any of these conditions, they would not be candidates for re-arching.

 

[McCormack]

If it were me I would just add an extra leaf, or else slap in a pair of air shocks.

 

[arco777]

RMcGowan, thank you for posting that awesome information! I learned a lot from it. Also, welcome to the forum!

 

[RMcGowan]

Thanks arco. I don't like to comment on other's post but I also do not like to see people get misinformed on things either. I know it was lengthly on the post but I would rather someone have the complete knowledge on the do's and dont's to save money and time on their projects.