my springs are sagging

I have 2 year old stock hemi rear springs that I got from Eaton. They left the car about 1" short of where I wanted the car to sit, so on their recommendation I took them to a local truck place and had them re-arched.

In the last 2-4 months, they have sagged close to 1.5". I had the front of the car up on jack stands for the past 2 months dealing with the k frame. I didn't expect to have it up that long, maybe I should have raised the rear as well.

Regardless, I'm stuck with some pretty damn expensive springs that are now next to useless. Eaton has more or less said that a) 1 year warranty, b) re-arching voids the warranty.

Sandy suggested simply adding a leaf or two to each side. Does anyone sell individual leaves? And what about used springs? I suppose adding anything will help, but does it make sense to add some used leaves?

Call Laura at ESPO,
http://www.springsnthings.com

LINKY TO ESPO

The stock springs in my 1970 Coronet had sagged.

A pal had given me a near-mint take off set from a 1971 Challenger, so I took both sets apart.

I took the top leaf (under the main leaf) from the Challenger set & added those to the Coronet set, one on each side. They were the same thickness & length.

That got the car back to where it looked 'right' again.

Ever since then, I save old leaf spring sets, just in case.......

I have dealt with this same situation; wanting to maintain a particular rear height. After trying several things that cost a good bit of money and aggravation, what finally worked for me was to buy some Hellwig leaf helper springs.

I mounted them on the rear segments above the springs. You cannot even tell that they are there. And I can set the rear height right where I want it and can easily change it if/when I want or need.

I had a full leaf added at a local spring shop - $100 for the pair. Rule of thumb this raises it an inch and also increases spring rate. In my situation I needed the higher rate so I was happy all around.

A PM...

I added a full used leaf to restore some height. As far as adding a half leaf in front or rear of the pin or a full leaf for a specific app (drags/street) that ain't my area.

I have a set of Eaton springs on my New Yorker. Same experience except I didn't have to wait. Humped over backwards right off the jack, just like the 40 year old originals.

Kevin

the mopar springs I bought from the dealership lasted 4-5 years. I'm thinking of just getting another set and resigning myself to 4-5 years per set...

Adding an extra leaf each side worked for me. The extra is a bit longer than the 2nd leaf.

When you pay what Eaton charges, you shouldn't have to do anything but install them. I could have added a leaf to my old ones for a lot less $$$.

Kevin

I bought the Mopar SS Springs for the 70 Sport Satellite when I redid the car. Within 1 year, they sagged to the point they were arched in opposite direction . . . took the original in to local shop and had them re-arched and extra leaf added - perfect height. That was 4-5 years ago now, have not sagged any . . . local shop should know what they are doing and work with you . . .

Didn't think of that. I'll call the shop that re arched them and see what they say.

if you go that route you can clamp the spring with large C clamps on either side aways away from the center bolt then remove the nut. I like to crack the nut with a nut cracker so as to avoid snapping the bolt if road debris has messed up the threads on the bolt below the nut to where it dont wanna come off easily. this would save you some labor & likely they will just need the main leaf(s) to rearch them but call em & ask.

Interesting. I had a long talk with the guy who arched the springs for me, and trying to be polite, what he said is the steel is crap. If after 2 years they have sagged not only the inch they were arched but beyond that, that is bad steel.

He also said the steel coming from Mexico currently is good stuff. India steel is bad.

I think I can attest somewhat to that, as my mopar springs that I bought years ago lasted a good 5 years or more before they started to sag. These [censored] expensive springs from Eaton didn't last 2.

He said he can put a leaf in each side that will raise it back that inch and a half, the only issue is, are they done sagging? If not, even with a good leaf in there, they will sag more.

I think I'll try and wait a bit, drive it some more, and see what it does. I'm planning on driving it to Spring Fling with some friends, but it will be bad news with 3 of us and gear in there on springs that are now 1 1/2" sagged. So I'll have to do it before April.

i got some Alcan springs made for my powerwagon and they told me or it says on their website that it's normal for springs to sag a little. steel wears out, guys that abuse their springs hard might only get a few years out of them...

i imagine it applies similarly to high HP cars that are driven hard...

If you add a leaf make sure it is the second leaf, and make sure it goes all the way to or a little past the front eye bolt, and close to the rear one. The only way to stop this is to add more metal, or a thicker main. This has worked for me, rearching or adding a short leaf never has. Ride quality will suffer.

I once played with springs in a 73 Duster...
This is what happens when the second leaf is too short!

Mick, that spring shop fed you a line.

They effed them springs up for you when they re-arched them.

"Spring steel" is beyond my understanding of Metalurgy, but it's a special metal treatment and tampering with it either by cold bending or hot bending ruins them.

Cheapest solution is to get a couple of off-shelf leafs with more arch than what you have now and add them to your spring pack. Hope for the best that your car will sit level on both sides and you get the height you want.

Aw, you're fine! You got 2 more holes left in those shackles to use!

Replaced the springs on my car with a set of five leaf spring (stock are four) from JohnR Spring here in Michigan about seven years ago now. Back end hasn't sagged at all since installing them. Think I paid $250 for them and that included new rubber bushings.

Now right there is a helluva good tip.^^

Mick, what area are you in in CA? I can probably find a good truck spring shop out your way that can build a GOOD set for you! I've got 3 reps out there that have been in the truck parts industry for many years - they know all the good shops.

Put ESPO in my Daytona 15 years ago and still doing great.

I've put ESPO in everything ever since the first set of EATON ones sagged early on.

I'm in the SF Bay Area. Bett's is the trucking spring company I've been talking to.

I've used ESPO several times over the years and no complaints from me.

I e-mailed my rep - stay tuned.............

I have ESPO's on my Duster...no problems with them yet...

Previous owner did the springs of my car. I've owned it 15 years, no sag yet. However the back end is quite high so it could sag a little and I would never know!

I would agree with 4406bbl's comment on add-a-leaf length. I did them on my jeep and it gave the lift I wanted but a short helper leaf will induce an s-bend in the main leaf if it's already weak.



IMO there's some truth to it. Leaf springs are made out of a variety of different grades of steel, each with its own heat treating and tempering requirements. A spring shop has no way of knowing what they're working with in terms of both the grade of steel and how close the chemical composition comes to actually meeting the specification for the grade of steel it is supposed to be according to the manufacturer.

If I recall correctly - valve springs, coil springs, leaf springs - are all qualified by spring rate.

There may be durability differences between the various metals used.

I recall also that back in the day when Super Stock springs were the go to spring - they were "bulldozed" when new. That means they were over compressed after they were built. This resulted in them taking the proper set (chamber). Sort of reverse "re-arcing".

I'm guessing since these are "Hecho en Mexico" - that's not being done now. So they take a set on your car.

I think the good ones used to be made in Canada.

Back to Kuality Kontrol at Ma Mopar' Performance Parts Group being out to lunch.

EDIT :

I typed in bulldozing springs in Google and it took me to Suspension Specialists - Tech Talk.

So I guess my memory isn't too bad after all.

Bingo...

but the OP bought some nice, high quality Eaton springs and they are the ones sagging.

When adding an extra leaf, do you need to get a longer center bolt for the spring pack? Where do you find something like this?

Yes you will need a longer bolt. Last ones I did the bolt came with the helper springs. Search summit for leaf spring tie bolt.

What does that have to do with the MP reference in the post???


What type of steel Eaton spring uses is YTBD...



I believe 'mickm' is being steered in the right direction...

I have a set of ESPO and they've kept me happy with their springs. I will use a set on my 69 Bee also!