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De-arching leaf springs #1564419 01/17/14 12:50 AM 01/17/14 12:50 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD T tywebb2 OP super gas
tywebb2 OP super gas T Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD	I have a set of leaf springs for my Cuda that always made the car sit too high in the rear. They are Espo +1" BB springs with 6 leaves. Can I stick these in a hydraulic press to take a little arch out of them? Anyone ever do this that could give me some pointers? '72 440 Cuda 11.673 @ 115.91 w/1.663 60'

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564420 01/17/14 12:55 AM 01/17/14 12:55 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 104,346 Garden Grove, CA OzHemi Penguin-hating Ginger
OzHemi Penguin-hating Ginger Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 104,346 Garden Grove, CA	Bending them in a press is only going to weaken the spring by over loading it basically. A spring shop would be the proper way to do it I would say.... you need to relieve the temper, lower them, and retemper them IMO to have the correct tension again.

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564421 01/17/14 01:06 AM 01/17/14 01:06 AM
Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA E ek3 top fuel
ek3 top fuel E Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA	yes you can . been doing it for 30 + years on race cars . if you only want a ride height adjustment , you can cold bend [in a press] the springs main leaf near the eyes. this way you don't change the whole springs arch but you move the mounting points some... lay them out and pull a straight edge across the eyes and record the actual arch measurement. then make small adjustments at each end until you get about an inch less measurement in the free arch. the best thing about doing it this way is , you don't have to break the springs down to do it

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: ek3] #1564422 01/17/14 01:54 AM 01/17/14 01:54 AM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 12,291 Kent, Wa 340SHORTY Truck Nut
340SHORTY Truck Nut Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 12,291 Kent, Wa	take the secondary spring out. I am truckless..

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564423 01/17/14 11:41 AM 01/17/14 11:41 AM
Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,274 Ontario.Canada C can.al pro stock
can.al pro stock C Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,274 Ontario.Canada	ek3 is 100% correct!

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: can.al] #1564424 01/17/14 11:12 PM 01/17/14 11:12 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD T tywebb2 OP super gas
tywebb2 OP super gas T Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD	I called Espo since the springs I want to de arch are from them. They said I could just put them in a 10 ton press and press down on them a couple inches from the center bolt...with the leaf spring assembled. I was surprised it could be this easy. Guess it can't hurt to try? '72 440 Cuda 11.673 @ 115.91 w/1.663 60'

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564425 01/18/14 06:12 PM 01/18/14 06:12 PM
Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA E ek3 top fuel
ek3 top fuel E Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA	if you try to change the entire spring , you will have a harder time getting them the same. do the main leafs like I said and you can get the ride height change with ease. it is the more "simple way" to do it.

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: ek3] #1564426 01/19/14 01:46 PM 01/19/14 01:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 8,264 fredericksburg,va C cudaman1969 master
cudaman1969 master C Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 8,264 fredericksburg,va	My dad worked in a spring shop in the forty's, they would re-arch bus and truck springs by laying the spring over an anvil type deal with about a 4-5 inch gap then hit with a large hammer.I used a heavy piece of channel steel. The hard blow is what gives it the set it needs to stay in the arch you want. I've done this to get more arch on sagging springs with great success. You could bend it into a circle if wanted. You have to be in center or it will bias to one side. Only bend the rear part behind the spring bolt and think of it as a package, don't just do the main but do the second one and maybe the third.

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: cudaman1969] #1564427 01/19/14 05:10 PM 01/19/14 05:10 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD T tywebb2 OP super gas
tywebb2 OP super gas T Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD	Well I tried the press with the spring assembled like ESPO said and that didn't seem to do anything. I think I am just going to try to find a spring shop in the South central PA/Baltimore, MD area. My brother in law said their used to be shop in Baltimore that you could take springs to and tell them how you needed the ride height adjusted and they would re-arch or de-arch the springs. I installed the ESPO springs earlier today with the expectation that the car would sit level in the back. What I ended up with was the driver side was sitting 1" higher than the passenger with the front level. Is this normal? Based on my measurements I need to drop the driver side 2.25" and the passenger side 1.25". '72 440 Cuda 11.673 @ 115.91 w/1.663 60'

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564428 01/19/14 05:23 PM 01/19/14 05:23 PM
Joined: May 2005 Posts: 4,727 Florida BDW master
BDW master Joined: May 2005 Posts: 4,727 Florida	Might be easier / cheaper to get some lowering blocks. You'd also be able to dial in the exact stance you want.

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564429 01/19/14 05:40 PM 01/19/14 05:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,650 Harm City Md. Dan Halen top fuel
Dan Halen top fuel Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,650 Harm City Md.	Quote: Well I tried the press with the spring assembled like ESPO said and that didn't seem to do anything. I think I am just going to try to find a spring shop in the South central PA/Baltimore, MD area. My brother in law said their used to be shop in Baltimore that you could take springs to and tell them how you needed the ride height adjusted and they would re-arch or de-arch the springs. I installed the ESPO springs earlier today with the expectation that the car would sit level in the back. What I ended up with was the driver side was sitting 1" higher than the passenger with the front level. Is this normal? Based on my measurements I need to drop the driver side 2.25" and the passenger side 1.25". He's probable thinking of Fallsway Spring in Balto., I've heard good stuff about them.

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: Dan Halen] #1564430 01/19/14 05:48 PM 01/19/14 05:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD T tywebb2 OP super gas
tywebb2 OP super gas T Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,221 Jarrettsville, MD	I would prefer to have the springs dialed in rather than us lowering blocks. He wasn't sure of the name of the place. I was thinking it was Peter's Spring and Alignment in Baltimore because that is the only place I could find. I will have to check out Fallsway as well. I also saw Bud's Spring Service in Lancaster, PA. '72 440 Cuda 11.673 @ 115.91 w/1.663 60'

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: tywebb2] #1564431 01/19/14 06:38 PM 01/19/14 06:38 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	A few of my buddies used lowering blocks and have made out fine. Ron

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: 383man] #1564432 01/19/14 10:08 PM 01/19/14 10:08 PM
Joined: Apr 2003 Posts: 705 Morningside, Long Island scatcity super stock
scatcity super stock Joined: Apr 2003 Posts: 705 Morningside, Long Island	If all above great advice fails, put them in a 70-74 Challenger for about six months, they should be ass dragers in no time...

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: scatcity] #1564433 01/19/14 10:12 PM 01/19/14 10:12 PM
Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA E ek3 top fuel
ek3 top fuel E Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,899 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA

Re: De-arching leaf springs [Re: ek3] #1564434 01/20/14 11:09 PM 01/20/14 11:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,791 Hamilton, Ontario Canada Magnum master
Magnum master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,791 Hamilton, Ontario Canada	One advantage to lowering blocks AND dearching is you keep the same spring rate. Removing springs makes the spring very weak and will axle wrap during braking and launching. Dearching gets my vote and best method. 69 Super Bee, 93 Mustang LX, 04 Allure Super

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