1974 W200 Power Wagon. The Front Leaf Springs in particular are sagging and seem S-Shaped and bent a bit. They look "Original". The Right Front is particularly bad and the vehicle does not sit level in Front. Rear springs look Ok to pretty good by comparison.

I have 33-inch tires. Might want a minor lift from the springs too.

What are some relatively low-budget ways to correct? That said, Sometimes it is better to spend a little more for quality and effect, so that's worth considering too, yet a cheaper solution or source would really help.

Any good recommendations?

Nearly all of the front leaf springs I've seen are 3 leaf packs. Some have a 3/8" thick lift spring added, about as big as the original studs on the one side will accommodate. Fresh leafs and the helper really boost up the capacity of that front end. The very few I've seen with more then the 3 + the helper, replaced the studs with bolts, which is somewhat less desirable. Longer studs used to be a pita to locate. Gene

Thanks Gene.

The Factory springs currently on the truck are 5-leaf. There was an extra heavy duty option that was for 6-leaf springs.

In any event, I have seen 3-leaf aftermarket springs, as well as 5 or more leaves. Have seen Skyjacker and Tuff Country, JC Whitney, SpringsandThings, etc.

In decades past, people used to have leaf springs re-arched, but ideally when you re-arch a spring, it needs to be re-heat-treated too.

I have heard that since aftermarket springs are now relatively cheap and readily available, there is no excuse to not buying New replacement springs instead of re-arching.

Re-arched springs tend to flatten out pretty quickly. Buy new springs.

My old 77 W200 Power wagon had the 3 spring pack with the thick full length helper spring and lifting the 7 1/2' Meyers plow wouldn't even faze it. Gene

Sort of what I figured. Thanks Gene

Another question...Was watching a video about leaf springs and the expert (from Eaton Detroit Springs) said that ideally the axle housing should be as close as possible to the spring itself, in other words lift or lowering blocks are bad for all kinds of reasons (ride quality, adverse leverage issues, greater likelihood of axle breakage, etc.)

The Dodge factory intentionally used lifting blocks for my '74 W200 4x4. Would it be "better" to replace the springs with Lift-Springs and eliminate the Factory Lift Blocks?

I put Skyjacker 4" springs on my 73 W200. The fronts are great but the rears would not carry much weight so I re-arced the factory rears and used the factory blocks then all was good.

I think a shackle flip will give you abotu 4" so you can remove the block and have a nice ride. Not quite sure about the exact height it will give you as I added lift springs and left the block in.

I've never had any issues with the factory blocks, and I've had some serious weight on some of my trucks. A few of the trucks I've had, had a stack of overload springs piled on top of the regular springs, with the factory blocks as well. I'll bet the U bolts were over 20" long! One of those that had an 8' long box, carried a loads of seed corn stacked above the cab, across the fields during planting season for years, before it became mine. When I re-roofed my 24 x 24 peaked garage roof, it hauled all the replacement plywood and all the roofing materials on one load. That was a little much, but it did the job. I wouldn't worry about the lift blocks on the old Dodges. Gene

My 85 W350 has 5 on the front. 7 in the back. It seems to sit slightly nose up. My truck has 3" factory rear blocks but I found that the newer W series trucks had 6" blocks. Not sure what years they were used. I found a 92 W350 at the salvage with 6" blocks and plan to install them on my 85. Just thought i would pass that along if you do install different front springs and want more height in the rear on the cheap....

Thanks. Good tips and info. I'm considering Add-A-Leafs. Not sure how that might work out. The Fronts of course, have no lift blocks and 5-Leaf springs.

The rear has Factory Lift Blocks and I count 6-leaves. The bottom leaf is extra thick. Not sure if that is factory, or if some previous owner already mounted an Add-A-Leaf.

The rears still have a nice arch to the springs. It's the fronts, particularly the Right front the are bent and sag.

The Truck was originally sold to Pacific Telephone with a Utility Truck body. Based on the condition of the front springs, I wonder if it was a Boom Truck.

Someone along the way swapped on a Sweptline Long Bed Box.

The full length add a leaf that sits directly under the main leaf is the best bang for your buck. Gene

so on the subject of 74 model W200's....

I just came across one sitting in someones front yard with weeds to the door handles....I noticed that it had 8 lug rears front/back (was a 2WD)..

think I may get lucky and find a Dana in the rear to put in my 74 Ramcharger?

You can bolt in an 8 lug Dana if you want 8 lug wheels, but most are 4:10 gears. I also believe you can just swap out the 5 lug rotors on a Dana 44 front for the 8 lug rotors, so you have matching bolt patterns, that is, of course if the gearing is the same. Gene

Be aware that the light duty 3/4 ton front 44 axles retained the horrible unit bearings the same as their 1/2 ton counterparts. Only the rotors changed. To get away from the unit bearings, you need to step up to the HD 3/4 ton D60, newer then 81 (I believe) D44, or go to an axle with lockout hubs, or replace the bearings & hubs with the GM counterparts. Gene