Moparts

stock replacement leaf springs?

Posted By: an8sec70cuda

stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/23/22 07:22 PM

Who has good quality stock replacement leaf springs? Specifically for a '70 challenger R/T w/ a 440/727/8.75. Just a street cruiser.
Eaton/Detroit Spring has them for $800 a pair.
Year one has them for about $400 a pair.
Mancini has Mopar Performance restoration springs for roughly $275 a pair. I'm leery of the MP springs b/c the newer super stock mexican made springs are junk...as is most everything "made" by Mopar Performance.
Not looking for OE perfect, but not wanting junk that'll need replacing in a year either.

Suggestions?
Posted By: moparx

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/23/22 07:38 PM

what about adding a leaf from another spring pack ?
just throwing something out there to consider.
beer
Posted By: an8sec70cuda

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/23/22 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by moparx
what about adding a leaf from another spring pack ?
just throwing something out there to consider.
beer

Might have to if we can't find new ones. This car was just put back on the road and after driving it a little bit, we've realized just how much the original springs have sagged.
Posted By: topside

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/23/22 08:18 PM

ESPO / Springs 'n Things makes a good product; I've used their springs on a couple of Mopars.
There's also the option of Hellwig EZ550 helper springs.
Posted By: an8sec70cuda

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/23/22 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by topside
ESPO / Springs 'n Things makes a good product; I've used their springs on a couple of Mopars.
There's also the option of Hellwig EZ550 helper springs.

ESPO has them for $260 a pair! 4 week lead time, but that's alright. Thanks! beer
Posted By: TJP

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by topside
ESPO / Springs 'n Things makes a good product; I've used their springs on a couple of Mopars.

X2
I've used Laura for over 20 years on a multitude of customers cars ZERO issues up

OOPS!! responded before iI saw your post beer
Posted By: GMP440

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 03:29 AM


ESPO Springs and Things here too. I bought a set of heavy duty 6 leaf springs for my 68 Coronet. This was back in 04. No sagging to this day. Back then, Laura at ESPO helped me put the order through. Didn't know she is still with ESPO.
Laura is very knowledgeble.
Posted By: kentj340

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by moparx
what about adding a leaf from another spring pack ?

beer


This. Worked for me. Added to each side one more of the second layer, the longest leaf without eyes, about 1975 to my '69 A body that had wheel hop. Almost 50 years later, both spring assemblies are functioning as designed. The rear of the car sits about 1" higher than spec, which I think gives it a very nice stance for a muscle car.
Posted By: ZIPPY

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 02:23 PM

Yep. Many years ago.....(here comes the boring story).........

OK I will shorten it up. I went after that at one point.

Chrysler's Mexico spring plant KNOWS how to make leaf springs. I've had a couple Rams with 200k + miles on the original springs
and no problems. Plant Engr defended their process, even pulled several from production to prove
they were making MP springs to print......This was true....however the prints allow way too much variation, and don't
get detailed enough to make as consistent a product as I would prefer.

I'm not going to say exactly what information is missing from the OEM stock replacement XHD spring prints as well as the SS prints, but
it was substantial in that there was just not enough detail in them.

I tried but was not able to get an MP engineer on board with an addendum or alteration to the '60s specs. I think he had bigger fish to fry at the time.

The MP springs are hit and miss, and that's not going to change.
The SS springs on my car were reworked by a local spring shop and that's probably why they have not sagged out.

It'd probably be a better story to tell over a couple beers, tacos, or both.
I forgot to contact you the one time we went to Myrtle Beach, remembered on the way home, and was mad at myself for a couple days about that.
Posted By: tman

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 02:39 PM

Im in the same boat for springs and I hear Espo is good stuff. Which ones did you order and are you going stock height? Can't find those photos of cars with Espo springs with varying heights.
Posted By: Kowal

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 02:50 PM

I have used Eaton on three different occasions with three different cars. They are really great. Easy to deal with, arrive quickly, look very factory. I have not had problems with sagging with them over time. I do normally order them at a +1 inch to get a little more stance. Also, for cars that are very part number correct, I swap the small leaf on each side with the original that has the part number on them. So yes they are pricey, but they are really good. They come with the bushing pressed in place in case you are curious.
Posted By: TooMany62s

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Kowal
I have used Eaton on three different occasions with three different cars. They are really great. Easy to deal with, arrive quickly, look very factory. I have not had problems with sagging with them over time. I do normally order them at a +1 inch to get a little more stance. Also, for cars that are very part number correct, I swap the small leaf on each side with the original that has the part number on them. So yes they are pricey, but they are really good. They come with the bushing pressed in place in case you are curious.


Here ya go:https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/
Posted By: a12rag

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/24/22 04:10 PM

Years ago when I did the Sport Satellite, I went with the MP SS springs . . . lasted about 1 year and then sagged out so much, they were FLAT verging on arching opposite direction !! I still had the original springs I took off the car, took them to local spring shop and had them re arch them, and add a leaf . . . that was over 10 years ago - not sagged out at all ! . . .
Posted By: an8sec70cuda

Re: stock replacement leaf springs? - 06/27/22 12:13 PM

Thanks for the suggestions yall. We'll be getting stock height HD springs from ESPO.

Zippy...definitely let me know if you come back down this way!
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