Check your U-bolts!!

[rampage]

Thought you were using stock u-bolt plates, looks like you used the ones in the first pic. When you first installed these plates and torqued them down, did you notice a small gap between the plate and spring at the center? The reason I wonder is that in one of your pics it looks like you have enough arch in your spring that I see a small gap that wouldn't get removed by tightening the u-bolts. But when you compress the spring by flexing it the spring will flatten out causing the small gap to become a big problem. Is it possible that the stock plate with the bend in the center allows it to conform to the spring better?
Just another theory.

 

[kennyw]

Yeah, that's what I've been saying, the plates have slots to account for stuff like this:

In your case, this probably isn't the main problem but not everyone has aftermarket parts. Most people probably don't think about this stuff when sticking in shims.

 

[sweetk30]

I don't trust any plated / coated / shinny ubolt .

Yeah, that's what I've been saying, the plates have slots to account for stuff like this:

 

[Deuling]

I don't trust any plated / coated / shinny ubolt .

Yes


The spring shop that made my fronts and ruff stuffs were bare steel and they were all put on once and I haven't had them stretch at all yet.... Every time I put a break on them, I can't get them to spin any more.

 

[jekquistk5]

Someone should make shims with ears that stick out and catch the ubolts.

 

[skunked]

I don't trust any plated / coated / shinny ubolt .

Yes


The spring shop that made my fronts and ruff stuffs were bare steel and they were all put on once and I haven't had them stretch at all yet.... Every time I put a break on them, I can't get them to spin any more.

Generally I would agree however WFO's have a clear zinc finish and I've never heard of any issues with their bolts including the pair on the front of my rig.

https://www.wfoconcepts.com/cr/U-Bolts/3208/3611

 

[dyeager535]

Someone should make shims with ears that stick out and catch the ubolts.

Something like the spring plate retainer, only flat? Would work on side to side issues, still a problem for front to rear/rotational movement.

 

[Mastiff]

Something like the spring plate retainer, only flat? Would work on side to side issues, still a problem for front to rear/rotational movement.

Ideally, IMO, the shim would be extra wide and have four half-circular cutouts right where the U-bolts want to go through. This , of course, would require custom shims for different applications.

 

[Deuling]

I got bored on lunch.

 

[Blue85]

You could tack weld the shims to the spring plate.

 

[Mastiff]

I got bored on lunch.

Start producing them...

 

[Mastiff]

You could tack weld the shims to the spring plate.

That'd be roughly the same as welding the bottom leaf to the axle, since the shim is attached to the pack. I imagine some level of movement and twisting is part of normal operation too, at least for leaves. Not sure about that though.

 

[kennyw]

I got bored on lunch.

Ever try to rotate a picture of a part on the internet? I just did

 

[campfire]

Ever try to rotate a picture of a part on the internet? I just did

Didn't do that this time, but I certainly understand the impulse!

 

[Blue85]

That'd be roughly the same as welding the bottom leaf to the axle, since the shim is attached to the pack. I imagine some level of movement and twisting is part of normal operation too, at least for leaves. Not sure about that though.

Normally I would avoid welding on the spring. I see what you're saying about just moving the shift point up one layer, but a weld holds the shim in place as well as any of the other ideas being thrown around here.

 

[Deuling]

Ever try to rotate a picture of a part on the internet? I just did

I almost took different angles, but figured you would get the idea. The internet was so slow at work for some reason, it took 15 minutes to upload that stupid pic lol.

 

[longbedder]

U-bolts perpendicular to spring plate

Bolt thickness bigger for longer U-bolts

Torque it a bunch so plates don't slip under nuts at all

'Murica!

 

[chulisohombre]

I had thicker longer shims out of mild steel with the same degree as my old ones after my aluminum ones cracked in half. Put in stock 5/8 14 bolt ff spring bolts and torqued them twice as much as I could and haven't moved since. I figure with a regular one ft half inch wratchet I got somewhere around 150-180 ft lb on them. Went in crisscross pattern as well. I had the center pin break on my lift blocks I had on initially as well. When those broke and shot out one day it was a scary thing. All u could Do is tighten as much to the spring as possible and slowly drive the rest Of the way To Work. Got the spring split and put back in the block and took it Home and parked it until the weekend as replaced the spring pack With lift springs. Those were two scary situations. I'm just glad I didn't Lose the axle like the op did.

 

[Blue85]

Actually, come to think of it - if you don't want to reweld the spring perches and are afraid of spitting shims you could enlarge the hole in the shim and then really weld it on. This is kind of like rotating the spring perch and the centerbolt just fits in the shim hole now instead of just the perch hole.

 

[Mastiff]

Actually, come to think of it - if you don't want to reweld the spring perches and are afraid of spitting shims you could enlarge the hole in the shim and then really weld it on. This is kind of like rotating the spring perch and the centerbolt just fits in the shim hole now instead of just the perch hole.

Yeah, that's true. If I were going to do that, I'd just redo the perches. The reasons I'm not are because I don't know the exact angle yet (pending SYE conversion) and I don't trust my welding skills enough. I welded my shock mounts and stuff, but I still need to get a little better. I'll farm this out.

I don't see any alternative to shims up front though, with the D60's perch built into the casting.

I'm going to start fixing this today. Is there anything I should know about reassembling the spring pack when it's loose? In the past I always C-clamped the pack before removing the center pin. I can't tell yet if the leaves will go together flush when unloaded, or if they'll need to be squeezed together.