Did I get screwed on 52" springs? jekbrown maybe?

[BozoWise]

Called up a local yard and asked them for some 52" rear springs from a k5. They said they had a set so I jumped in the truck. I cut them out of the k5 myself. The PO had removed a leaf or two because there is only 3 plus overload. Now I didn't have a tape with me at the time so I paid the guy and got the belltech lowering shackels on the deal. Figured I could sell them to help refund some of the cost.

Anyways the spring are 52" eye to eye along the pack not straight across. They are super arched and measure 49 1/2 eye to eye under no compression. I stuck them in the front mount and started to jack it up until all the weight of the frontend was on them. They will sit almost flat with the weight. I am going to add a leaf or two and remove the overload.

Now did I get the shaft or are these what everyone uses on the 52" swap. The eyes and width are correct for the 52" just not sure the exact way people are measuring them. Are the 52" center pins drilled centered between the eyes?When jacked up it seems to look like my shackel angle will be the same as Jason's below (stolen pics )

 

[shane74]

The springs look to be almost flat on Jason's rig too. I've seen it in person.

 

[sweetk30]

here is 56" rears in my project. thay were 8 leaf and i removed 2 leafs. this has 350 sbc and big 4l80-e overdrive 1ton tranny on them.

 

[BozoWise]

Well I am still not sure on these. Guess I'll sleep on it since there is still tons of work to do.

If anyone knows how to measure them I would appreciate the schooling.

If you have a set of 52" forsale let me know. I would be more then happy to buy them and email you some ups labels to put on them for shipping. I just need to know the address they are coming from and the weight.

 

[sled_dog]

proper way to measure a set of springs is along the main leaf. Not from eye to ey, ALONG the main leaf.

 

[beater_k20]

sounds like you've got a decent set of springs. how many leaves were you hoping for? when i had the 52s in mine they were also 3 leaf with an overload.

 

[BozoWise]

Great that makes me happier. Then they are 52" but I would like more leaves. They are almost flat with three leaves and the weight of the truck. I will be removing the overload for highsteer and less to hang on. I just don't feel safe running that much weight on only 3 springs.

So if anyone has some springs I can use please let me know.

 

[shane74]

Great that makes me happier. Then they are 52" but I would like more leaves. They are almost flat with three leaves and the weight of the truck. I will be removing the overload for highsteer and less to hang on. I just don't feel safe running that much weight on only 3 springs.

So if anyone has some springs I can use please let me know.

IIRC, Jason had a few different sets of springs that he pulled apart and then picked the leaves to reassemble them. He also did a cool deal with teflon (I think it was teflon, maybe it was delrin??) strips in between the leaves to eliminate squeaks and help keep them nice and slippery between the leaves.

 

[MTMike]

My 52's sit almost flat at ride height as well, and measured about 49" eye to eye with no weight on them

 

[BozoWise]

Is there no worries about the 52" springs sitting so flat. I would be scared that the stress could cause them to snap when so deformed.

 

[beater_k20]

Great that makes me happier. Then they are 52" but I would like more leaves.

adding more leaves would cancel the gains of swapping to 52s in the first place.

They are almost flat with three leaves and the weight of the truck. I will be removing the overload for highsteer and less to hang on. I just don't feel safe running that much weight on only 3 springs.

keep in mind that your truck probably came stock with 2 springs, and if im not mistaken, the stockers are slightly negative arched.

 

[BozoWise]

keep in mind that your truck probably came stock with 2 springs, and if im not mistaken, the stockers are slightly negative arched.

Very good point. But I would like to have atleast 4 springs with no overload.

 

[Zeus33rd]

I wouldn't remove the overload on stock 52's. Safer to leave it in there. I left mine and glad I did. It's kinda like a saftey net or bump stop on the the compression side of things. With no overload, I'd be seriously worried about the strength of the main leaf. It would go so far into negitive arch, that I think breaking and/or bending it would be a real possibility.

 

[BozoWise]

Hmm I was thinking about just fabbing up some some bumpstops and limiting straps instead of keeping the overload.

 

[Zeus33rd]

Hmm I was thinking about just fabbing up some some bumpstops and limiting straps instead of keeping the overload.

Why? Wouldn't be easier to just leave it in there? All this talk of limiting straps and bump stops is over-engineering at it's finest.

 

[BozoWise]

Because I think my tierod is going to conflict with the overload. (waiting on parts)

I also don't want it sticking out when the spring is drooped.


Ohh and Kid I like the sig pics. They are BOTH nice