Drilling out leaf spring center pin holes?

[AJMBLAZER]

What's the approved method of doing this?

Took one of mine out of the front yesterday to install the zero rates and damned if the stock center pin isn't itsy bitsy and the hole is smaller than the supplied ORD center pin.

Drill it out or just go and get a correct width but longer pin?

 

[sweetk30]

leafs will require super low speed and a super bit. thay are hardened tempered steel.

 

[loafer]

I would use the correct diameter pin. I believe the front are 5/16-24.

 

[GEORGIA GABE]

I mixed and matched springs to get what I wanted for the front and rear... I had to drill them out and it is an absolute bi och, easily the hardest thing I have ever had to drill... go ahead and buy 3-4 bits and use plenty of cutting oil.
gabe

 

[AJMBLAZER]

New pin it is!

 

[cbbr]

I used grade 8 bolts with the heads rounded off for pins and it worked great.

 

[merace19]

Drilling out those holes will be a nightmare. After I burnt about 10 drill bits. I broke down and Used my welding machine turned wide open to blow the holes bigger.

 

[GEORGIA GABE]

I will say that I feel much more comfortable with the 3/8 center pins I have in them now.
gabe

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Well, just like there's no torque value for those bolts I guess the size of them matters less than their simply being there to locate the leaf springs and the axle on the leaves.

 

[rdn2blazer]

the best way to drill a spring out since it has an existing hole is to use a multi flute carbide counter sink. a standard 45 deg. c'sink will do fine, but use cutting oil. the spring is as hard as the drill so thats why it does not drill worth a crap. also using a HSS drill, or even a Cobalt drill you generate so much heat it hardens it even more, so it wipes the corners of the drill out.

 

[GEORGIA GABE]

Well, just like there's no torque value for those bolts I guess the size of them matters less than their simply being there to locate the leaf springs and the axle on the leaves.

having broken one before I must say that when you are flexing like crazy there has to be some force on them..
gabe

 

[mr.smartass]

having broken one before I must say that when you are flexing like crazy there has to be some force on them..
gabe

Hence the lecture and harassing someone else got not to long ago...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

1 ton on stock springs = flex?

I appreciate the concern but until I can actually lift this thing...yeah, it's hardly a flex monster.