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Leaf spring unmounted dimensions?

AJMBLAZER

AJMBLAZER

Better to be lucky than good.
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http://lexington.craigslist.org/pts/2430090487.html

The guy who owns these has been posting these for months. His ad is slowly getting more specific. Now he claims they should fit our trucks. Look like rear springs to me.

I need new rear springs. Saggy on the passenger side, axle wrap, and wallow around on the road.

I'm thinking about checking out what he's got but his details and one reply to an earlier email make me think he doesn't entirely know what he has.
I have about 23 new truck leaf springs for sale they are 50 1/2" from center hole to center hole springs are 2 1/2" wide will fit older chevolet trucks 1978 to 1988 call for pricing 270-589-9088
Click to expand...
Can anyone give me the dimensions of an unmounted leaf spring for a 1/2 ton?
Eye to eye, height to that plain from the bottom of the pack, number of leaves, etc.

$25 each would be great but ya know what they say about a deal looking good...
 
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The ad's reposted -- I don't think he can sell that many too quickly ;)

I happen to have a set of 52"s unmounted in my garage at this very moment, which would be your basic 1/2 ton rears. As I recall, the stock fronts are smaller, like 46-47" (I don't have any here, even on a truck :D )

These are more like 49", 49 1/4" straight across from spring eye center to center. These are four leaves, plus the overload at the bottom. about 9.5" from the spring eye centerline to the bottom of the pack.

I'd say you can make his work; they might change ride height, up or down depending on whether you've got a shackle flip, but you could then adjust with different length shackles if you wanted.

He doesn't know what he's got, as the spring size changed for '73, not 78, but maybe whatever book he looked it up in only went back to '78, listed different load capacities, or whatever.

-- A
 
The Blazer is stock and going to remain stockish. Looking to restore it to original ride height or at the very least level side to side and not so squishy.

Those first few on the left hand side kinda look like front springs to me...anybody else think so?
 
Going to call him later. Maybe this evening. See what the story is. Selling some parts and maybe I can scrounge up the cash to go get some new springs...

Only crappy part is he's 45 minutes in 180 degrees the wrong direction from home. At least I'm closer if I go after work.
 
if he is measuring across from eye to eye in the air then it will be short.

the correct way is to lay the tape on the main leaf from eye to eye.
 
Welp, should work. Talked to him about it and they're M1009 rear springs. He bought like 60 sets at a Government Surplus auction a while back. NOS never mounted, just like those crated 14 bolts and Dana 60's they bought gazillions extra of.

Trying to remember but I THINK the M1009 got the high GVWR package springs so that should work well for mine. Going after them next week some time.
 
leaf spring gvw specs for aftermarket but thay try and be same as factory.

use this info to help determin the gvw you have and what you will get.

in the list you will see stuff like 5/1 or 4/1 for leaf counts. thats the main # of leafs + 1 bottom overload leaf. so thay call it 4leaf/1 overload or 4+1 stuff like this helps understand the info givin.

and if you have some that are the same # of leafs then it goes off the thickness of the leafs steel to help determin the gvw specs.

http://www.stengelbros.com/GMLeafSprings.htm#truck
 
I have 4 with an overload. He thinks they are 5 with an overload. Not to worried though, ride height would be similar to whatever it was stock.
 
actualy ride high will be diffrent from 1 gvw pack to a diffrent.

but when this close to gvw specs it will not be to much diffrence.

i use to work at a spring shop for 1 year. seen and learned a LOT about springs and suspension from a older guy thats been doing it for over 25 years.
 
These are GM springs and M1009's rode no taller than any other diesel K5 so they should work out just fine.

Met a guy with a cherry '89 Jimmy K5 the other weekend. 60k original miles. It seemed like his truck was lifted compared to mine...nope, just 142k more miles on mine.
 
if you want a little more lift and got a way to saw them up. you can take a stock overload and chop it down to a homemade zero rate for around 3/4" lift. you just dont get the axle movement options.

so if you get them in your truck and need just a little more reuse your old leafs overloads like this. then 2 new centerpins and good to go.
 
Not a bad idea. Don't really need any lift though. The 33's fit fine. Have to see how much taller it sits than now first.

Half expecting to end up with a hotrod rake.
 
Yeah, so I went and got them today. They're in pretty good shape and just been sitting for a decade or two...


...or maybe three...



...noticed one had a sticker on it with a NSN. Looked that up online and discovered...


...I had bought Dodge M880 3/4 ton rear spring packs.


****!:mad:

Old fart had NO CLUE what he had.
 
...and now I can't find the ad...weird...





****!
 
AJMBLAZER said:
Yeah, so I went and got them today. They're in pretty good shape and just been sitting for a decade or two...


...or maybe three...



...noticed one had a sticker on it with a NSN. Looked that up online and discovered...


...I had bought Dodge M880 3/4 ton rear spring packs.


****!:mad:

Old fart had NO CLUE what he had.
Click to expand...


Awww, crap. :(

Mind you, I think we decided they are close in dimension... 3/4 ton means prolly stiffer than your stockers.

If they're 2.5" wide and the bushings are the right size, they could be more-or-less a bolt up...

-- A
 
Can you get me the center pin distance from each eye off of your stocker pack? If they're close I might just try and wing it, maybe pull a leaf out.

I have another thread on here now about this. Old guy basically blew me off when I called and it's a solid hour into the boonies to take them back and argue with the old jackass.
 
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