I recently noticed that the front leaf springs on my 1/2T are almost flat. Any idea if it might be cheaper to have them re-arched than to buy replacements from our host? Does anyone know if the re-pops are cheap Chinese crap?
We have re-arched springs for years and it's a straight forward job. Now have two rail road irons welded to a plate but for years used a sbc block. Anything real solid with a 6 to 10 inch gap will work. A 4# shop hammer works well. You don't try to bend the spring, just keep hammering firmly as your helper moves the spring back and forth across the gap. I takes awhile but you could curl one into a complete circle if you had the stamina of a marathon runner. (spring shops have automatic hammers). You can make the matching leaves from each side have the same curve and once satisfied trace the leaf profile onto a piece of masonite or such so you can always put it back to the same height. The metalurgy in a spring doesn't change unless heated, rusted, or worn thinner so you just have to jiggle the molecules back into the arched shape.
Thanks Evan. I think I would be deaf after pounding out all 14 leafs! Good thing there is a spring shop in town.
