Front spring clamp confusion

[Heard]

Well, this is one confusing chart. I obviously have the wrong spring clamp as shown in pic #1. Measuring my spring clamp it is about 4.49" long. It is very possible that I don't have the original spring in this '35 pickup but I can say it is a 12 leaf spring.

It would appear that I might need part #74-5445-A which is 4.06". This is just a guess based entirely on the length. It looks like about a half inch shorter might be the correct length.

Looking at pic #2, my real question here is, can someone tell me how it is possible that two different length spring clamps (highlighted in yellow) would be proper for spring 48-5310-A considering that the book also shows the same bar (11A-5458-B) for 1935-1941?

These numbers are all over the place. What am I missing here?

I think I may have to re-drill this unless someone has the correct length bolts.

[alanwoodieman]

may by thick washers under the bolt??

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Heard

Well, this is one confusing chart. I obviously have the wrong spring clamp as shown in pic #1. Measuring my spring clamp it is about 4.49" long. It is very possible that I don't have the original spring in this '35 pickup but I can say it is a 12 leaf spring.

It would appear that I might need part #74-5445-A which is 4.06". This is just a guess based entirely on the length. It looks like about a half inch shorter might be the correct length.

Looking at pic #2, my real question here is, can someone tell me how it is possible that two different length spring clamps (highlighted in yellow) would be proper for spring 48-5310-A considering that the book also shows the same bar (11A-5458-B) for 1935-1941?

These numbers are all over the place. What am I missing here?

I think I may have to re-drill this unless someone has the correct length bolts.

Heard, Like you, I have found the charts to be a bit daunting at times.
On occasion while restoring a '39 or '40 Ford I run in to mismatched parts. I'm fortunate ion that I have a healthy stock of these pieces and usually am able to find the correct pieces.
I'd suggest you drill new holes for the pins and cut off the excess length of the U-bolt threads.

Hey, just to add (perhaps) a bit more confusion, Ford had special hardened washers to be used to take up some slack in the exact place you refer to. Of course, only one washer was advised.
That suggests to me that "quality" control of these parts was not as good as it probably should have been.

Still, it appears you have a mismatch of pieces...

[DavidG]

In a sense, the chart is somewhat useless in that the measurement that counts isn't the overall length of the legs of the 'U', but rather the distance to the hole for the cotter pins. As Mike says, there's often quite a bit of variance in NOS clamps between where the holes are in two clamps with the same length and in some cases even on the same clamp.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Kube

Heard,
I'd suggest you drill new holes for the pins and cut off the excess length of the U-bolt threads...

Heard....Just like Kube suggests, I too would carefully re-drill the cotter holes in the appropriate location and cut to length. Do you have a V-block with guide hole to lay over the bolt to "center" the hole in the shank of the bolt? DD

[Heard]

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Thanks for the input guys. I'll re-drill.

DD, I think I have enough machining junk out there to get 'er done.

Heard

[19Fordy]

Heard, have you considered using a hardened washer and making a custom nut so that you don't have to redrill or cut off the clamp? You could weld 2 nuts together, file them to finished size and then face them on your lathe to fit. I bet you could use two 1/2-20 lug nuts. It would be fun to try.

[Heard]

Well, I thought I might turn down a washer or spacer to fit in the recess of the bar where the nut seats, but I think I'm just going to take the easy way out here.

I was actually more curious about that crazy chart in the book. It gives the impression to me that there must have been buckets of different u-bolts on the assembly line and they just kept grabbing different stuff until something fit. The chart has all kinds of overlapping dates, different u-bolt lengths for the same spring and so on. It makes no sense whatsoever in my mind.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Heard

Well, I thought I might turn down a washer or spacer to fit in the recess of the bar where the nut seats, but I think I'm just going to take the easy way out here.

I was actually more curious about that crazy chart in the book. It gives the impression to me that there must have been buckets of different u-bolts on the assembly line and they just kept grabbing different stuff until something fit. The chart has all kinds of overlapping dates, different u-bolt lengths for the same spring and so on. It makes no sense whatsoever in my mind.

I think cutting the bolts and drilling accordingly will allow for the best appearance. A stack of washers, sleeves, etc. looks "rigged". I KNOW you do better work than that

[Seth Swoboda]

I agree, a huge stack of washers looks bad. If I were to look at a vehicle for sale and it had a huge stack of washers on the U bolt I would immediately think "what else has been rigged on this car/truck?"

[37 truck]

It is probably a stupid question, but do you have the woven pad above the springs? They are about 1/4" thick.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by 37 truck

It is probably a stupid question, but do you have the woven pad above the springs? They are about 1/4" thick.

That pad will compress. I had thought about suggesting one more SHORT spacer leaf at the top of the pack, but I remembered that Heard is trying to get the front end of this thing DOWN. DD

[Kube]

Originally Posted by 37 truck

It is probably a stupid question, but do you have the woven pad above the springs? They are about 1/4" thick.

1/4" ? Man, you're using the wrong pads! They are 1/8" prior to being compressed.

[DavidG]

I agree with Mike; all the NOS pads I've had were 1/8" thick. The eventual compression of anything thicker than that would eventually result in a pretty sloppy attachment of the front spring.

[37 truck]

Your right, I overstated the thickness. A short piece of Spring under the clamp might be better than washers.

[Heard]

I do have the pad under there on top of the spring. And yes, a stack of washers would look like....well...you know.

Re-drilling it is. Here, hold my beer!

[Heard]

Originally Posted by Seth Swoboda

I agree, a huge stack of washers looks bad. If I were to look at a vehicle for sale and it had a huge stack of washers on the U bolt I would immediately think "what else has been rigged on this car/truck?"

Well, since you asked, here is what was going on in that area when I got the truck.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Heard

Well, since you asked, here is what was going on in that area when I got the truck.

What's interesting is that the ol' boys elected to utilize cotter keys on those four bolts just to make sure that reinforcement piece never budges......yipper! DD

[Mart]

If this is a fresh build I'd be tempted to turn up some carefully sized spacer washers (not "a stack of washers") and run it for a while. It would be a shame if, after running it for a year the front ended too low and you decided to add a leaf to the front spring pack. On the other hand, if all is good after a while, pull 'em, drill 'em and shorten 'em.

Mart.

[DavidG]

As for the cross member, ouch.