The Ford Barn

Logan · 01-20-2013, 10:03 PM

how many leafs can you remove from the rear spring? i've heard 3 and i've heard 4. The reason i ask is because i'm trying to drop the back of my speedster down. I'm probably going to get a spring shop here to reverse-eye the bottom leaf, but i want it even lower than that will take it.

I'm going to use a 4 inch drop axle in the front, with a reverse eye front spring. So i'm trying to get the back down almost as low as the front will be.

tbirdtbird · 01-20-2013, 11:32 PM

Ken doesn't know ?

rooster31 · 01-20-2013, 11:36 PM

im starting with 3 out of mine. with reverse eyes front and rear.

Sparky · 01-21-2013, 09:00 AM

I have six leaves in my rear spring. Keep in mind that if you reverse the rear spring eyes you may have difficulty installing the spring because the standard spring spreaders won't work.

Logan · 01-21-2013, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparky

I have six leaves in my rear spring. Keep in mind that if you reverse the rear spring eyes you may have difficulty installing the spring because the standard spring spreaders won't work.

Which ones did you remove?

kenparker · 01-21-2013, 09:57 AM

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For each leaf you remove you will drop the frame to axle 1/4". It may be 5/16" - I will measure in about an hour. By Reverse Eying the main leaf you will drop another 1". By using a Raodster Spring and leaving out the second leaf (the one next to the main leaf) the arc on the main spring can be recurved and you can gain another 1/2".

If you are aiming to drop the rear to equal the 4" drop of the front you might have to "Z" the frame. My speedster frame is "Z'd" and dropped 3". My rear spring isn not reversed eyed but the main leaf is Rearched. There are 7 leafs in my spring.

Sparky · 01-21-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

Which ones did you remove?

I'm afraid I can't help you much with that. When I got the car it had seven leaves. I wanted to soften the ride a bit more so I removed another leaf, but it was obvious that it was originally an 8 or 10-leaf spring. I don't know which ones the previous owner removed. I removed the third leaf.

Jim Brierley · 01-21-2013, 12:09 PM

I removed 3 from my tudor, 4 would be better for a speedster due to its lighter weight. Retain the short top leaf as it is rounded to fit into the crossmember. I use a T spring on the rear of my widebed, it brings the rear down nicely. All have standard main leafs, for reasons stated above.

van Dyck · 01-21-2013, 03:48 PM

My concern is in removing intermediate leaves: the remaining leaves do not "nest" properly, especially in the high arch area.

Logan · 01-21-2013, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

I removed 3 from my tudor, 4 would be better for a speedster due to its lighter weight. Retain the short top leaf as it is rounded to fit into the crossmember. I use a T spring on the rear of my widebed, it brings the rear down nicely. All have standard main leafs, for reasons stated above.

How much does the T spring bring it down?

Bassman/NZ · 01-21-2013, 04:15 PM

I have five left in mine, and I have reasonably stiff tube shocks. I also have teflon liners between each leaf. From memory I took out every second leaf. Rides real good. If the leaves have wear from the leaf above it can be smoothed out with a grinder. Good idea to grind a taper where the end of each leaf digs into the leaf below.

01-20-2013, 10:03 PM	#1
Logan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 1,055	Removing leafs from rear spring how many leafs can you remove from the rear spring? i've heard 3 and i've heard 4. The reason i ask is because i'm trying to drop the back of my speedster down. I'm probably going to get a spring shop here to reverse-eye the bottom leaf, but i want it even lower than that will take it. I'm going to use a 4 inch drop axle in the front, with a reverse eye front spring. So i'm trying to get the back down almost as low as the front will be. __________________ Cowtown A's

01-20-2013, 11:32 PM	#2
tbirdtbird BANNED Join Date: May 2012 Location: inside your RAM Posts: 3,134	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring Ken doesn't know ? __________________ '31 180A

01-20-2013, 11:36 PM	#3
rooster31 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: DOUGLASVILLE, GA Posts: 57	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring im starting with 3 out of mine. with reverse eyes front and rear.

01-21-2013, 09:00 AM	#4
Sparky Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 649	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring I have six leaves in my rear spring. Keep in mind that if you reverse the rear spring eyes you may have difficulty installing the spring because the standard spring spreaders won't work.

01-21-2013, 09:57 AM	#6
kenparker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Van, Texas Posts: 1,122	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) For each leaf you remove you will drop the frame to axle 1/4". It may be 5/16" - I will measure in about an hour. By Reverse Eying the main leaf you will drop another 1". By using a Raodster Spring and leaving out the second leaf (the one next to the main leaf) the arc on the main spring can be recurved and you can gain another 1/2". If you are aiming to drop the rear to equal the 4" drop of the front you might have to "Z" the frame. My speedster frame is "Z'd" and dropped 3". My rear spring isn not reversed eyed but the main leaf is Rearched. There are 7 leafs in my spring.

01-21-2013, 12:09 PM	#8
Jim Brierley Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 4,087	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring I removed 3 from my tudor, 4 would be better for a speedster due to its lighter weight. Retain the short top leaf as it is rounded to fit into the crossmember. I use a T spring on the rear of my widebed, it brings the rear down nicely. All have standard main leafs, for reasons stated above.

01-21-2013, 03:48 PM	#9
van Dyck Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 190	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring My concern is in removing intermediate leaves: the remaining leaves do not "nest" properly, especially in the high arch area.

01-21-2013, 04:15 PM	#11
Bassman/NZ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napier, New Zealand Posts: 2,001	Re: Removing leafs from rear spring I have five left in mine, and I have reasonably stiff tube shocks. I also have teflon liners between each leaf. From memory I took out every second leaf. Rides real good. If the leaves have wear from the leaf above it can be smoothed out with a grinder. Good idea to grind a taper where the end of each leaf digs into the leaf below.