Springs - what we need to know and Jeep Lean |
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willys54wagon
Member Joined: 24 July 2008 Location: Ames, IA Status: Offline Points: 1444 |
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Posted: 06 Nov. 2019 at 3:08pm |
To add to the spring history. On one old set of mine there is a channel down the center of the springs. This reduced the friction of the springs and made for easier riding and more reliance on the shock absorbers. In the early years, the springs were the shock absorber.
This was expensive manufacturing for the channel so it was stopped, maybe eliminated after the war. Metallurgy advancements may have made it unneeded? |
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Two jeeps on the road, one is close and the rest are dreams.
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willys54wagon
Member Joined: 24 July 2008 Location: Ames, IA Status: Offline Points: 1444 |
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If I remember, some have switched the springs and had good luck in correcton. Others have switched the springs with no change.
The frame pivots (welded) at the front so it is easy to have a little twist in the frame from rivets moving. There used to be a video of raising two opposing corners and then two heavy guys with beer jumping up and down on the other corners. I don't remember what corners are raised. Anyone know? |
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Two jeeps on the road, one is close and the rest are dreams.
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Fltfndr
Member Joined: 01 Nov. 2013 Location: Clive, IA Status: Offline Points: 796 |
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I had about a 1 1/2 inch droop on my drivers side. Added a 2 in longer shackle until I can get the spring reached this winter. Running Holbrook Longleafs
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Fltfndr
1948 CJ2A Restomod "Six Pac" The object of war is not to die for your country, but make the other bastard die for his. George S. Patton |
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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Ah, good ol' Dr. Vern. I sure miss the info he had available. Wonder what he's up to these days...
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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oldscot3
Member Joined: 22 Oct. 2019 Location: texas Status: Offline Points: 545 |
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mine has about 1 1/4" in four feet which is about 1 1/2" all the way across. My old parts jeep, however, doesn't seem to have much if any. I may try those springs on mine before I buy new ones. I just can't decide whether to use both or just take my left side off and put the parts jeep right side there.
Edited by oldscot3 - 06 Nov. 2019 at 1:14am |
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willys54wagon
Member Joined: 24 July 2008 Location: Ames, IA Status: Offline Points: 1444 |
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Found this on the cj3b site from good old doc vern. anyone remember him?
I found the Service Bulletin I mentioned yesterday. It was from 1971, but other than specific part numbers it should be applicable to any Jeep model before that. It said that any lean less than 3/4" was considered normal. The measurements were taken from the body to a level surface, such as a concrete pad. If the lean was over 1.5", new springs were required. If the lean was between 3/4" and 1.5", spacers could be used under the spring perches on the high side. The spacer was 1/2" thick and had a hole drilled through the center to fit over the index pin sticking up from the leaf pack. The pin protruded only about 1/4" above the spring pack, so there was a remaining 1/4" left at the top of the spacer. A short pin was inserted here, to mate with the receptacle in the spring perch above to keep everything aligned. It might make more sense to fabricate a longer replacement pin than to mess with a little extension piece. Longer U-bolts were specified, but if you already have an extra 1/2" of threads you should be all right. You could even do a little math and determine exactly how thick the spacer should be, instead of taking a guess with 1/2". Measure the body side to side and determine how much of a lean exists for that width. Keeping the same ratio, determine how thick the spacer should be for the width between the spring perches instead. Regards, Dr. Vern |
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Two jeeps on the road, one is close and the rest are dreams.
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HotBox
Member Joined: 25 July 2019 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 42 |
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Well.... some years back I took my leafs apart, painted with enamel paint... threw on a light coating of sodium soap grease and called it good. So far so good bit I'll let y'all know if theres any changes
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Greaser007
Member Joined: 16 Jan. 2018 Location: Anderson, Calif Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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I have to chime-in on this thread:
I made it as far as the guy saying we should have 1-inch of travel. That is where I learned he was talking street machines. I stopped there. My experience and observations back in the early '80's navigating the Rubicon jeep Trail was the hot-ticket Rancho Lift Springs. What a joke for articulation. Those rancho's would have qualified for that YouTube video with no-compression and about 1-inch of droop at best. I like the stock flexy springs and I keep mine oiled with WD-40 for good smooth and even flex. I like the idea of the graphite imbedded paint. Yep, I've owned a Corvette with 1-inch travel suspension and the car was like riding in a buck-board. |
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rocnroll
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 20 July 2005 Location: Tuscumbia, AL Status: Offline Points: 13585 |
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Plus there is more weight on the drivers' side....and on a Lefty even MORE weight. |
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'47 CJ2A PU
'48 CJ2A Lefty "Common sense is not that common" |
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willys54wagon
Member Joined: 24 July 2008 Location: Ames, IA Status: Offline Points: 1444 |
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Just put the cj away for the winter and as I walked away I looked back and thought I saw the "lean". Measured it and I have a 2 inch dif. Only 6,000 miles on the springs. New springs solved it back then. Don't remember if they were made locally or from walcks.
Springs and twisted frames are the cause of the lean if I remember right? I know I have gained weight the last few years and my wife has lost some............... going to have to feed her more? |
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Two jeeps on the road, one is close and the rest are dreams.
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rocnroll
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 20 July 2005 Location: Tuscumbia, AL Status: Offline Points: 13585 |
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Stev, glad to know that worked for you. I have been considering the very same thing for 'lefty lean'. Good to know it made a difference, thanks. |
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'47 CJ2A PU
'48 CJ2A Lefty "Common sense is not that common" |
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oldscot3
Member Joined: 22 Oct. 2019 Location: texas Status: Offline Points: 545 |
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Walck's site says their springs are USA made, "not foreign junk that will sag in a few years". They are also $145 vs aprox $100 that other vendors are selling springs for.
I guess I'd pay the difference if Walck's truly is the only quality product for sale.
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ggordon49
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 30 June 2017 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Thanks Stev! I can manage the sleeve, so I may try these out... I appreciate the feed back , thanks again.
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- Don't Let The Fatherless Ones Grind You Down -
- I like them stock, survivor's with original paint are my favorites - |
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2391 |
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ggordon49,
I have a set of those springs in the link you posted. I am running three Crown springs and one of these 11 leaf springs (drivers rear) on our 1946 trail Jeep. I put that 11 leaf spring on to stop the lean to the drivers side - which worked. I was concerned that if I put 11 leaf springs on both side, I would lose some of the articulation. If you get these springs, you will need to put a small sleeve into the hole as because the holes are just slightly to large than the stock CJ2A shackles. |
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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ggordon49
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 30 June 2017 Location: Connecticut Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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With concern to quality, I was wondering if anyone has tried NOS M38 springs? I see these on ebay for the rear. There would be surface rust from storage but that's no big deal.... Maybe these would be a good alternative, I'm not sure?
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- Don't Let The Fatherless Ones Grind You Down -
- I like them stock, survivor's with original paint are my favorites - |
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oldscot3
Member Joined: 22 Oct. 2019 Location: texas Status: Offline Points: 545 |
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My cj2 has a substantial lean on the driver's side rear and I've been thinking about a new set of springs. After watching the vid I looked at Eaton's site... Jeepster only under Willys. So I'm wondering now also, are all of the available replacement springs junk?
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wheelie
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 25 Jan. 2011 Location: red lion. pa Status: Offline Points: 814 |
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Great article. Thank you for sharing it. It didn't take this article for me to question the quality of the off shore springs though. Have a set made or wait for some quality brand name aftermarket springs to turn up somewhere. Finally I have some evidence for my argument for hydraulic shocks. THANK YOU! I've had more than a few discussions about gas vs hydraulic shocks and I get get hassled for preferring the former.
Edited by wheelie - 23 Oct. 2019 at 1:01am |
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ndnchf
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 22 Sep. 2017 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 2177 |
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Very informative video. It makes me wonder about the quality of the currently available CJ2A springs from Omix, Crown, Walck's etc. Mine has a little bit of lean with the original springs. Been thinking about getting a new set.
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1948 CJ2A - It goes nowhere fast, but anywhere slow.
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