Is that a spring in your pocket, or, are you just glad to see me?

[Runs With Scissors]

Well there I am about a year’ish ago, sitting on my chair in the driveway, enjoy’ing a “Fat bottom Betty” cigar, looking at my truck from a rear view.


Hmmmm???? It seems to be “listing port” a wee bit.

I put this in my “memory bank” for future useage.

Well the next time I put it in the air, sure enough, there is a cracked leaf spring…..Damn the bad luck!!!!!

Well to be honest, I am not entirely surprised……Since buying the tractor, I pretty consistently “max it out”.

Way back in the day, when I bought the truck, 3/4 ton was “way, way, way more truck” than I needed.

But things have changed a little…..I sure could use a “1 ton” now.



Aside: Here’s a little background info. Back when I bought this truck, when you ordered the diesel option, Dodge “auto-magically” gave you the big axle for the 1 ton’s. But you still only got the ¾ ton springs.

(As a matter of fact, I am relatively sure that all the ¾ ton trucks actually got the big Ole 11.5 AAM axle, from 04 to 07,....but I can’t swear to that fact.)


Anywho…..since I have the 1 ton rear end, I reason that I will replace the ¾ ton springs with 1 tons….why not?

Life takes over so in the “mean time” I throw a set of “air bags” on it…..Sort of a Band-Aide temporary fix.

This project has been kept being put on the “back burner” for a while now, but I just gotta “sack up”, dig the 1K out of my pockets and “get’r done”

So it’s off to Michigan Truck Springs website to “happily drop 1,000 dollars” on a set of new springs/shackles/nuts/washers.

Holy sh!t Batman……350 dollars for shipping?????


This place is only 1 hour and 20 minutes away from me, so I “reason” that if I order an “El Cheapo” Mag Drill, put 20 worth of gas in the wifes van, and go get them myself, I would have my springs AND a Mag Drill…. All for the same price as shipping it.


Well my “brother from another mother”, you know sure as hell, thats exactly what I did (will make a separate post about it)



Here is the “Before” pic….It seems to have been “growing” since I first saw it….

Internet problems…..to be continued

I am very confident that after 20 years, the “flame wrench” is going to be called on to cut the bolts off….

But to my surprise, after soaking them for a few weeks now, I end up getting them off and they look surprisingly good.

Then it hits me like a “sack of hammers”.....I realize that I have never done a set of leaf spings…ever…..on any vehicle..hmmm.

I am kind of shocked by that fact, but it’s true…..never..

The worst nuts to get were the top ones, because the little arm that stops it from spinning was rusted through on both nuts.

But with the help of some "cursing and swearing" I was able to “fish” a wrench in there and eventually get it out.

Now I just gotta get this "heavy-ass" thing out......then back in.

Well "back in the day" ......young "20-something Paul" would have just lifted this thing out......

However, "mid 50 Paul" has decided that trying to "muscle" this bad boy out, will most likely "end badly".

So I look around for a few minutes, and come up with what I believe to be a "solution". to my "gravitational acceleration" problem.

Straps........

I was able to use this strap to hold one side, and then I could lift the other side up....just enough.....to get it over the brakes.

(As I type this, I am wondering why my "dumb ass" didn't just remove the brakes in the first place, ????? hell everyhing is new and it wouldn't have taken much.........But I also wonder why I didn't buy all the "Google" stock I could afford back in 2004.........Shoulda, Would'a...Could'a..)


At any rate....I use the strap to help lower it out.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

This could help.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Now the "hard part".

Getting the new one back in.

As most of you already know, taking things apart is almost always the "easy part".

It's getting the new one in that can be challenging, for a number of reasons.

The whole "strap idea" worked pretty good, so that is first and foremost on my mind.

Therefore, I start looking for some more straps, so I can kind of "work it, back and forth" in order to lift it in place.

Hahaahah.. the first thing I find, is those "shot gun shells" I was looking for about 2 years ago.....

Well I start rigging it up

Slowly I work each side up, then go to the other....blah...blah...blah....

Now I decide to to "flip it" for some strange reason.........

Well that was a "poor choice".........

I probably wrestled with that thing for a F'ing hour and a half.....I was trying all kind of sh!t......that thing fought me "tooth and nail".

I finally got it "flipped back"....but I "vowed" not to make that mistake again........

It took a little prying to get it to "seat" on the axle, but with a little more "cursing and swearing" I finally got it.

Now that I "know the score", the bolts went back in rather easily.

One thing I found stange was my "inabilty" to use power tools through "most" of this process.....It was always "one thing, or another" but for some crazy reason, I didn't/don't have the correct combination of adaptors/extensions/sockets to use my impacts......

And Y'all know how much I hate to use "hand tools".....but "it is, what it is" I guess.



The other side "went swimmingly"........This side took about 5 hours.....the starboard side took maybe an hour'ish. (maybe 1.5?)

One thing I learned was that attaching that "strap" to the bumper bracket to pull the axle in place so that you can pry the axle onto it's "perch" is way, way easier than "muscling" it. (pic below)

Welp, she is "all good" now.

She sits a little higher than before, but it's not too bad......and she still "rides like hell", but after 20 years of a harsh ride, I didn't notice any difference.

But when it's loaded down, it is way better than before.

The End......

 

[Yooper]

Changing front leaf springs on semi tractors was considered the worst job in the maintenance shop I used to work for! Everything was a fight.

Now that its officially a one ton axle, are dual wheels the next project?

 

[Spam Bot]

This is one job that is a lot easier on a four post lift than a 2 post lift. Consider purchasing an induction heater for bolts rather than a "hot wrench". Less chance of your truck going up in smoke with no open flame.

 

[D2Cat]

Runs With Scissors, your reported job time would be cut considerably if you didn't take pictures!! I don't have the patience to stop, wipe my fingers, take pictures, and remember what I was doing.

Just kidding, I appreciate you taking the time to show and tell the process. With pictures and explanation of what you're doing you should be writing shop manuals.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Runs With Scissors, your reported job time would be cut considerably if you didn't take pictures!! I don't have the patience to stop, wipe my fingers, take pictures, and remember what I was doing.

Just kidding, I appreciate you taking the time to show and tell the process. With pictures and explanation of what you're doing you should be writing shop manuals.

Thanks for the kind words.

Stopping and taking pictures is sort of a ‘Yin/Yang” thing.

In a way, it slows me down to stop and think about what my next move should be.

Although, if I were working on the “flat rate” you’re absolutely correct, theres no way I would do it.

But those days are long gone…..just an old "keyboard warrior" now.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

This is one job that is a lot easier on a four post lift than a 2 post lift. Consider purchasing an induction heater for bolts rather than a "hot wrench". Less chance of your truck going up in smoke with no open flame.

I’m going to look into one of those.

Admittedly, I have had to “run for the fire extinguisher” once or twice…….

 

[skeets]

Man, you did fine job, remind me of my 74 J10, and I swore I would buy a new truck before I EVER CHANGED SPRINGS AGAIN !!! But I did put 1500 pound boosters on my 06 Chevy.