In an effort to lower the '41 frame I am working on, I have replaced the front and rear cross members removing the drop in the stock cross member, installed a 4" drop front axle and have removed a few leafs from the front and rear spring. After rebuilding my rear end and refurbishing the springs, I am ready to put things back together. Both front and rear springs will now need some type of spacer to take up the space created by removing the leafs. My plan is to seat the spring up against the cross member and use a spacer below the spring set, thereby allowing me to reuse the original U bolts. Should the spacer be made of steel ? Someone I know said it was common to make a spacer out of Oak wood, since the spring pressure was above the spring (between the cross member and the top of the spring. Any experience with that?
Reusing the original u bolts is really not recommended- any spring shop can make you new ones fairly cheaply.
Ditto on u bolt re-use... spring questions got me thinking... yikes ! 30 someodd years ago you could not find a plastic SNOW-BOAT in our city's spring clean up piles... Because we street rodders would snag them and cut them into 2" strips that we then ran between the spring leaves... Posies and Pete [bless his soul] and Jake cured that need...
No wood- it ain't a stagecoach! Either make a steel shim (recommended) , or take the short pieces from the top, and put them on the bottom. That way the spring pac will be the same thickness and the u bolts will fit . Most swear by the old u bolts compared with the knock-off junk they sell now ( not the actual bolts so much as the cast cross pieces that snap if you tighten them too much)
Not to hijack but you're really not supposed to use original u bolts? I've never heard that. What is the issue? Threads fail or bolts break or what? I'm not being sarcastic Im serious I've never once heard this. Thanks
Why not re use the original Henry items , they wouldn't be easy or cheap to reproduce , no reason I can see to use U bolts made from mild round stock when you can use proper shaped Forged Ford U bolts and the correct clamps.
tightening of bolts causes threads to pull ,the same for locking nut which in turn causes failure , we all have re- used bolts and nuts but it is not suggested by manufactures ......
Yes possibly with weak modern bolts, but a Ford cross spring U bolt is a specifically made forged part, which fits closely to the cross member and locates the special spring clamp, it is made to reuse, just as you wouldn't/couldn't go replacing the rod bolts in a flathead...I wouldn't replace these unless they were damaged beyond repair. Even then I search out another original part. The traditional way to space has always been with short lengths of spring, although Ford did make several different clamps for lighter cars ..e.g. The 10 leaf Model A pickup spring had nearly flat clamps whereas the seven leaf roadster spring had a raised area to compensate in the same cross member. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Model-A-For...-High-For-10-Or-12-Leaf-Springs-/111669184615 http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/micSLeh6ofUG_Wxv4poiaRw.jpg
I had to do that when I dropped the front crossmember in my '34. It was just too low. I got a piece of 3/4X2" flat bar, drilled a hole in it and put it on top of the spring and ran the center bolt through the whole thing. Worked perfectly.
Here I was plum ticked to death to find the two rear U bolts still around the crossmember on my 31 Vicky when I got it home and on saw horses. Unless they are rusted or damaged I see no reason not to reuse them. I did suspension in dealerships and independent shops for a number of years and never replaced a bolt that didn't have damage on it. I doubt seriously that when those Fords were going into the dealers shops for repairs all the time that any of the dealers told a customer that the had to have new Ubolts because the nuts had been taken off the old ones.
That's kinda like replacing wheel studs every time you change a tire. I always reuse factory stuff until they are worn. As far as the u-bolts, not that much stress on them until you do a wheelie or jump something. The car sits on the spring, the u-bolts just keep it in there. Oh yeah, don't forget to chamfer the edges of the top leaf if using other than the stock top leaf. Dave
Thanks, I did notice that the top leaf (both front and rear spring) had a chamfer edge in it. What was the reason for doing that? To avoid binding or to provide added strength??
I'm calling BS. If the nut goes all the way on without a fight the bolt is fine to use. My spring shop stocks rear U bolts. I forget the applications listed but they have them and fit perfectly. I told them to add Old ford hot rods to their listing of applications lol. However they aren't forged like Henry's stuff. I don't even think they are heat treated and any on the spot shop fabricated u bolt won't be.
I had not really planned on changing from using my original 1041 Ford U bolts. They cleaned up fine and the threads are good. That was someone's suggestion back in the thread - not to use them. My question really was about what material to use to take up the space left by removing some of the leafs. Someone suggested using cut downs from the springs that I had removed. Another was using a steel or aluminum shim. I don't want to ruin the leafs I took out in case I want to use them down the road (probably wont but just hate destroying a functional part) - so I will try getting some material from a local spring shop to use. I like the idea of it having the correct bend and width to it to match up to the spring I am using. Thanks again for everyone's input.
What is wrong with using a piece of mild steel, the required thickness, shaped to suit the curvature of the bottom leaf ?
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