trailer leaf springs???

the car- 36 pontiac coupe.

the drivetrain- 283, powerglide, gm 7.5 differential

the idea- stactic rear drop with leaf springs on reversed shackles

the problem- i need a leaf spring that is 42 inches long or less

the question- will trailer leaf springs work? i know they are used in g***er and transverse leaf setups. would they be able to handle the torque and stress of locating the rear differential?

 

the solution- go to spring shop and have new spring made to your specifications

 

Chevy astro van rear leaf springs, 30" long, leaf or composite, they come either way. Probably 30 bucks at the junk yard.

 

thanks for the tip on the astro springs. i've been trying to find some sort of database with factory spring dimensions.

 

If not the Astro Van springs look under the short wheelbase Dodge mini Vans from the Mid 80's. Brackets and all unbolt easily and they are right at the same length. I'd have to go out in the driveway and measure mine for sure though. Oops, those may be longer than you want, I'll have to get a good measurement in the morning.

 

so would that be a NO on the trailer spring idea?

 

Most of the ones I have looked at lately are a bit too stiff to want to run them on a car an a lot of them have bolt and bushing setups that may not be the best option for a good ride in a car. I was looking at my local ag equipment supplier though so there may be more suitable ones out there.

 

Best to go junkyard hopping with a measuring tape. I'm sure there's hundreds of different vehicles with springs that will work for your application. But whats wrong with the stock Poncho springs?

 

so far i've seen them up to 30 inches long with varying load capacities. i know a short spring can cause low ride quality, but my main concern with using them is safety.

 

the stock springs mount at the very rear of the frame. to use them with a reversed shackle would mean that the spring would sit above the decklid. and yes, i do love going to junk yards, just trying to do a little research first.

 

Zach...'52 Pickup is right. Save time and $$. If you were in my town, we'd tool up to Moore's Spring in Stockton (CA) and get some made up. Oh, the 'junk yards' are just FULL of 'em! Dae woo, Hundai, Nissan, all the populer ones! LOL
Talk to the spring guys. Get what you need.

 

thanks, gonna be making some phone calls tommorow to spring shops. deawoo! whats wrong with a deawoo!?! that word always makes me laugh.

 

went to a spring shop today. they quoted me about $360.00 per spring for custom springs. i figure for that price i would be better off buying new factory springs that fit my application, if they exist.

 

Try Eaton Detroit Spring http://www.eatonsprings.com/

 

trailer springs work , rat roders do it all the time . try inland marine . i think it is . they have them up to 36 inchs long i think . just remember not to over spring it . like a 2000# pair is a 1000# per side . which might be to much for the rear . the front needs more then the rear naturaly. if your thinking of going factory replacements . look at jcwhitneys. i bought them for the rear of my 55 fairlane there cheaper then anywhere else . they do come with front bushings even though they say they dont , at least on my car.

 

hey, who are you callin a rat rodder?!? thanks for the info. i've been going in circles on how to set up the rear end on this thing, ladder bars vs. four link vs. leaf springs.

 

My brother uses them on a Morris Minor that runs 10.30s in the quarter. Been under there for over 20 years Seem to work for him..

 

rocky, thank you for the reply. very good info.

 

You definitly went to the wrong spring shop, I can get springs made for the front of a Mack truck for less than that.Have a blast at the junkyard.

 

what should i expect to pay for custom springs?. i would be much more open to the idea if were not the most expensive option.
is anyone else using trailer springs for rear springs?

 

My brother has been running trailer springs under the back of his '34 Ford P.U. for many years, rides great.

 

Springs is springs. I'd get something with comparable dimensions........................... Would check out the junk yard first........

 

If you're thinking of going with new springs, I got mine from Posie's and I think it was around 400 for the whole setup, but that was a few years ago. I remember they had some shorter generic leafs too for people setting up a new setup.

Did I meet you at the Pileup last year? I remember meeting a couple guys from somewhere in MN that had a 36 Coupe. It's a pretty rare car, so there can't be too many of them running around up there!

 

once again thanks everyone for the input and info.
i bought this car in march of this year, so it was'nt me you talked to at hunnert car last year. union speed and style (formerly old skool customs) had their 36 three window shop project at the pileup last year. it's the only other 36 pontiac coupe i've seen around here.

 

That's the one I was thinking of. I've seen 2 other 36's, but only 1 other 35 around here. Those were all down at Quincy, IL for the fall color run. I've seen quite a sedans, but the coupes are really hard to find. Good luck with your suspension setup!

 

What would you expect to pay for custom springs? Spring steel leaves not having eyes rolled with labor $ will cost you upwards of $35 per 60" length of repair plate. Trailer springs are short and disposable when they break. Labor $ to custom build a spring is very expensive at a local level IF YOU CAN FIND A SHOP THAT STILL HAS THAT CAPABILITY. Capabilities have and are changing based on how vehicles are made today, not yesterday. If based on yesterday, pay the price for the leftover experience with building leaf springs.
I work at a shop that used to temper steel into spring steel before you could buy a complete spring ***embly by part number. SRI made the catalog to make that spring have a part number, 80 means Pontiac car as the prefix. 62 means Mack truck.

 

I used leafs from a Suzuki Samarai from a junkyard. About 40" center to center when loaded and 2" wide. They come with an overload leaf that I removed. Hope this helps.

 

thanks blue 49, i will look into those as well.

 

I never put springs on my trailers because i had springs on the cars that sat on them. Seemed to me rundundant. Now after some 41 years later I believe it was the right decision. Why? Cause they towed straight and never ever not even once gave a seconds trouble. Also the folks who bought the last two are still using them .
Don

 

I've couldn't find trailer leafs much longer than 30".
They have a high load rating too, so be prepared for a stiff ride.

They will soften up after a while but will still be rough riding.
As far as safety goes as long as they are mounted correctly there are no
problems there.
I've had a set in the front of my Willys pickup for the last ten years without any issues other than the stiff ride. I don't think they will ever sag.

I used the main leaf off the original pack with a grade 8 center pin to build them, to get the correct length, a little over 30".
They were $19.99 each at the marine surplus shop at the time of purchase.