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My 1.5 ton has some of the stiffest leaf springs I’ve ever encountered, the ride quality is about the same as if the axles were bolted straight to the frame. Has anyone swapped out or removed some out of the pack to improve ride?

Most of the late model truck springs have less leaves but they are wider and thicker. So id need to find some that would work with the current hangars or replace the hangers.

Just curious of what others have done. I’m not looking to haul 11k or anything at the most maybe 4K once in a great while. Maybe I could remove some leaves and add airbags...

Let’s see what others have done?

The 1 ton through 2 ton AD trucks used the same dimension (length and width) front spring just with different more or less springs depending on the gvw, so you could swap in some from a one ton if you wanted it a little softer

Hi Tony

Have you considered taking your spring packs apart, sandblast or sand all roughness and re-assemble .....that is one possibility

Another option would be to search for teflon inserts..... they use to sell them to remove the squeaks between leaves...on the assumption that the spring leaves would slide easier/softer ride......

Finally have new springs made with a different rating/fewer leaves.

My 40 Chev 4x4 has 10 leaves front and 12 rear and are very hard riding....2 1/2 in wide......packs were re-arced and rebuilt with some leaves replaced.. I use 10:50x16 at 33 pounds pressure......and this is a 3/4 ton or 15 CWT.

Bob C

if you want the plastic liner between the leaves, search for "leaf spring liner" with google, you will find many options.

i did a bit of internet research on the front springs in the parts wiki because mine are all busted open at the rear eye.
The front spring pack is the same part number for the 1 and 1.5 Ton,
1941-50 7 leaf assembly part# 3656425
1951-53 7 leaf, assembly part# 3694885
then for replacement purposes a 9 leaf assembly pops up, but this may have also been the spring if you got the heavy duty hauling options with the rear auxiliary springs?
1947-50 9 leaves, assembly part# 3657834


but it gets more fun, the individual leaves in the assembly each have their own part numbers.
the top leaf is part number 3656426, no thickness specification in the parts book that i could find
size 2 x 40 inches (eye center to center)
axle location from ends: 20-3/8 - 19-5/8 inches

this leaf is no longer stocked as a regular produced spring from the places i called in Canada.
however i was quoted 185 CAD (about 140 USD) to have it custom made.
which means you could ask for any thickness or thinness you want when ordering the custom one.
and then you can mix and match all the remaining shorter leaves under it until you get the softness you desire.

fun fact, if you are like me and want to crawl under all the trucks at the junk yard looking for this leaf before having a new one made.
that top leaf is also used in the following spring assemblies

3656425 7 leaf 41-50 1 and 1.5 Ton
3657834 9 leaf 41-50 1 Ton and 51-53 utility with H.D.
3697686 8 leaf 51-55 1 and 1.5 Ton
3695108 11 leaf
3703307 9 leaf 51-55 1 and 1.5 Ton
3711113 9 leaf 54-55 double wrap eye
3665355 8 leaf 48-50 D-D
3691884 11 leaf 50 TR TS
3694885 7 leaf 51-52 1 and 1.5 Ton

best of luck hunting
-stan

Are you sure about that? I seem to recall the 1/2-ton having 1-3/4" wide springs, the 3/4 & 1-tons having 2" wide and the big trucks having 2-1/2" wide...am I wrong?

Mike B

i agree with Mike B, based on what i found in parts book and observed
3/4 Ton front spring looks skinny like a 1/2 ton
i don't have a 1.5 Ton, but the parts book say it is the same as my 1 tons
my 2 Ton and 2.5 Ton have something different, i can't share parts from them to my 1 ton
-s

What year trucks are you referencing?

Mike B

I was speaking for the advance design trucks ('47.2-'55.1). Look at my post again 1 ton through 2 ton front springs will interchange. 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton front springs will interchange. 3/4 ton through 2 ton rear springs will interchange (3/4 and 1 ton use a spacer to make up the 1/2" space in the spring mounts and shackles)

What year truck is Tony292 referencingf?

Mine is a 1940 1.5 ton

Since the spring packs are so short on these old rigs, removing springs may not do much to alleviate the stiff ride. It may just make the truck ride a little bit lower but with the same harshness as with the original leaves. I considerate it an acquired taste, part of the time capsule.

to answer mike B about years,
my 1 tons are 1950 and 1953, chevy and GMC, same front leaf spring 40inch eye to eye
the 2 ton and 2.5 ton are 1949-50 range, not sure at the moment they haven't been registered in over a decade.
they have larger front springs
-s

I’m looking for some springs like this.... photo is of a Dana 80. Just don’t know what the length would be. My springs measure 46 in the rear

I have had the spring packs apart many times on these old trucks. On my own I noticed that it rode hard for a few days after being put back in service after winter, then smoothed out. So the next time I had the springs apart I polished all the rust off and lubed them with an aersol product known as open gear grease. It dries hard and is used on bulldozer tracks, mining equipment drive chains etc. I let it dry for a day and reassembled the spring pack. WHAT A Difference! I learned this working in the shop in a logging operation. The old KWs and Petes I worked on didn't have shock on any axles. Anytime we had them apart they got the grease treatment. There is so much friction in a nine leaf pack that many lighter trucks didn't have shocks either. Mine didn't. Rear shocks were an RPO xxxx along with heavy duty air filters, other than green paint ,etc.

As you no doubt have discovered, springs are expensive. Open gear grease is about six bucks a can last time I bought some (been a long time). One can will do all your springs with some left over. In time the rubbing at the tips of the leaves will wipe off the grease but by then they are smooth and shiny and slide easily against each other. There used to be a greasing wedge that had a zerk fitting on one end and a hole in the wedge on the other. You'd jack the rig up and insert the wedge between the leaves and squirt in some grease. My 50 Studebaker had sheetmetal covers for the rear leaf springs with two zerks each. After a grease job the ride was much improved.