The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Rear Suspension on a 1952 3100 pickup

My 52 3100 pickup came with two stage springs in the rear. I know it’s a 3100 from the VIN tag, frame shape and the springs are centered under the frame. We’re these springs available as an option on the 3100 or did someone just add them.

RPO 254 was an optional 9 leaf elliptical spring available from the factory on 1/2 tons.
Everything else was dealer or home owner add ons.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/52061.html

I see it in the link you sent! Thanks!

I’m posting to this thread to correct the content for future “bolters”. A fellow “Bolter” PM’d me, saying he had the same overload springs and was happy to find it was a factory installed option RPO254 as concluded in the original thread. He also said his only had six leafs instead of the nine as the RPO stated. I had just removed mine as they needed to be cleaned up and painted. I took some pictures and noticed mine also only had six leafs. This prompted me to revisit the original post and look at the 1952 Chevrolet Specifications that showed the Options. Sure enough the RPO stated that it had nine leafs. It was then I put two and two together and realized that the RPO254 more than likely added one additional leaf the the spring stack of eight increasing the load capacity of the original springs from 1,450 lbs to 1,730 lbs each and it was not a set of second stage overload springs.

So now I’m curious, what do we have? Are they factory option or aftermarket?

I'd say you have something aftermarket. RPO 254 as sstock mentioned was just an additional leaf, and not a two stage type.
Your picture shows u-bolts that surround the axle, where 1/2 ton springs connect to the pivot just forward of the axle with square u-bolts.

Here's a page from the '52 Vehicle Information Kit that shows it as a standard semi-elliptical spring.

I'm the "Bolter" that PM'd Phak1 about his post trying to identify his rear spring set-up. I also have the same rear spring set-up on my 54 Chev 3100 Hydra-Matic and always wondered if these were an OEM Chev part or an aftermarket part. I may have found them on page 434 of the 1929-1954 Chevrolet Master Parts and Accessories Catalog. Listed below in the 7.503, Spring Assembly, Rear section.
47-54 Util 6 leaves (Aux Springs) Part 604934. I'm attaching photos of my set-up. Hope this helps.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/parts/1929_54/434.htm


Jim