The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1951 GMC Axle to Leaf Spring Connection

Hello all, I have a 1951 GMC 1/4 ton pickup. I have to replace some damaged leaf springs so I separated them from the axle. My truck has a bracket between the leaf springs and axle. The U bolts attach the leaf springs to the bracket and a long bolt/bushing connects the bracket to another bracket which is welded to the axle.

I have not been able to find the bolt, bushing, and nut for the bracket to bracket connection at my normal supply resources. Everything I'm seeing shows the axle connected directly to the leaf springs with U bolts. I've included a picture of the assembly and the bracket.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Mike

Looking up this part in my manual, it's called a Rear Spring Seat

Sorry, I do not have one for you and have not seen one from any of the usual vendors. You might want to contact Mother Trucker. He might have one. A wrecking yard would be another option. When you put that in there are some rubber washers on each side of the seat. I tried the cheap ones and they are the wrong thickness. Use the ones from Steele Rubber as they are a perfect fit.

With a little creative tinkering, it might be possible to adapt a control arm bushing for some vehicle to that bracket, especially if someone could machine an adapter sleeve to create a press fit for the bushing. It's there to allow the rear end and torque tube to pivot at the back of the transmission and the rear springs.
Jerry

The spring center bolt isn't part of the spring seat, but is probably rusted into it. A spring shop should be able to get you a center bolt. They have a round head instead of a hex head (or you could machine off a hex head bolt.) But if you're replacing springs, they will come with a center bolt.

The nut and bolt should be available at a well stocked hardware store, or online at McMaster-Carr. You have the size from the existing bolt and the bushing is "glued" in place by the rubber in the spring seat.

If you're looking at the figures in the Factory Assembly Manual, they're for years after GM quit using the pivoting spring seat.

Could this be the part your looking for? It’s for the pivot from the leaf spring to axle, found at Chevs of the Fortys.[LINK]

I think those are for the spring eye to frame mount. As I said, GM phased out the spring seat/rear end pivot mount when they went to the open driveshaft.

Chevs of the forty’s show the rear leaf spring (front) spring eye to frame bushings different that the ones I pictured and linked before. First picture shows these bushings. Here is a [LINK].
Notice that the bushing is solid with no rubber bushing. The one I previously posted has the rubber bushing.

The second picture is from my ‘52 3100 and it looks very similar. I could be wrong, but it sure looks like the bushing and bolt I linked would work. Maybe a call to Chevs of the Forty’s is in order.

You may be right Phil. I haven't removed the spring mounts from my axle to see what's in there. Of course the FAM or anything else I've seen doesn't show an exploded view of this. I know that Steele will re-vulcanize the pivot for you, but it's pretty costly.

I looked on their site for a email I could ask somebody about the part and found none. Must be old school!

I did find this:

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