The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 50 3/4 ton rear leaf springs reverse

Hi all. It's been a while since I posted here. Moved from Fla to SC, took my project truck with me, and I'm finally getting back into it.
My delimma ... Whe I acquired my 50 3/4 ton pickup a previous owner had already replaced the rear member with a 70's 14 bolt rear. I want to relocate it back a couple of inches to get it better centered in the wheel wells. I've been pouring through the posts and I've read posts that say the rear leafs CAN be reversed to recenter the rear end, and I've read they CAN'T be turned around. Has anyone actually done this, or can tell me if it can done or not? I'm not concerned about the driveshaft issue since I'm doing a rod project and will be custom fitting a driveshaft later anyway.
Any tips from someone who has done this sucessfully would be most appreciated!
Thank you!
50-3600-guy

Might be easier to weld on new perches on the rear end. The guy that did mine said he got them from a trailer supply place and they have 3 or 4 holes in them so you can move the rear end a little forward or back.

Don't forget your 3600 is very different from a 3100 back there in the rear. Not only is your frame more narrow but your springs swing from the outside of the frame. Anyone giving you advice should be aware of this. Good luck with the move.

Thanks for the input guys.
I have considered welding on new perches, but it seemed like an easier fix to just reverse the leaf springs if it's possible.
I've searched through the archives some more and can't find where anyone has claimed to have actually done this. Maybe reversing the leafs is just one of those myths.
Thanks again,
50-3600-guy

Would reversing the springs help? The reason I ask, 3100's have the spring pin off-center because the axle pivots behind the spring mount. 3600 axles arehard-mounted to the springs, so wouldn't the pin be in the middle?

Good luck.

Great question. I am at that point on my rebuild, putting the rear leaves back on. My 3600 pins are not centered on leaves and I have also considered reversing them to move axle back alittle. I wondered if my stock driveshaft would be to short to do that.

Highflyer - A previous owner replaced the stock rear axle with a 70's 14 bolt rear. It sits just forward of center. If the springs were able to be reversed it would move the rear axle back about 2 inches, centering it in the rear fender well.
Shell - I believe you would need a new driveshaft since it would be pulled away from the tranny by a couple of inches. Also to consider - hyd brake line and emerg brake lines would need attention, as well as anything else connected to the rear like anti-sway bar, etc.