The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1946 1/2 ton : I need to rearch the leaf springs

Merry Christmas everyone.

just wondering if anyone has rearched their own springs and if they have how they have done it would anyone be able to post what the original arch is and length of the main leaf

I have a 46 1/2 ton

Thx

Not endorsing anything here as there are many opinions about re-arching but it is good reading and makes a lot of sense to me.
Yes, they are in business to sell springs but good info....

http://www.eatonsprings.com/rearching.htm

From my years in the business of steel fabrication I would have to agree 100% with what
is posted on Eaton's site. If it was practical I'm sure they would encourage you to do it.
But the fact remains that the labor to disassemble, clean and prep the leaves, heat treat
and reassemble the stack comes out about the same as making a new spring from scratch.
One thing to remember that even with annealing, re-tempering and drawing back the
molecules in the steel will still show signs of fatigue where some of the bonds have been
torn apart, which means that it is still a candidate for failure long before you would expect
trouble from a new spring. Every used spring that I’ve seen even those with relatively low
mileage shows signs of wear where the ends of the leaves have been working.

I considered re-arching mine when I first brought my truck home because they really were
in great shape and looked fine other than loosing some of their shape. But when I looked
at all the factors and compared the prices decided that new is the only way to go.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

It all depends on what your expectations are. If you want the springs to last your lifetime, I would recommend buying new ones from Eaton. If you have a vehicle that you drive occasionally and just want it to stand up straight, you can re arch them cold by using a hydraulic press. 50 years ago, very few people bought springs for pickups. Labor was cheap and parts were expensive. Nearly all of the roads were rough and a cold re arch would last a couple of years of daily driving. Even though spring companies don't recommend it, all it costs is a new center bolt because they usually break and a little labor.

I have read an article about re-arching a Model A's springs. They took them apart, place each leaf on a rig that had a step in the middle and shaped them with a sledge hammer.

I've had good luck with re-arched springs on my 'bolt and on other trucks. I had a 1-ton dually that I took to a shop and they re-arched the rears to stock height, after that I pulled a very heavy (2000 lbs on the pin) 5th wheel that we took all over the USA as we full-time RV'd for 3 years. The springs remained at the stock height.

All the experience I've had with de-arching or re-arching has been with the spring worked cold. No heat treating necessary.

Would the new Eaton springs outlast the re-arched ones? Maybe, but I'd hate to have to put money on it.

THIS shows one method if you want to do it yourself. The pro shops I took my springs to all used the "2 bricks and a sledge" method. Either one will work.

What can I say...... sounds like the guys know a lot more about metallurgy than the guys
over at Eaton Spring who make a living at it.

So Kevin, go ahead, get the sledge hammer out and beat them back into submission,
and by the way, good luck buddy, hope one doesn‘t end up folding up in a turn.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

My money is on Eaton, Denny and Chipmunk. For all the effort to get them out, seems cheap to buy new.

Also don't forget to get a price from a local spring shop they can make you new ones and you'll save the shipping.

Pete

I had a 76 Chevy 3/4 ton re-arched by a spring shop in Boise in 1996. I only put a couple thousand miles a year on it, but it is still riding high. It rarely moves without a ton or more load on it.
That said, I agree you need to compare prices and look at how you will use it. I have no delusions that the used springs won't last as long as a new set, but at almost half the price on a truck I knew would sit empty most of the time, re-arching was the best deal for my truck.

I recently went through this when I decided to put new springs on my '51. I first investigated having the springs rearched or made. The cost was significantly more than new springs, including shipping, from SDTrucksprings.com.

I was very happy with the new springs, they were made in the USA and included the bushings. Fit was perfect and the gratification quick.

Kurt

As Denny mentioned, and it was something I took into consideration before purchasing new springs for my truck, is the wear that results from the leafs rubbing on each other. Mine were considerably worn on each leaf where the shorter leaf next to it ended. St. Louis Spring is also supposed to be very good to deal with.
Samantha

Hey thanks everyone for your responses all very helpful but all things considered if money was no object it be no problem to order 4 new springs end of story and possible problems but my truck will be a Sunday driver maybe putting on a 2-400 miles a year and as crenwelge said all I am out is a bit of labour and a bolt if it dosen't last forever,all I want is a little lift, saying that does anyone know how much they should be rearced Thx again

Hey 46chevinline6 I've driven a 46 over 20,000 miles with sledge hammmer rearched springs front and rear with no problems. I rearched them myself making sure both sides came out the same matching each leaf. The old truck sets proud and even on all corners.

You might find some answers here 1942 Car and Truck Specifications I would imagine that 1942 and 1946 are similar. Maybe you would want to make sure that the shackles are nearly verticle at static load.

Hey ttodd

do you remember how much you rearched them or what you determined to be enough it says the springs are 36" between centers but is that before they are installed or with weight on them Thx