The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk front main leaf spring

Howdy folks.

So my dad and I tore into our parts truck yesterday in hopes to swop the front leaf springs. What we encountered was the eye on both main leafs (due to neglecting to grease i assume) were worn completely through the bushing and starting wearing on the spring eye itself. You should have seen the bolt!

Anyway...the reason for this post is to find out if anyone sells just the main leaf for these trucks. I'm gonna take it to our local spring shop to see what they have laying around. Any help would be great.

Thank You

It depends on what you want to do or prefer. For my son's 1946 3/4 ton, the first two leaves (based on the Chevrolet specs doc) are the same between a 1/2 ton and 3/4. I found a pair of 1/2 ton springs for very little money and just changed the first two out. We aren't necessarily trying to keep it to that level of original, it was just a cheap alternative.
I'm sure a spring shop can build you a completely new set that would give you a lot of service and might be the better alternative if you plan to drive it a lot.

You say the spring eye was starting to wear. You could probably just get by with a new bushing and pin.

I found the same thing on my truck. I replaced the front springs as they were sagging and I didn't want to do a recurve on the front springs. For the back springs, I drove the bushing in anyway and everything seems fine. ON one of the bushing, I ignored the wear and the other side with a bit more wear caused the bushing to distort a little in the spring eye. However, the pin went in fine with no apparent ill effects. I did consider filling the spring eye wear with JB weld, dressing it out prior to inserting bushing. But the impatient part of me won out. Plus I had extra bushing if it really turned out poorly.

Some advice above most likely is based on a misunderstanding - if you mean the eye of the leaf was worn through.

Do not use that leaf - if it breaks (as I have experienced) you will have a floating/banging/dangerous set of springs.

I agree with Tim about replacing the spring. If the bushing has worn through into the main leaf it is no longer serviceable. Just because you can put a new bushing in doesn't do anything to replace the structure of the spring eye.

He said starting to wear.

I had this problem on my 59. The local spring shop made a ne w leaf and everything has been fine since.

Thanks for the replies folks. Our local shop is gonna fix us up with two main leafs.

...and yes, I did say "started wearing on the spring eye itself". But just popping a bushing in a worn spring eye doesn't sit well with me. We got it all apart now, may as well do it right.

Thanks again guys...until next time.