Do I really have to find a spring spreader?

[FlatheadTed]

His best bet is buy a porter power ,he will have other uses for it .Here's another way of jacking a reversed eye spring ,you use a old shackle or just use just the flat parts bolted say 3 stacked as in the next picture ,You can also use two u bolt lower plates bolted together ,just make sure they are tight .

 

[Tim Ayers]

Um, Tim, a spring spreader works very well with a reverse eye spring. A little mechanical ability goes a long way...
If you ever want to know how to do this operation, let me know.

Not sure if I should take offense to your comment. I guess I must be lacking a little mechanical ability and should throw away all of my tools.

I'll count my lucky stars that C clamps have always done the trick for me. I've live by the motto that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Kube]

Kube, you're either smart and/or helpful. I can't tell one without the other.

Lonnie

Lonnie,
I set up a spring with spreader on my bench to depict the way I do it. It is a very simple in design as you can see. Works amazingly well and is safe.
In the "real world" I use a heavier shackle pin to press against. The one in the photo was handy for taking the photo.

 

[Kube]

Not sure if I should take offense or take it or leave it. I guess I must be lacking a little mechanical ability and should throw away all of my tools.

I guess I've always lived by the motto that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

I didn't mean any offense.
Think of it as more a lesson in "necessity is the mother of all invention".
As a tool maker I had to figure out ways to build dies and machines all the time that, well, "bent my brain". I always managed to find a solution as there was never an option NOT to find a solution. I suppose those years of hands on experience have helped me...

 

[Kube]

OK Jim, there's my 16" of angle, cut into four fours, drilled with a drill and clamped with four bolts. DD

This appears to be decent method to install reverse eye springs too. What keeps the spreader held safely against that piece of angle iron?

 

[19Fordy]

Perhaps there is a gusset on the angle iron with a bolt hole to fit a similar piece on the end of the spreader.

 

[Tim Ayers]

I didn't mean any offense.
Think of it as more a lesson in "necessity is the mother of all invention".
As a tool maker I had to figure out ways to build dies and machines all the time that, well, "bent my brain". I always amanged to find a solution as there was never an option NOT to find a solution. I suppose those years of hands on experience have helped me...

No problem. After looking back, my comment was a little thin skinned on my part. I appreciate the follow up and input.

 

[Bader]

Use a new center bolt,just don't cut it off till you have ride height set it'll have to come apart at least a couple times. Initial ride height should be about an inch higher than you want,it will settle at least that much.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

OK Jim, there's my 16" of angle, cut into four fours, drilled with a drill and clamped with four bolts. DD

This appears to be decent method to install reverse eye springs too. What keeps the spreader held safely against that piece of angle iron?

Lonnie,
I set up a spring with spreader on my bench to depict the way I do it. It is a very simple in design as you can see. Works amazingly well and is safe.
In the "real world" I use a heavier shackle pin to press against. The one in the photo was handy for taking the photo.

Pretty slick Kubarth, and simple! I'd graciously settle for "runner-up" status with my meager example when compared with yours, below. Folks can learn a little bit more every day (myself included), if they'll pay attention with an open mind. Again......SLICK! DD

 

[JM 35 Sedan]

Last year I took the rear out of my car to replace 4.11 gears with 3.78's and repair/rebuild the rear as necessary. The attached pictures show how we disassembled the spring pack and removed it from the rear. I do not like using C clamps alone to take a spring pack apart. I don't care who has recomending doing this, C clamps alone can slip off the spring allowing the pack to fly apart. These leaves can come apart with enough energy to kill someone, maybe you...so BE SAFE!!

 

[ford3]

same thing can happen with a spring spreader, you just have to be smarter than what your working on, wood shims take care of the slipping problem with the c clamps, but saying that, any way that works is the right way

 

[Bubsyouruncle]

All sorts of good thoughts here. Sure wish I read some of those a few years ago.

For those who are taking them out and putting them in on a regular basis, one of those heavy duty rigs seems like the way to go. I guess I just got lucky back when Ike was in the White House.

Vague memory, but I think I replaced my shackles by jacking the body up until the axle hung on the spring. I put pieces of wood under the eyes and then lowered the car back on the wood. The eyes and the wood carried the car's weight as the eyes spread and it was easy, sort of, to remove the shackles. Then you jack the car up again and remove the u-bolts. Not quite sure how I did it on the rear, but it was pretty much the same drill.

Since the spring was always constrained by the cross member, real excitement was not too possible. I think.

Reverse to reinstall.

Or maybe memory is faulty.
​

 

[Heard]

John,
That looks to me like one of the safest ways to do it. That is pretty much what I ended up doing except your method is way more elegant. I used all thread AND C clamps. I left the C clamps on, loosened the nut on the all thread about 1/4", then loosened the C clamps. Then loosened the nut, then clamps and so on until all was loose. No drama, no surprises, very controllable, and overall very safe.

Its apart now. Making progress. Now I need help separating the torque tube. I started another thread about that.

 

[Tinker]

Lonnie,
I set up a spring with spreader on my bench to depict the way I do it. It is a very simple in design as you can see. Works amazingly well and is safe.
In the "real world" I use a heavier shackle pin to press against. The one in the photo was handy for taking the photo.

Heard, great to here that ya made it happen.

Kube, the shackles never interfere with the removal of the shackles on the vehicle? Never tried this method, i also know you can build a car.

on my previous post with a link to harms ways post. Personally i would be leery of the time removing the center bolt and adding the all thread. Knocking an old rusty center bolt out with only the clamps still attached to a axle has some force. But hey that is why i thought chains as a back up was a good idea. I would think that removing the shackles to release the energy first would be the safest.

The angle iron looks like a great idea outside a tab to keep the spring spreader set. Easily welded on.

I saws-alled the shackle of a spring on a rear axle (off the car) and i thought it would fly off. It didnt. But i can see there is a lot of kinetic energy waiting to hurt someone.

Great ideas still being posted. Enjoy be safe.




.

 

[FlatheadTed]

This set up of Kubes is the same idea as my previous post (photo 1 ), Its pretty obvious that it doesn't work because when the pins are in place the pushing force comes directly onto the shackle plates and pin (My picture 1 & 2) .The idea is to remove the shackle plates with ease I don't see how the shackle plates will come of or go back on .The simplest option for him is to use the two u bolt plates as in my picture 3 &4 ,these can be removed of the centre of the spring first then used in this application .There's no drilling fabricating ect .I posted this years ago ,I post again ,

Lonnie,
I set up a spring with spreader on my bench to depict the way I do it. It is a very simple in design as you can see. Works amazingly well and is safe.
In the "real world" I use a heavier shackle pin to press against. The one in the photo was handy for taking the photo.

 

[Tinker]

Okay, thanks ted for the answer.

 

[Kube]

Heard, great to here that ya made it happen.

Kube, the shackles never interfer with the removal of the shackles on the vehicle? Never tried this method, i also know you can build a car.

on my previous post with a link to harms ways post. Personally i would be leary of the time removing the center bolt and adding the all thread. Knocking an old rusty center bolt out with only the clamps still attached to a axle has some force. But hey thats why i thought chains as a back up was a good idea. I would think that remmoving the shackles to release the energy first would be the saftest.

The angle iron looks like a great idea outside a tab to keep the spring spreader set. Easily welded on.

I sawalled a spring pack on a rear axle out side the car and i thought it would fly off. It didnt. But i can see there is a lot of kinetic engery waiting to hurt someone.

Great ideas still being posted. Enjoy be safe.


No, the shackles do not interfere. That picture is only a "mock up" on my bench and may not depict exactly what goes on. I have used this method a number of times without a hitch. It is both simple and quite effective.

 

[Brendan]

Last year I took the rear out of my car to replace 4.11 gears with 3.78's and repair/rebuild the rear as necessary. The attached pictures show how we disassembled the spring pack and removed it from the rear. I do not like using C clamps alone to take a spring pack apart. I don't care who has recomending doing this, C clamps alone can slip off the spring allowing the pack to fly apart. These leaves can come apart with enough energy to kill someone, maybe you...so BE SAFE!!

John, I have used your method about 5 times now, its a bugger but its a lot safer!

 

[Brendan]

the first time I took a spring off a rear was in my 36 pickup. I took it out to replace the shackles. I had a friend help me and we used his cutting torch to cut the shackles. that spring jumped good when we cut the first side!

 

[FlatheadTed]

Quote
No, the shackles do not interfere. That picture is only a "mock up" on my bench and may not depict exactly what goes on. I have used this method a number of times without a hitch. It is both simple and quite effective. Yeah I can see that .