Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

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Tim86
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Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Tim86 »

Pretty keen to get the body lines level, so built a small press which utilizes a 10 ton jack:
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
Axle off:
7.jpg
Saddle before:
8.jpg
Saddle after hammering:
9.jpg
Springs separated and marked at 50mm intervals:
10.jpg
(28.02 KiB) Not downloaded yet
Outline traced onto paper:
11.jpg
(25.34 KiB) Not downloaded yet
Gradually work your way along each leaf at 50mm increments by jacking and releasing. Take it easy to start with.
12.jpg
Quite a bend!
13.jpg
Fettle first leaf with the press until symmetrical:
14.jpg
Then do the rest to match the first leaf's curvature.
180mm additional curve depth.
15.jpg
Klaar!
16.jpg
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Tim86
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Tim86 »

Fitting:
17.jpg
18.jpg
Excessive arch results in rear shackle being pulled forwards and up to touch chassis even under load, don't worry, will settle
19.jpg
Prop pulled down a lot:
20.jpg
Heaps of travel:
21.jpg
Very high!
22.jpg
23.jpg
mmmm
24.jpg
Cracked shock mounts due to missing torque rod and axle shift forwards combo:
25.jpg
Tack, cool, tack, cool:
26.jpg
Saved a few grand
27.jpg
Shorten old truck's torque rod to prevent any more buggered shocks and axle wrap, brake steer etc etc.
28.jpg
(32.47 KiB) Not downloaded yet
Temporary shock extensions until springs settle:
29.jpg
(32.36 KiB) Not downloaded yet
30.jpg
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Mud Dog
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Mud Dog »

Pretty much the same as what I did to my front leaf pack in a thread here about 3 yrs back. You might have a problem though .... looks like the curvature of both sides is the same but the pedestal on the driver's side sits higher than that of the passenger side because of the diff pumpkin on the driver's side. The curvature of the pack on that side should be a fraction shallower.

But try it with the weight on and see, you might just get lucky and it sits level.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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Tim86
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Tim86 »

Extensions:
31.jpg
32.jpg
33.jpg
Do NOT hit big bumps with this setup!
34.jpg
Limiting straps (climbing rope:)) to prevent excessive down travel:
35.jpg
Brake line extensions:
36.jpg
Digress a bit:
37.jpg
38.jpg
39.jpg
Grrreat for spinning the wheel fast in the dunes!
40.jpg
Front too high before settling:
41.jpg
RHS sagged a bit more than LHS so depressed LHS a bit:
42.jpg
After 2000 kms or so often loaded and on the beach & corrugations everything has settled perfectly, am very happy!
I got about 70mm front lift at a great cost of approx 500 bucks.
(Ropes, shock extensions etc all removed)
43.jpg
What it's built for:)
44.jpg
Last edited by Tim86 on Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Tim86
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Tim86 »

Mud Dog wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:04 pm Pretty much the same as what I did to my front leaf pack in a thread here about 3 yrs back. You might have a problem though .... looks like the curvature of both sides is the same but the pedestal on the driver's side sits higher than that of the passenger side because of the diff pumpkin on the driver's side. The curvature of the pack on that side should be a fraction shallower.

But try it with the weight on and see, you might just get lucky and it sits level.
Yes, when I took them off they were surprisingly both precisely the same, so even though I knew about the pedestal difference I opted to keep it that way, remedied it a bit later.
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Mud Dog
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Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Mud Dog »

Be careful when extending the shocks - they are the stops for the outward travel and if that is too much the shackles can invert.

Good to see that you're giving it a go though. :winkx:


Oh, ..... you keep posting something else while I try reply. :D:

But I see that you did this a while ago and that it has settled down with shock extensions removed. :thumbup:

Is it level now?
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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Tim86
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Tim86 »

Yip, second last pic is how it sits now, body lines and chassis rails parallel to the floor.
User avatar
Mud Dog
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Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching

Post by Mud Dog »

Good job! :thumbup:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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