Would it be safe to have the main leaf of my amc spirit leaf springs arch reversed so I would have reversed spring eyes.This is to lower it.I'm talking about disassembling the leaf spring pack,reverse arching just the main leaf and reassembling the spring pack?Most info I've found say's just reversing the spring eyes is not accurate or safe.
In reply to singledownloop:
Accurate to what? Unsafe how? It may possibly slightly change suspension geometry but I would guess there was not that much thought given to the geometry when it was designed so I doubt you will make it worse. I would be more concerned about whether the new setup rubs, whether you are left with any shock travel, etc... I did it on my CitiCar challenge build but it hasn't actually driven yet so I can't vouch for its success.
An eaton spring write up states that reversing the spring eye never works right and they refuse to do it.They state the spring eye never ends up round or "in line" with the original location.Also state that heating the eye to reverse it makes the end of the spring brittle and it will break.Also states it can't be done cold.I researched some other articles after reading the eaton write up and am now looking for some real world experience.I know the big truck shops around here re arch springs.I just want advice from someone I'm not spending money with.
I googled it until I found decent instructions on HAMB or somewhere similar. Basically you laid it on its side and traced the arch to have a goal, marked it every inch or so, and then slowly went to work bending it slightly at each mark with a press until you had the same arch as you traced but with the eyes on the other side. The end result looks like it was made that way.
A press would make life easy. I used to have the spring over the lifter valley of an old engine block while my dad beat the arch out with a sledgehammer. It's as much fun as it sounds.
I de-arced a set of leafs on my old Nissan Hardbody, but did not reverse the eyes. I don't think reversing the eyes makes sense in a "holding-up-the-vehicle-safely" standpoint.
I will never, ever do that again. I was never happy with how it changed the whole dynamics of the rear suspension. I should have just stayed with 3" blocks and be a happier camper.
My shiny happy adventures: The Hideous Hardbody: Hideously De-Arced
I removed the eye leaf from the pack, flipped it and rearched it on the front of my Fiat. It is the standard method for those cars. No need to heat and bend. I do believe I read this writeup on the HAMB
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/chassis-reversing-spring-eyes.90824/
and did it with the press.
I hadn't thought about it but now I am wondering why I haven't done this to the Falcon. The 3" blocks are giving me some axle wrap issues and this would lessen that.
I've reversed the main leaf in a transverse front spring for a 1934 Ford using the press at work.
I was less than happy with the results, it sagged after a short while and we ended up installing a professionally built spring instead.
If you're looking to lower the car, a good, old fashioned block works well.
Reversing the eye may screw up the geometry a bit. You want the shackle to be as close to perpendicular to the spring as you can get it, this keeps the spring rate change to a minimum.
If you use blocks, you might get more wheelhop from a block due to the extra leverage on the spring pack. Clamping the front half of the pack together will help stop this and make the spring stiffer.
Shawn
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