Pretty keen to get the body lines level, so built a small press which utilizes a 10 ton jack:
Axle off:
Saddle before:
Saddle after hammering:
Springs separated and marked at 50mm intervals:
Outline traced onto paper:
Gradually work your way along each leaf at 50mm increments by jacking and releasing. Take it easy to start with.
Quite a bend!
Fettle first leaf with the press until symmetrical:
Then do the rest to match the first leaf's curvature.
180mm additional curve depth.
Klaar!
Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
- Tim86
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
Fitting:
Excessive arch results in rear shackle being pulled forwards and up to touch chassis even under load, don't worry, will settle
Prop pulled down a lot:
Heaps of travel:
Very high!
mmmm
Cracked shock mounts due to missing torque rod and axle shift forwards combo:
Tack, cool, tack, cool:
Saved a few grand
Shorten old truck's torque rod to prevent any more buggered shocks and axle wrap, brake steer etc etc.
Temporary shock extensions until springs settle:
Excessive arch results in rear shackle being pulled forwards and up to touch chassis even under load, don't worry, will settle
Prop pulled down a lot:
Heaps of travel:
Very high!
mmmm
Cracked shock mounts due to missing torque rod and axle shift forwards combo:
Tack, cool, tack, cool:
Saved a few grand
Shorten old truck's torque rod to prevent any more buggered shocks and axle wrap, brake steer etc etc.
Temporary shock extensions until springs settle:
- Mud Dog
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- Real Name: Andy
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Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
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.
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!.
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!
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!
- Tim86
- LR 4WD Rear Locker
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:33 pm
- Town: Cape Town
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- Real Name: Tim
Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
Extensions:
Do NOT hit big bumps with this setup!
Limiting straps (climbing rope:)) to prevent excessive down travel:
Brake line extensions:
Digress a bit:
Grrreat for spinning the wheel fast in the dunes! Front too high before settling:
RHS sagged a bit more than LHS so depressed LHS a bit:
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)
What it's built for:)
Do NOT hit big bumps with this setup!
Limiting straps (climbing rope:)) to prevent excessive down travel:
Brake line extensions:
Digress a bit:
Grrreat for spinning the wheel fast in the dunes! Front too high before settling:
RHS sagged a bit more than LHS so depressed LHS a bit:
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)
What it's built for:)
Last edited by Tim86 on Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Tim86
- LR 4WD Rear Locker
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- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:33 pm
- Town: Cape Town
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- Real Name: Tim
Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
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.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.
- Mud Dog
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- 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
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.
Oh, ..... you keep posting something else while I try reply.
But I see that you did this a while ago and that it has settled down with shock extensions removed.
Is it level now?
Good to see that you're giving it a go though.
Oh, ..... you keep posting something else while I try reply.
But I see that you did this a while ago and that it has settled down with shock extensions removed.
Is it level now?
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.
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!
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!
- Tim86
- LR 4WD Rear Locker
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 10:33 pm
- Town: Cape Town
- Vehicle: Hilux
- Real Name: Tim
Re: Cold Pressing Leaf Springs / Leaf Spring Re-Arching
Yip, second last pic is how it sits now, body lines and chassis rails parallel to the floor.
- Mud Dog
- Moderator
- Posts: 29858
- 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
Good job!
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.
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!
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!