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Posted by Clint Dixon on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 17:52:20 :
In Reply to: leaf springs posted by Dana in Lancaster on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 14:28:42 :
Check to see if you can find the part number stamped onto the underside of the very bottom leaf. It may be obstructed from view above the spring perch on the axle housing. If you have a spring pack of 8 leaves that has never been altered, you will probably find the part number 1272 998. This is the 1150 lb. capacity spring pack. The heavier 1600 lb. spring pack was made up of 11 leaves. The very early 1110 spring pack was also made up of 11 leaves, but these were of a different design.
Others have mentioned a direct relationship between GVWR of the truck to the number of spring leaves. This very well could have been true most of the time, but I can find no place in vintage Dodge literature to indicate that the heavier 9500 rated trucks always used the 11-leaf spring packs (#1273 201).
I have not even found any correlation between tire size and/or load rating and GVWR. I had a 1952 B3PW that correct date coded narrow wheels and 7.50X16 tires. It also had the 8 leaf front spring packs. I still have the data tag from the door jamb. It was a 9500 GVWR truck.
My '51 B3PW is a 8700 GVWR truck, as is my '47 WDX. The '47 has the early 11 leaf 1110 rated springs and the '51 has the later 8 leaf 1150 rated springs. The '51 rides a LOT stiffer than the '47.
A lot of restorers build up the front spring packs to raise the front of the truck and make it sit "level". I don't know how original you are trying to go. If you look at the old photos in the Power-Wagon literature, the trucks originally had a pronounced rake, where the front sat noticeably lower than the rear. These trucks were designed for hauling heave loads. As the load increased truck would level out. If you build up the front too much, you will end up with a tail-low truck when you carry heavy loads.
Junior
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