Posted by Charlie on September 04, 1998 at 22:52:44:
In Reply to: W.T.B. Front ;eaf spring packs for civilian Power Wagon posted by Drew Reed on September 04, 1998 at 22:06:52:
I'd suggest going to a reputable local spring shop if you have one. They have all the specs for trucks back to the 30s, and Power Wagons in particular. I brought an old pack in, the kind with the two extra leaves added on top (11 total). I calculated that 6 leaves of 0.323" thick stock ( a standard thickness) would be about 20% softer than the 11 leaves of 0.260". I asked them to build them with about 2.5" more arch than original, which will ride with load about 2" higher. They installed properly. I don't have the powertrain or front clip back on uet but they look like they'll ride with about 3.0-3.5" between rubber bumpstop and axle. Just right. The best part: $180/pair! Plus a bit for new u-bolts, 4 degree caster wedges, and quite a bit for brand new Monroe giant shocks. My current rears are 15 leaves of 0.323" plus 6 overloads of 0.260". I'm going to replace them with 9 leaves of 0.375" (19% softer) and overloads of 5 leaves of 0.375" (73% stiffer), with 1-1.5" more arch and about 2" of compression before the overloads engage. Also new shocks along with low pressure (20-25 psi) 37/12.50R16.5s. All this in a quest for a good ride!
Bottom line as far as you're concerned is that you can custom build springs that may be preferable to NOS for possibly less money. The stiff bouncy ride of a Power Wagon is not necessarily essential to the functionality of the vehicle. Just ride in a M37 for proof of that hypothesis!
Charlie