Freightrain

Is this a disclaimer or a hint of something else??

I asked about pricing before I brought it down and we talked about the spring eye design. I knew I would have about that in it so I was not shocked. They cleaned up the rest of the leafs because there was some rust spreading going on with the broken clamps.

$344 with two new u bolts. That was hand forming the top two leafs since they are NLA. Apparently if it was "berlin eye", meaing the loop drooped off center then you can get it out of a catalog. With the flat loop, no. They riveted the pads back on, rebuilt the factory clamps with new bolts. I say they did a nice job on it.

Well, since my home computer will NOT let me post pictures, here is the rebuilt spring. Pretty nice work. Oh, when I got the truck back on the ground Sunday morning I remeasured ride height. Hmmmmm, it is perfectly level. Sayyywhat?? Ya, it was actually low on the drivers side by about 1/2" and now it is level. Go figure. With it getting cold this week I won't be getting it out to wash it up and take it for a spin. Might have to wait for Sat?

Ugh.....nope...ain't touching that one.

Tragic. I heard it on the news and KNEW it was going to be a bad story for the truck driver no matter what. Even when he gets cleared, it will ALWAYS be remembered as the "truck killed the people. Not the fact someone else caused it.

Ok, we're back to good again. That was quite the ordeal. I started on it just after 9pm last night and by 11:30pm it was all but finished. Getting the torque wrench this afternoon to pull the ubolts down properly. Could just run'm down with the 3/4" impact? They are 3/4" bolts, so only need 350lb/ft. Once I got the spring slid back under the truck an over the axle I tried to get it into the rear perch. Nope, nadda, ain't fit'n. Seems the springs are just over 3" wide and the opening is 3.000. Had to get the small angle grinder out and thin it up a touch(like .040) and it slipped in. Had to polish up the pin hole in the frame bracket so I could slip the pin in easier without having to mash it with a hammer. Then I went to work on the front. Ugh, more headaches. I found some longer bolts to help hold the lower cover aligned so I could use my bottle jack to press it together. Took some wiggle'n but got it down and tightened. I have it sitting on a block of wood so the spring will settle some. It doesn't look like it will be too cattywompus as the lower leafs are what give it the arch and they are the originals. Once I get the wheel on I will remeasure and check against what it was before I started. All I can say is thank gawd for ALEVE!!!! LOL! My lower back and legs were pretty ragged from crouching under that fender for a few hours. That along with working on tearing into my sister mustang to put a clutch in it the last few nights too. Did I mention I hate new cars LOL!! I like my old stuff, lots of room to work!

Welcome aboard! Nice setup.

Govt and sensible is an oxymoron and should not be used in the same sentence.

Thanks, I don't recall what size they are off the top of my head presently. I can now see why my 3/4" impact whipped them off without too much effort. All the oil/grease drenched all over them likely helped too LOL! They were NOT all dry and rusty!!

Well, I hope to get the spring back this week(so they say). Anyone have the torque specs for the U bolts? I got my hands on a 600ft/lb torque wrench, so I hope that covers it. Or I will have to come up with a torque multiplier too?

Good looking R!

I wonder if you could retrofit something from a 70's model Ford truck or such. I know mine are locked up tight even with lots of PB blaster I can not adjust the beams. They aren't bad, but wanted to turn them up slightly. They look like typical screws and nylon bushings from a car/truck of that vintage. Just a thought. Someday I will get around to fiddling with mine.

I kinda did what Glenn said, but with spokes I had to work with a slight wobble from not being a perfect fit on the spokes. After figuring the wobble, I rotated the tires to the middle of the wobble. Then measured and adjusted. Worked well enough. I thought of removing tires and working off the front face of hub(after removing the center cap).

Nice collection growing in the shop! Luckily I work where I have 3 Bridgeports to chose from and two large G/L horizontals to use(one has 4x8 table). Throw in dozen or so lathes, one is 40ft between centers LOL!! I do have a small table top mill at home, antique JET about 40 yrs old. This thing took the engine crane to put together and set up. 9x24 table,

In other words...........like it was brand new?? LOL!

Congrats on finding it!! Hope it all works out for you.

Yup, I'm right at the Akron Canton Airport exit(113) on 77. Due east of highway just a stones throw. Photobucket is the easiest place to store photos online to link to a website like this. That is what I use.

Those uphill races are insane!! Love watching them too. Could you imagine racing a B model LOL!! Start on Sat and finish on Sun LMAO.

See the guberment just demands more and can't seem to understand that you and I can't just demand more pay?

Cool. Interesting single headlight arrangement. Should it not be rectangular lights? Or is this a "Fleet" spec kinda thing? Or something someone rigged up along the way(likely)?

Funny how MONEY makes everything okay? (well, at least for the guberment)

Back in '03 I was going to ATHS convention in Syracuse. I still had truck plates on the Mack and went to get HUT temp permit. Christ, it was stupid. I was going 4 days, permit only good for 3 days. I'll be illegal coming or going so do I buy two 3 days? It was going to be $250!!!! Geezus. I quickly went to DMV and got historical tags and ran it that way. Haven't looked back.

Tom, I know that area well myself. I'm about 1/2hr north. Too bad I missed the trip, I coulda swung down and check out the Super.

If that "slipper" clutch is the same as the slipper clutch I run in my drag car, I would suppose you could use the clutch to shift(I do). Granted I am not putting 6000# of torque through mine, but it is only a 10.5" single disc rated at about 1000 HP(not sure torque rating). If you want some second opinion, call Tim Hyatt Racing services 440-417-0230. He deals in all kinds of clutches(drag, pulling, etc). Not sure if he has ever done something this big? Super nice guy, been in the business for 25+ yrs. He travels to all the NHRA races with his mobile work trailer. Tell'm Battlestar send you.