Spring saddles

[vinny933]

Spring guy said saddles  wore out he put cheap aftermarket ones on and they are worse then before.  I had enough  and went to mack and got oem. They don't the ears at the end , what would  be the difference.  Blurry picture  is the week old saddle  moving.  Even after being  tightened by a multimeter  gun

[Joey Mack]

I cant say that I have ever used that updated saddle.  how much wear is there on the spring leaves?  I guess if it fits snug, then the springs should stay in line.. do you have 7/8'' diameter u-bolts? here is a chart that I copied decades ago.  hope it helps..

[mechohaulic]

maybe it's the 10 pm or the yukon jack fire which is causing the confusion ;;BUT book from decades ago (my time frame ) shows the curved top as current VS flat top non-current. remember the curved one ; handled too many. thought the flat top showed up after. ???

[mechohaulic]

did anyone check the wear on the trunnion shaft ends. ?? new saddles / bushings shouldn't walk or wobble . missing the ears  on saddles appears to be another cost cutting make it cheaper idea. 

[fjh]

1 hour ago, mechohaulic said:

did anyone check the wear on the trunnion shaft ends. ?? new saddles / bushings shouldn't walk or wobble . missing the ears  on saddles appears to be another cost cutting make it cheaper idea. 

Yup I have used these  on a truck with out a torque rod to the frame your. Going to have this issue! Duno if it was a cost cutting measure or not how ever it has caused a lot of issues! 

[Joey Mack]

mech, I made that copy from an older Mack suspension book, 25 years ago..  I didnt know anything back then..

[vinny933]

Here is the long story , truck was 4 years old so I decided  in the winter to replace the insulators spring guy told me saddles wore so he changed them.did nt show me old ones ,give or take 4 months work I started hearing a cracking  noise when I turned. Spring guy was busy so I took it to another spring place he said saddles wornand changed them again,made it worse.went back to the first guy he said u bolts lose he multimeter tightened  them.helped empty noise still there loaded.  I had enough  and bought these from mack and I'm gonna tell him to change springs. At my wits end

[Joey Mack]

the trunnion bar is probably flat on the bottom where the saddle goes.  your wasting your money if the trunion is not replaced.  Axle Surgeon can cut the old bar out and weld in a new one, provided the 'A-Frame' is not rusted through or cracking at the top inside the frame, where the 3'' holes are for air lines and wires. to pass through.. Not sure of todays price, but 10 years ago it was $1,500.00 parts and labor, you hand to strip the spring packs off and have the truck on stands for them to do the job. 

[vinny933]

Well I'm going to the shop Monday  when he pulls it apart I will make him look, he put a jack under them while truck was in the air and they didn't move. Is why I'm thinking  springs, or they are missing a crack  

[Joey Mack]

just put YOUR eyes on the trunnion ends..  the bottom side gets ground down and will have a rough surface. it wont be flat, but it will be obvious.  please post pictures for us to give opinions on..  Jojo

[Mark T]

The spring clip in the picture has loose U bolts.  IDK  what this "multimeter" is . Last I knew you'd use a torque multiplier. Anyway, they're loose and even after they're put in in the first place, they need to be retorqued shortly after that.  

[Joey Mack]

1 minute ago, Mark T said:

2 minutes ago, Mark T said:

torque multiplier   

 

Exactly !!

[vinny933]

Yeah that's what he used sorry  torque multiplier 

[Joey Mack]

I worked at a Mack shop that had a hydraulic torque wrench.  It was great ! you could do them on or off the truck. 

[vinny933]

That picture  is after he used the multiplier  is why I. Thinking springs are wore

[Joey Mack]

I bet we knew Vinny,  all good.. my guess is you are nearing your whit's end? 

[Mark T]

Not many places have a hydralic torque wrench of even more than a little 4 to 1 torque multiplier.  Cuase they cost a fortune.  Or ?  if they don't have a pit to get a huge impact on them, then.....   They gotta be tight.

[vinny933]

It was making noise empty,  after multiplier  only loaded ,

[vinny933]

Guy said it's an 8000 dollar tool he uses

[Joey Mack]

i looked at the picture again,  are the 'Twinkies' instaled inside the bolster boxes at the spring tips? you can look inside to see if they are there.

[Mark T]

Look on the bright side, if the trunion bar is ok the most you're looking is new springs and saddles, new bolts and depending (?) maybe new buckets and isolators. Sometimes the springs hole gets egg shaped where the pin on the isolator goes. Making a trunion repair is the really expensive thing if that has to be addressed.

[Mark T]

3 minutes ago, vinny933 said:

Guy said it's an 8000 dollar tool he uses

Sounds about right for the one it would require.

[vinny933]

Just now, Joey Mack said:

i looked at the picture again,  are the 'Twinkies' instaled inside the bolster boxes at the spring tips? you can look inside to see if they are there.

Yes I made him put new again, thinking they where wore. When he he tightened  u bolts. 

[Mark T]

If the boxes (buckets) are rotted they can be missing enough to not squeeze everything enough.  Did anyone look at the round holes in the end of the springs ?

[vinny933]

1 hour ago, Mark T said:

If the boxes (buckets) are rotted they can be missing enough to not squeeze everything enough.  Did anyone look at the round holes in the end of the springs ?

Not sure they really won't let you in shop to look

[vinny933]

Here just took this picture  blurry is when I turned loaded , 2nd is I'm parked  as you can see it's moving