Removing single leaves from spring pack

[CJ3eh]

Good day, all --

I was thinking about removing some of the leaves (leafs?) from the spring packs on the old 3a. A few at each corner. The idea is to tame the ride a bit for the old backside and associated bits n pieces...

Should I be working from the bottom up? Take a couple from the middle? Other approaches? I assume I have to pull the entire thing out to disassemble but if it's possible to just jack the frame up til everything relaxes, loosen the u-bolts, pry open the bands etc and bang each leaf out I'd do that instead.

(Also, the poor girl has a bit of a list to port when sitting empty...perhaps take one more out of the starboard sides front and back to compensate and lower that side a bit more?)

Lotsa question marks I know

9682
9683

[bmorgil]

Work from the bottom up. You can remove the u-bolts, remove the centering bolt/pin from the spring pack and remove leafs on the vehicle. Remove the leafs from the shortest first, not from the middle. If you have some weak springs you could compensate. The ride will suffer and be a bit unpredictable as one side is going to be weaker then the other. Keep in mind the less leafs the softer the ride and the more the springs "work". A weak spring set to begin with, with a few leafs removed needs to be watched. It will be prone to break. If you loose the top leaf, you loose the axle from the frame completely. It is an out of control, "all stop" scenario.

[LarrBeard]

"Also, the poor girl has a bit of a list to port when sitting empty"

Not uncommon - there is usually a bit more weight on the port side, maybe from the driver being the only load. I've noted that even on my older Rangers.

Would oiling up the pack really well ease things out a bit? - Just a thought that crossed my mind...

[TJones]

CJ3eh
This may not matter but, when I finished my project I had the spring shackles at the rear and the front to tight and it didn’t give the springs any movement, zero,notta at all.
So I put locking nuts on the shackle bolts and left the shackles a little loose and it made a world of difference in the ride still not like a 71 Caddy but a lot better.
That being said from the pictures you have the old style spring shackles, wonder if they could be froze up and not giving any room for movement for the springs to flex/move?
Just throwing it out there.
Here’s mine
9684

[CJ3eh]

All great ideas and advice gents - thank you much!

[LarrBeard]

Yeah - look at the shackle bolts - they do tend to get a bit of wear on them .....

[CJ3eh]

Wow - thanks. Going to take a good look at them