Has anyone had leaf springs de-arched? How did that work out?
I've got an '82 long-bed S10. About 20 years ago (!) I lowered it 2/2 with spindles and blocks. I've recently swapped the 2.8 for a 5.3 L33/T-56/Explorer 8.8, and I decided to get rid of the blocks. The front is 2" drop spindles (Blazer version, this time) and 1/2" taller lower and upper ball joints / tubular upper A-arms.
When I started buying parts for this, a 3" drop spring would have worked but I liked the 2" drop I had. I don't haul much -- it's mostly a fair-weather driver / cruise-in car show truck now -- but I do make an occasional run to a lumber yard, home center, etc.
To try to keep the 2" drop, I called Eaton Detroit Spring who said they would make a set of 2" drop springs, with no loss in load carrying ability. I ordered them. The individual leafs look to be the same thickness as my originals. They had less arch than stock, but more arch than I thought they would. We installed them, and the ride height is stock.
I called Eaton Detroit Spring and was told that the salesman that sold me the springs retired. They said that "they just need to settle, drive it about 100 miles". There was no way these springs were going to settle 2 inches, and they haven't moved at all. While on the call I asked what to do if that didn't help, and they said take them to a local spring shop and have them de-arched. I may call them again to see if they'll fix it.
I think my choices are to try to have these fixed, or write them off as a painful lesson and buy different leaf springs. Calvert Racing has split-mono leafs but I'm concerned about running those on the street in a truck that may see occasional use as a truck. We put 3" Belltech lowering leaf springs on Dad's '84 S10 Blazer, and he's happy with them. The leaf thickness per-leaf appears to be the same as stock, just with less arch. It's a bit more drop than I wanted, but I could live with it.
Thoughts?
I've got an '82 long-bed S10. About 20 years ago (!) I lowered it 2/2 with spindles and blocks. I've recently swapped the 2.8 for a 5.3 L33/T-56/Explorer 8.8, and I decided to get rid of the blocks. The front is 2" drop spindles (Blazer version, this time) and 1/2" taller lower and upper ball joints / tubular upper A-arms.
When I started buying parts for this, a 3" drop spring would have worked but I liked the 2" drop I had. I don't haul much -- it's mostly a fair-weather driver / cruise-in car show truck now -- but I do make an occasional run to a lumber yard, home center, etc.
To try to keep the 2" drop, I called Eaton Detroit Spring who said they would make a set of 2" drop springs, with no loss in load carrying ability. I ordered them. The individual leafs look to be the same thickness as my originals. They had less arch than stock, but more arch than I thought they would. We installed them, and the ride height is stock.
I called Eaton Detroit Spring and was told that the salesman that sold me the springs retired. They said that "they just need to settle, drive it about 100 miles". There was no way these springs were going to settle 2 inches, and they haven't moved at all. While on the call I asked what to do if that didn't help, and they said take them to a local spring shop and have them de-arched. I may call them again to see if they'll fix it.
I think my choices are to try to have these fixed, or write them off as a painful lesson and buy different leaf springs. Calvert Racing has split-mono leafs but I'm concerned about running those on the street in a truck that may see occasional use as a truck. We put 3" Belltech lowering leaf springs on Dad's '84 S10 Blazer, and he's happy with them. The leaf thickness per-leaf appears to be the same as stock, just with less arch. It's a bit more drop than I wanted, but I could live with it.
Thoughts?