fixing my leaf springs

[TheDeputy]

I would like to add some height tom the rear of my 68 2dr sedan valiant because I'm planning an upgrade to a B-body 8 3/4 and 225/70/15 tires. The springs are not completely worn out, they still have a little arch to them while it's standing, but when I load up the trunk it lowers quite fast.
I have 6 leaf springs on both sides. Is that standard?

Can I have them re-arched to get about 1,5" more ride height, or do I also need to add another leaf on each side?

Thanks,

Antoon

 

[OwdKasd]

How about adding some Spring seated Shocks to it? Re-arching will definitely work and the Add-A-Leaf will work but I would not fool with those due to price and aggravation of U-Bolts breaking. I believe there are some add-a-leaf setups that don't require the removal of your existing u-bolts. The Spring seated shock is pretty much just swapping the rear shocks. The salesman should be able to recommend the perfect one for that extra 1 inch of height and weight capability. I am going to replace my Air shocks with Spring seated shocks in the next week. Good luck.

 

[TheDeputy]

I don't think that the shock mount under the floor is designed to take the weight of the car. I always find that a wrong way of handling this problem.
About the u-bolts, they are going anyway cause I'm changing to an 8 3/4 so I'm using new ones.
As for the number of springs I have now, isn't six supposed to be heavy duty or something? I thought 4,5 was standard?
By the way, my front torsion bars are 340 ones, and they are the original ones, and it's a slant six car.

I can re-arch the leafs myself, but I'm just wondering if they will hold, or if they have just lost their tension due to 40 years of normal wear.

If I add an additional leaf, I'm using am old set from an a-body, which would make total leaf pack seven leafes. Which leaf would be best to use from another pack?

Thanks,

Antoon

 

[pettybludart]

Maybe it,s time to do away with the old leafs and get yourself some new XHD leafs.After 40 yrs they,re probably done and someone has already added a leaf.Do you plan on keeping the car for...say 5 yrs?Buy new.JMO

 

[RedFish]

Check other recent and similar threads for a link to new springs at jc whitney.

 

[TheDeputy]

No leaves have been added in the past. This car is all original. It's an original european export car, so that's why it probably has the six leaves and the front 340 torsion bars, even though it's a slant six.

So you don't think re-arching will give them back the spring pressure? Oh and by the way, the leaves are not rusted through, just some usual surface rust.

Thanks,

Antoon

 

[daliant]

You can rearch them yourself just bend each leaf evenly and go for about 3" of lift so when they settle (trust me they will) you will be about 1.5" over where they are now.

 

[stumper]

Rearching will do it no doubt but the price to get them done is usually as much or more than a set of new ones.

 

[OwdKasd]

That's cool that you can re-arch the yourself. It's the better way to go in your case for sure. As for the strength of the upper mounts, People have been using air shocks forever without many problems that I've ever heard of. But....You can Re-arch yourself so the cost in nothing.