Leaf spring help

[RustyRatRod]

lol..what a fiasco this is turning into. SO, I am going to use this spring relocation kit BAC A Body Leaf Spring Relocation Kit - Bergman Auto Craft
The kicker is that it uses 1/2" eye bolt size. Ok, BUT every place i have looked is OUT of stock on A-body leaf springs with the 1/2" eye size..BUT they all have springs with 5/8" eye size in stock..RRR, I know we talked about drilling the holes out to 5/8" in the OEM front hangers, but with this offset kit having 2 holes on each side for different ride heights, im guessing there is not enough meat there to drill the holes bigger safely..? Waiting on an answer from Pete on this but i bet he says no, theres not enough meat to drill them bigger..Just looked at this kit again and couldnt drill bigger anyways because it comes with the 1/2" bolts with flat tops for clearance of the frame and the new bushings..so there goes that idea anyways..here is all that General spring has..notice the springs with the 1/2" eye are out of stock, along with mancini, etc..I cant wait 5 months for ESPO Search

Ok, I'm done. You're makin this so much more difficult than it ever needed to be.

 

[mopower440]

i think thats spring eye opening not bolt. meaning his bushing will fit into the 1.5" spring opening. i can't see him selling stuff with only a 1/2" eye bolt. pictures are hard to see but that look 5/8 to me.

Look at these springs that general spring offers for the A-body..several with 5/8 eye and one with the 1/2 eye. Pete said the 1/2 was stock on A-bodies and i think aftermarket sizing is 5/8?
Search

 

[mopower440]

Ok, I'm done. You're makin this so much more difficult than it ever needed to be.

cmon man, what do you mean? ?Look at the kit, it has special flat headed bolts on that front hanger to get it close to the frame..I dont think i can find that same thing in 5/8 as he makes these kits..

 

[RustyRatRod]

cmon man, what do you mean? ?Look at the kit, it has special flat headed bolts on that front hanger to get it close to the frame..I dont think i can find that same thing in 5/8 as he makes these kits..

Then do what everybody else did before the fancy flat headed bolts. Mark the frame rail and drill a hole in it for the bolt head. People have been doin it for decades. Oh and General Spring has TWO part numbers with 5/8 front bolts.

 

[mopower440]

Then do what everybody else did before the fancy flat headed bolts. Mark the frame rail and drill a hole in it for the bolt head. People have been doin it for decades. Oh and General Spring has TWO part numbers with 5/8 front bolts.

ok, i didnt realize thats what has been done in the past..first time doing this so please bare with me..without yalls help i wouldnt be doing it..I know general spring has the 2 part numbers for the 5/8 springs, thats what im probably going to get is their 2.5 added height spring and if its too high, use the second set of holes on that mount.

 

[mopowers]

With a little creativity and old fashioned hotrodding, you can do almost everything that $500 kit does for free.

 

[RustyRatRod]

ok, i didnt realize thats what has been done in the past..first time doing this so please bare with me..without yalls help i wouldnt be doing it..I know general spring has the 2 part numbers for the 5/8 springs, thats what im probably going to get is their 2.5 added height spring and if its too high, use the second set of holes on that mount.

..and if you don't want to do that, then take a hacksaw and cut the bolt heads thinner. Heck, do I gotta come drink your coffee for you too? LOL

 

[RustyRatRod]

With a little creativity and old fashioned hotrodding, you can do almost everything that $500 kit does for free.

Yeah and certainly in no way shape form or fashion am I knocking anything Bergman has, but IMO, he doesn't need all the spring slider stuff.

 

[mopowers]

Yeah and certainly in no way shape form or fashion am I knocking anything Bergman has, but IMO, he doesn't need all the spring slider stuff.

I get that some people like bolt-in options. But to install that kit, you still have to doing some cutting and welding. At that point, few re-drilled holes and you can re-use the stock front and rear hangers and damn near be $500 ahead - minus a set of axle saddles. To each their own I guess.

 

[mopower440]

..and if you don't want to do that, then take a hacksaw and cut the bolt heads thinner. Heck, do I gotta come drink your coffee for you too? LOL

If you were closer and came to help, i would give you all the coffee you could drink..lol

 

[RustyRatRod]

If you were closer and came to help, i would give you all the coffee you could drink..lol

I wish I was closer. I'd come help you out in a second.

 

[mopower440]

I get that some people like bolt-in options. But to install that kit, you still have to doing some cutting and welding. At that point, few re-drilled holes and you can re-use the stock front and rear hangers and damn near be $500 ahead - minus a set of axle saddles. To each there own I guess.

well explain..lol..Either way, i have to cut the perches off , move them over and weld them..

 

[mopowers]

well explain..lol..Either way, i have to cut the perches off , move them over and weld them..

Exactly. If you're looking to relocate your springs inward against the frame rail, re-drill the front hanger bolt holes inward. If you want to flip them to lower the ride height a little, be sure to account for the difference in bolt spacing on the hangers. For the rears, the bolt holes are offset. If I recall, you flip them and swap sides (or something like that), then you can reuse one the the stock holes. You just need to drill one hole and get a nut behind it, and voila - cheap way to gain a little tire clearance. Dr. Diff actually told my of that trick when he was out of his kits. In fact, he recommended it instead of waiting for his kits to come in. Of course some will say it's "hacking" the car up. To me, it's just hotrodding. Good luck.

 

[abodyjoe]

Look at these springs that general spring offers for the A-body..several with 5/8 eye and one with the 1/2 eye. Pete said the 1/2 was stock on A-bodies and i think aftermarket sizing is 5/8?
Search

i think slant 6 were 1/2" and maybe 318 cars. i know when i ordered the 6 leaf from espo they were the 5/8 and the eatons i got from pete years ago were 5/8. I'm pretty sure those brackets use the 5/8. but let pete tell you for sure. he usually gets back to you quickly. @BergmanAutoCraft

 

[mopower440]

I wish I was closer. I'd come help you out in a second.

I really appreciate that! You help me more than you know answering all these questions!!

 

[RustyRatRod]

well explain..lol..Either way, i have to cut the perches off , move them over and weld them..

Why? Now we're gettin to the meat and taters. First, how much power do you plan on?

 

[mopower440]

Why? Now we're gettin to the meat and taters. First, how much power do you plan on?

around 500 hp. 440 so lots of torque too

 

[RustyRatRod]

around 500 hp. 440 so lots of torque too

Ok. So fair enough. Then let me ask this. That's gonna require a LOT of tire. Why not just do the 3" relocation and mini tub it?

 

[mopower440]

Ok. So fair enough. Then let me ask this. That's gonna require a LOT of tire. Why not just do the 3" relocation and mini tub it?

Dont want to go that far into it. I have some 255/60/15 i put on today and its quite a bit more tire..looks much better also. The right side barely..BARELY scrubbed the inside of the tire against the leaf spring a few times..probably in a hard turn. It may or may not ever be enough to hurt anything but im pulling it apart anyways to install new leaf springs so may as well do the offset kit. I got some 1/4 spacers for that one side but i dont feel right about using them..not enough lug left sticking out for my liking..

 

[RustyRatRod]

Dont want to go that far into it. I have some 255/60/15 i put on today and its quite a bit more tire..looks much better also. The right side barely..BARELY scrubbed the inside of the tire against the leaf spring a few times..probably in a hard turn. It may or may not ever be enough to hurt anything but im pulling it apart anyways to install new leaf springs so may as well do the offset kit. I got some 1/4 spacers for that one side but i dont feel right about using them..not enough lug left sticking out for my liking..

I gotchya. Then here's what I recommend. CALL Peter Begrman. He is a GREAT guy! Tell him what you want to do and what you want your eventual outcome to be. He'll tell you his recommendation.