Chevy Leafs have 3/8" centerpins??

[4x4junkie]

Has anyone running Chevy leafs had problems with breaking these things?
Doing a 64" spring swap... Wondering if I should drill the leaves out slightly to fit the bigger 7/16" pins like RBV springs use... (a buddy of mine years ago broke two of them under his K5 Blazer, though he did drive like an ass at times...).

Thoughts?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I drilled out mine, not because of worry about breaking, but to fit the only bolt size I had on hand. I went through 3or4 titanium step drill bits because of the spring steel. Next time I would try a cobalt bit.
Richard

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Never had an issue with them on my stock set or my aftermarket set that I run now.

What ya swapping them in to Junkie?

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah I got cobalt bits.

They're going under my BII.
For some reason I seem to have a knack for bending passengerside springs near the forward eye right about where the end of the 2nd leaf rests. Did it to an Explorer leaf, and now one of my Skyjackers. So I figure it's time to try something else.

 

[Scott B.]

Just a thought - Deaver has a "snail wrap" leaf that might prevent your bending.

It is a thicker leaf, wrapping over the top of the front mount to the axle (only covering the front half of the spring.)

They put one on my leaf pack because of the V8. But it might help your bending issue.

Just an idea.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm already well underway into the Chevy spring swap (plus Deavers are a lot more $$$ too). Appreciate the info though (no doubt, everything I know about Deaver is that they make quality stuff).

 

[4x4junkie]

Chevy leafs are in.
I went ahead with the bigger center pins... I just couldn't get comfortable with the smaller bolts, especially after also finding a bit of deformation at the edge of the holes in the axle leaf perches (telling me there's a lot of force up against those pins ).

Unfortunately it turns out the 7/16" cobalt bit I had bought is now a piece of chinese crap (thanks Home Depot ), and wanted nothing more of it after about halfway through the first leaf (POS kept chipping), so Dremel to the rescue! Using a bullet-shaped grinding stone I was able to knock 'em out in about 3-4 minutes each leaf.

Procomp 3.5" leafs

Hoping they might settle about ½ inch or so, otherwise I think it came out pretty decent.

 

[1RangerNut]

Did you move each mount 3" or just build a beefier rear mount to go along with the front?

 

[bobbywalter]

you need to cut the eyes off a sploder main and put it in between to keep from janking them up all the time....i took mine out to setup another rig and murdered the pack i have pulling out another guy because i forgot about robbing the long leaf.....one of those fix it later deals and forgot


again....


i have seen it mixed with the chevy springs...depends on setup and traction bar style. i do ok with 150 hd springs and the de=eyeballed intermediate so the 63 thing dont interest me much.

 

[4x4junkie]

Did you move each mount 3" or just build a beefier rear mount to go along with the front?

The front mount is about 4" forward & 1" higher than stock (puts the leaf eye right to ¼" from hitting against the BII cab mount), and the rear shackle mount is about 3" rearward of stock. In this configuration the axle sits 3" rearward of stock with the ProComp leafs (which I found to be 7" longer on the forward side vs. the RBV leafs, not the 6" I commonly see mentioned... They are also an additional inch longer at the shackle end (for a total of 8" longer), and have a ¾"-offset centerpin).

you need to cut the eyes off a sploder main and put it in between to keep from janking them up all the time....i took mine out to setup another rig and murdered the pack i have pulling out another guy because i forgot about robbing the long leaf.....one of those fix it later deals and forgot


again....


i have seen it mixed with the chevy springs...depends on setup and traction bar style. i do ok with 150 hd springs and the de=eyeballed intermediate so the 63 thing dont interest me much.

An eyes-cut-off main leaf I could see helping to keep Explorer springs from bending, however the 2nd leaf on my Skyjacker springs was already to within an inch of the main eye. I don't think it would've helped much, if at all on the SJ packs.

When I go on camping trips of a week or longer, I'm probably carrying 600lbs of gear, food, water, and what not. Combining that with the weight transfer that occurs with a short-wheelbase while climbing while also contorting the suspension over rocks at the same time I guess is what's doing them in. I never had this issue on my Ranger.


.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Looks good. I've got the 5.5" Procomps in mine.

 

[4x4junkie]

Thanks.

So far I'm happy with them (got two mild (non-rockcrawling) trips on them so far). The ride doesn't seem too dramatically different, though I have noticed a slight bit less 'bounding' up & down of the rearend over whoops and dips in the trail (I still may need to valve the rear shocks a bit stiffer, something I've suspected since putting the Fox shocks on about 1½ years ago). They've settled about that half-inch I was hoping for and have just about the perfect stance now.

One thing I did while doing the centerpins was ditch the crazy-thick (and heavily arched) ProComp overload leafs for a pair of stock (almost-flat) Ranger OL leafs with the long-side faced forward. Should allow it a bit more "stuffage" when flexing.

 

[RockRanger]

Looks good.