Leaf Spring Clamps

[Lefty]

I've been driving pickups all my life. I really love them. I guess. All except for one thing: I don't like the way they handle. They could be improved. I'm sure the manufacturers know this. To some degree, it has a lot to do with cost. Ford Rangers, especially, were made to compete favorably with a foreign market. They did a pretty good job on just about everything. Call me crazy, but I like the traction that comes with big tires and tighter handling too.

Like all pick ups, they suffer from poor weight distribution when there's no load in the back. Slam on the brakes at highway speed and you know exactly what I mean. The front end pitches down. The back lifts up. The front brakes take all the weight. Things get worse if you have to swerve,

A couple beefy sway bars most certainly help, but if your Ranger aready has a rear sway bar, it need not be replaced. It can be just helped a little. The cheaper fix is one or two pairs of leaf spring clamps for fifteen bucks. They make the leaves work together, help with load distribution and keep the leaves from separating, which boosts stability, minimimizes lateral movement, improves handling, and possibly cuts down on noise from the leaves rubbing. Clamps also help with rebound which is when the leafs violently snap back after having the load removed quickly like going over a pot hole.

They strengthen the springs and keep the back from lifting up on sudden stops, help keep the back a little closer to level when around going around the corners, a small but pleasant improvement.

One set of clamps can be mounted five or six inches ahead of the axle, A second set six inches just behind. The photo below shows just one on my O three Ranger.

 

[bobbywalter]

 

[bobbywalter]

that is called spring murder.


i am a professional spring murderer.

 

[bobbywalter]

if you used your truck like i use a truck those springs would have been broke in half years ago.

 

[Lefty]

that is called spring murder.


i am a professional spring murderer.

I bet you are too. I would like to watch.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’m sort of in the same boat as @bobbywalter , I need stiffer springs than stock. I think the ride and handling is improved with stiffer springs and I need the extra load capacity.

I was always under the impression that pack clamps should only be used around the leafs and not around the overload. They can also inhibit flex from my understanding. My Choptop has a clamp that bolts to a leaf and wraps up the sides. Keeps the leafs in alignment but it doesn’t hold them tightly together. My green Ranger, since I’m not really worried about flex, I did tight pack clamps on both front and rear of both springs.

That truck I also went through the trouble of lowering, front and rear sway bars, and doing the Explorer 8.8 swap as spring under axle like the Explorer used with the shocks going to the spring plates and I even used the Explorer traction bars. My next step there is better shocks for the truck. I didn’t go cheap on shocks, but they’re not Bilstein.

 

[Lefty]

Sounds good. Sounds real good, especially those sway bars. The Ranger responds well to suspension improvements. Doesn't it?

Still, if you feel a need for stiffer, you might want to try the four leaf clamps. The springs work better when clamped together, and provide more strength. Those Explorer sway bars are great too. I have just one on the front. I had a second for the rear but didn't bother to install it.

The clamps will firm up your ride even more by keeping the truck from pitching downward in emergency stops. Leaf spring clamps were once a feature on later model MGBs, some of the best handling cars ever.

I'm thinking about adding these as well. Would they help?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sounds good. Sounds real good, especially those sway bars. The Ranger responds well to suspension improvements. Doesn't it?

Still, if you feel a need for stiffer, you might want to try the four leaf clamps. The springs work better when clamped together, and provide more strength. Those Explorer sway bars are great too. I have just one on the front. I had a second for the rear but didn't bother to install it.

The clamps will firm up your ride even more by keeping the truck from pitching downward in emergency stops. Leaf spring clamps were once a feature on later model MGBs, some of the best handling cars ever.

I'm thinking about adding these as well. Would they help?View attachment 140859

Those are the clamps I used on the green Ranger

 

[Lefty]

Those are the clamps I used on the green Ranger

Did you notice the difference?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Did you notice the difference?

I didn’t drive it on those springs before using the clamps, so I don’t know how much of a difference the clamps themselves made, but the whole thing together works well and adding the traction bars was a big improvement. I think my leaf packs are in less than desirable condition though so I’m considering replacement.