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Leaf spring clamps

Fishnbeer

The dude abides
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Member Number
1907
Messages
485
Loc
CA
I want to add an add a leaf to a spring pack I have. The spring pack is 3 leaves (with overload removed) and the clamp is tight around the springs - no room for 1 more leaf. The leaf I want to add is 4 inches longer than the shortest spring so I want it in the pack, but that means I need new clamps.

I have seen a few different bolt together ones but they all look funky. Is there any particular style clamp I should be looking at?
 
Wreckin​​​ yard?
make yer own, my ace hardware stocks the domed rivets...
 
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Is there enough there to heat it up, bend it straight, then bend it back over once you get the leaf in there?
 
That style, in my experience, does not stay put.
 
Yeah thats what I was thinking. I also saw the kind with 2 plates that bolt together like a metal sandwich, but again there is nothing to prevent it from walking
 
I bought that set of clamps that I posted earlier and they worked perfect. They have a dimple on the clamp to locate them into the hole on the leaf. The dimple was not very pronounced, so after I got the packs clamped together I hit that spot with a punch. Looks like it should hold up. Have not wheeled it yet, truck is still on blocks, but it looks good enough for me
 
I bought that set of clamps that I posted earlier and they worked perfect. They have a dimple on the clamp to locate them into the hole on the leaf. The dimple was not very pronounced, so after I got the packs clamped together I hit that spot with a punch. Looks like it should hold up. Have not wheeled it yet, truck is still on blocks, but it looks good enough for me

They'll come loose. I even tried tacking em in place and they didn't hold.
 
Okay what if I found a large bolt with a flat head and bolted it together? Kind of like a carriage bolt, but instead of domed on the top have it flat? Do you think that would work?

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Or what if you tapped threads into the hole on the leaf? Then just bolt the clamp to the spring?

Anyone ever tried tapping a leaf spring? :barf:
 
They will never stay where you want unless you leave it parked on flat ground.
 
I straightened out my clamps then, after I added a leaf, I drilled a 3/8 hole in each side of the clamp, made a 2-1/2" tubing spacer, and put a bolt through it with a lock nut so it's right against the top of the main leaf. If that makes sense.
 
Okay what if I found a large bolt with a flat head and bolted it together? Kind of like a carriage bolt, but instead of domed on the top have it flat? Do you think that would work?

The bolt you are looking for is called a Elevator Bolt. I used them for this purpose and they worked fine. Made spring keepers out of 1" flat bar, open at the top with a bolt through about 1" above the top leaf to allow a little movement.
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