Easy and good way to drop the front?

[Bamamav]

What's an easy, quick, and good way to drop the front of the Lincoln? Stock cross spring I beam axle.
Can I take a few leaves out? I don't want to go to the trouble of raising the crossmember. No such thing as dropped spindles, either, so that's out, too. Not changing to a Mustang II, either. Prefer to work with the spring if possible.

 

[dmw56]

Reversed eye spring or dropped axle.

 

[Gastrick]

You want easy, good, and quick...all in the same operation? Like DMW said, reversed sping eyes and/or remove some leaves. just make sure your bolts are not too long after removing leaves.

 

[Bamamav]

OK, that brings up another question, where could i get the eyes reversed? The only spring shop I ever knew of in this area has closed down.

I'm thinking removing some leafs may be the best way. I doubt if there is another axle made wide enough.

 

[dmw56]

Speedway has reversed eye leaf springs for 41-48 Fords. Could be the same.
Spring eye length 39".
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Super...Ford-Front-Leaf-Spring-3-Inch-Drop,37052.html


http://static.speedwaymotors.com/images/charts/3540posies.gif

 

[Gastrick]

OK, that brings up another question, where could i get the eyes reversed? The only spring shop I ever knew of in this area has closed down.

It's no fun but you can do it yourself.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

If you have a shop press, you can reverse the eyes by reversing the arch in the main leaf.

Caveman engineering:

- Disassemble the leaf pack and lay the main leaf on the floor or table top.
- Take a piece of chalk or a hunk of crayon, trace the leaf's arch and length to create a template.
- Work the spring in small increments until you flatten the spring.
- Working again in small increments, bend the leaf until you match the template's (now reversed) arch and eye to eye length.
-Trim second leaf (if necessary) and reassemble pack.
-Burn rubber.

.

 

[Gastrick]

If you have a shop press, you can reverse the eyes by reversing the arch in the main leaf.

Caveman engineering:
.

I'm less advanced than even a caveman, I've completed the same procedure you outlined, replacing the shop press with a sledge hammer. A pain in the rear and it took a while but it did work...because I don't have a press.

 

[Bamamav]

Wow, never thought about doing it that way. I don't have a press either, but I do have a trailer dolly leg that makes a good press when the trailer is loaded.[ddd

I'll measure my spring, but I'm thinking that the Lincoln spring is longer than the Ford one.

 

[BlueNorther]

take the spring pack apart, and using a hydraulic press with a smooth rounded nose and supports under the main leaf close together, slowly moving the spring a little at a time, working from 2" each side of spring center out (don't want to bend spring on center hole), start taking the arch out of the spring and go past the arched center until it has the reversed curve you want.

tiny pushes are best you don't want to bend it all at once. used to watch an old spring guy down the block from my shop do it all the time, just takes patients.

mark the original curve on the floor with chalk to compare new and old.
just don't make the floor drawing where every one walks.

 

[Jcox68rt]

Reverse spring eye or re-arch jig

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[6uzz6]

I reversed the spring on the front of my 36 this past weekend. Just as Blue Norther mentioned. "worked great! It took me about 1 hr. I plan on doing the rear this weekend. I tried the maul but decided against it after the first couple of swings!