Recent Posts

After some digging and supprt from Rob I think I have identified the spring setup. The leaves are 2", not metric, in both the six leaf pack and the addtional two. The six leaf pack appears to be an original set from a ute/wagon as they are tapered and rounded and look identical to what is shown in the FE/FC manual.

The addtional two bottom leaves do not taper and have square ends with rounded edges. The pins and bolts holding it all togehter have been replaced with metric ones - potentially by the previous owner who had started the restoration prior to his passing when the ute was put back into the shed for another twenty odd years.

It had been suggested to me that they may be lowering springs that were used instead of blocks. However, when I pulled the leaf pack apart it didn't take much effort on the clamp to pull the leaves in to undo the bolts; so  I don't think that they were performing a lowering function.

My theory from the design was that they were overload springs but none of my internet research privided any leads. I had previously searched the forum but couldn't find any related info but went back and searched the Accessory of the Week thread and I found this reference to Rogers Overload Shock Absorber Leaves.

. You can find the full post here: https://forum.fefcholden.club/index.php?topic=13115.msg78351#msg78351

So it looks like it is a set of standard ute leaf springs that have been "uprated" to constant load springs with the addtion of two overload leaves at the cost of 7 quid back in the day. I have been tossing up the benefit of removing them to lower the unsprung weight and improve her handling v's keeping them as part of her history.

I have decided to clean them up as found, give them a coat of paint for protection and replace the wear pads and bushes and put it back together. My old girl will probably not be carrying anthing more than a picnic table, a couple of fold up chairs, an esky and a couple of bags in her old age, but the overload springs will be an acknowledgement to her working life.

[I don't]

When I pulled the leaf pack apart it didn't take much effort on the clamp to pull the leaves in to undo the bolts; so  think that they are performing a lowering function.

Correcting the previous post in case someone is reading this down the track regarding the springs:

"When I pulled the leaf pack apart it didn't take much effort on the clamp to pull the leaves in to undo the bolts; so I don't think that they are performing a lowering function.

Hey Jolls.
Good to see the Accessory of the week section put to good use.
I also have a set that is only half the accessory spring.
Regards
Alex

Seems my theory was right. I found this reference to Rogers Overload Leaves in the accessory of the week section.

https://forum.fefcholden.club/index.php?topic=13115.msg78351#msg78351

Good that you got the springs out.  I'd be mortally afraid of shattering an angle grinder disc given how little space there is between the spring eyes and the body.

Take a good look at the spring leaves in the six-leaf pack.  The original leaves taper down to a couple of millimetres thick at the ends; and the ends of the leaves are curved.  Aftermarket spring leaves generally don't taper in thickness toward the ends, and the ends are usually chamfered.  And I wouldn't be surprised if aftermarket spring leaves are 50 mm wide instead of 2" (= 50.8 mm).  You'd hardly tell the difference in width.

The rear spring centre bolt is 5/16" UNF originally, but M8 is an almost exact equivalent in diameter.

Rob

The leaves are 2", both the six leaf pack and the addtional two. The six leaf pack appears to be an original set from a ute/wagon as they are tapered and rounded as you would expect.



The addtional two bottom leaves do not taper and have square ends with rounded edges. 

I expect that they are aftermarket overload springs but haven't been able to find anything in my research.

I don't have any history on the ute except that it was from the Dubbo area.

When I pulled the leaf pack apart it didn't take much effort on the clamp to pull the leaves in to undo the bolts; so  think that they are performing a lowering function.

Good that you got the springs out.  I'd be mortally afraid of shattering an angle grinder disc given how little space there is between the spring eyes and the body.

Take a good look at the spring leaves in the six-leaf pack.  The original leaves taper down to a couple of millimetres thick at the ends; and the ends of the leaves are curved.  Aftermarket spring leaves generally don't taper in thickness toward the ends, and the ends are usually chamfered.  And I wouldn't be surprised if aftermarket spring leaves are 50 mm wide instead of 2" (= 50.8 mm).  You'd hardly tell the difference in width.

The rear spring centre bolt is 5/16" UNF originally, but M8 is an almost exact equivalent in diameter.

Rob

Hi Team,

I am trying to identfy the origins of this spring pack for my FC ute project.



I removed it from the ute. It has six main springs as shown in the manual and it mounts in exactly the same manner; however, there are two addtional bottom springs. The additonal springs have metric nuts bolts and the pin thread is also metric so I expect that the original springs were replaced with an aftermarket option. Can anyone help in identifying what I have?

Cheers n Beers
Jolls

Thanks Rob.
Are some rubbers made of harder material perhaps?
Its only started to do it since the Broken Hill trip.
Yes John suggested the flange idea. Trying to keep it stock.
Might be able to make a plate with fingers on it and slip it under the flat base of the rubber.
Cheers

Yes.  It happens often.

There's a kind of sway bar rubber that has a big lip on each side, making it more difficult for the rubber to slide out sideways.

Or, you could (shudder) modify your brackets by welding flanges onto the sides for better retention of the rubber.

Rob

Front bolts for the rear springs?

They're very difficult to remove.  If no joy with WD-40, then use heat.  Go in hard with a MAP gas torch on the bracket where bolt head goes through.  You'll need two people and two sledgehammers: one holding a hammer onto the inner bracket to act as a dolly and the second on the bolt.  Unscrew the nut flush with the end of the bolt so you don't moosh the thread.  With perseverance the bolt will let go.  If it doesn't let go, use more heat on the inner bracket.  Even up to cherry red.

(If you're not a good shot with the hammer, you may ding the sill.  That's the price you've got to pay.)

Rob

Thanks Rob,

I got them out - WD40 didn't work and neither did heat and two hammers initially. I ended up cutting the bolts with an angle grinder and then hitting the head out with heat, a punch and a couple of hammers. Unfortunately a waste of two perfectly good front shackle bolts as the previous owner had replaced the rubbers and bolts when he started the resto. They had been in place for over 20 years so the rubbers has started to split on the outside but apart from that were in perfect condition. The spring pack shims between the leaves were all but not existent so probably just saved the springs.

The springs don't appear to be original and are beefed up from the standard ute springs shown in the manuals. The first giveaway was the addtional two bottom springs under the standard ute 6 leaf pack of 6 springs. The second being that metric nuts and bolts used in the leaf pack. Coould be a standard leaf pack that has been beefed up - not sure how to tell though.