I just purchased front and rear FJ60 axles and springs and I have a few questions. The rear main leaves on the 60 springs are cracked so they are no good but the front springs are fine. I like the larger bushing diameter of the 60 springs because my 40 bushing squeeze out or wear through after 2 or 3 wheeling trips. I have greasable bolts and poly bushings but they still fall apart. I was going to remove the 2 main 40 leaves and replace w/ the 2-60 main leaves and redrill the 60 leaves, this is all on the front springs by the way. Are 60 and 40 front leaves the same length? I measure and they both seem to be about 44" center eye to center eye. What is the best way to drill these hard ass springs? I was going to use the 60 rear springs on my 40 but the frame rot is so bad from the rear cross member back that I will probably cut it all off and go 1/4 elliptical, air shock or coil springs. Well that is another thread all together and at least not until the late fall. Any help appreciated.
Drilling leaf springs. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter joefj
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Josie'sLandCruiser
Stop calling it a "FJ."
Hi All:
I used a "unibit" (about $30 at Home Depot) to drill new center bolt holes in 60 Series leaves. The "unibit" works great on thick mild steel.
Good luck!
Alan
I used a "unibit" (about $30 at Home Depot) to drill new center bolt holes in 60 Series leaves. The "unibit" works great on thick mild steel.
Good luck!
Alan
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
The problem is, it isn't "mild" steel. The leaf springs are high carbon steel, and it anneals when drilling, so it gets harder(to a point) the more you drill it.
While a unibit might work, I have found that carbide tipped masonry bits do a good job. The carbide is harder than the leaf spring material and will drill it. I did all the leaves in 4 springs recently with 2 or 3 masonry bits.
I like the Rockford spring pins you can get from Napa. The head is 5/8 inch and the shaft is 7/16. If you are using 60 series springs, the hole is just a bit smaller than 7/16.
One other thing; it is much easier to drill the springs 1 leaf at a time. Take the packs apart, and drill then carefully. I have done it with a hand held drill, but it is far easier in the drill press. Use cutting oil to keep the drill bit cooler.
masonry bits are the key, i put one in a drill press and it worked great! Still took some along time to do!
I used my Harbor Freight drill press set on 200 rpm and a harbor freight bit for both of my rear springs when I flipped them. The key is low rpms and lots of cutting oil. The faster the bit spins the hotter and duller it gets.
they may say no if its not their spring, they dont know what the spring is made out of therefore they will not test there equitment on random spring material. ask me how i know
- Thread starter
- #8
Picked up some masonary bits, 1/4" and 3/8". Used motorcycle cable lube, it's tacky, and made it through 2 leaves burning up 2 of the 1/4" and 1 of the 3/8" bits. Nice and slow did the trick. I need to pick up another 3/8" bit tomorrow and drill the other 2 leaves. Thanks for all the help folks. Joe
Josie'sLandCruiser
Stop calling it a "FJ."
Hi All:
I'd still stick with the "unibit." I drilled four leaves with a well-used "unibit" without much problem.
I do completely agree with "bsilva132" that one needs to adjust the drill press way down speed-wise, and use lots of oil.
Regards,
Alan
I'd still stick with the "unibit." I drilled four leaves with a well-used "unibit" without much problem.
I do completely agree with "bsilva132" that one needs to adjust the drill press way down speed-wise, and use lots of oil.
Regards,
Alan
The trick with drilling hardened steel with a masonary bit is to sharpen the bit on a bench grinder to the same angle as a regular drill bit, then keep the bit cool with oil and use only moderate pressure in the drill press as you're drilling.
Hope this helps you out,
Rick
Hope this helps you out,
Rick
I know this is a bit old, but most of the posts are about increasing the size of existing holes, what about drilling fresh holes for moving the center pin back instead of just flipping the rear springs? Same process? I can't imagine a masonary bit starting a hole in the spring steal, but I could be wrong.
Josie'sLandCruiser
Stop calling it a "FJ."
Hi All:
My posts above are all related to drilling new spring pin holes.
Use an "unibit" and lots of cutting oil or wax with a really slow-speed drill to go through a leaf spring. I have a $100.00 Harbor Freight special drill press that was well worth the $100!
Good luck!
Alan
My posts above are all related to drilling new spring pin holes.
Use an "unibit" and lots of cutting oil or wax with a really slow-speed drill to go through a leaf spring. I have a $100.00 Harbor Freight special drill press that was well worth the $100!
Good luck!
Alan
As slow as possible with crappy HF HSS drill bits. Lots of lube and I did 4 leaf springs without sharpening a damn thing.
so make a small pilot hole with a regular bit (or a pilot divit), get some masonary bits, grind them to look like metal bits, get a bunch of lube (that sounds a bit odd) and go to town on the main leaf. any hints on how far to drill the hole? 4"s from the stock pin?
No pilot hole, just drill it to the correct diameter (5/16" if I recall correctly) the first time. No need to make it more complicated than it needs to be. If your drill press can spin slowly and you use lots of cutting oil a pilot hole and a masonary bit should not be needed. I still use the bit I drilled the springs with all the time and it works fine; never been sharpened.
I put the reversed military wrap spring back in the pack and used a punch to mark the new location for the hole.
I put the reversed military wrap spring back in the pack and used a punch to mark the new location for the hole.
Any spring shop can make new main leafs for pretty cheap, and can modify/rearch, reverse the eyes, etc on them. Usually around $50 or less for new main leaf in my experiences.
