Leaf spring grease zerk???

[godzilla3177]

Anybody here drill and tap their leaf springs, for greasing poly bushings? I was just curious if anybody has had any luck, if they indeed have done this...

 

[SARCruiser]

Are you talking about the shackles? Or the leaves themselves?

 

[godzilla3177]

Shackle hangers and the springs, instead of greasable pins.

 

[haryv]

I would like to know if this can be done on leaf springs

I personally do not like the idea of taking my leap springs apart just to lubricate them. Would drilling a grease fitting all all the way to the top surface of the bottom leaf risk the integrity of the springs?

 

[godzilla3177]

Yeah,thats what I'm thinking about. If it does not affect the integrity of the spring, then it would be a much cheaper alternative to greaseable pins. I would much rather save the cash for a new locker.

 

[Tapage]

Still don't get the idea .. greasing leaf it's just one point .. what happen will all rest of leaf contact each other ?

 

[godzilla3177]

I meant drilling a hole in the end of the spring on the ends. That way you could grease your bushings without taking them apart or having greaseable pins.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

The problem is, you want to lube the pin/busing interface, not the spring/bushing interface. ie the pin is the pivot, not the spring eye.

 

[godzilla3177]

I understand that, but when I put the new bushings in they had an interference fit, so I think the grease will be forced out through the shackle pin holes.

 

[godzilla3177]

I guess my base question is will drilling a 1/4" or so hole in the leaf ends compromise their strength?

 

[CruisinFJ60]

I understand that, but when I put the new bushings in they had an interference fit, so I think the grease will be forced out through the shackle pin holes.

what exactly do you mean? cause that is kinda the idea... you grease the zerk on the pins it goes out of the holes on the pin to lube the surface and pivot point between the pin and bushing.

I guess my base question is will drilling a 1/4" or so hole in the leaf ends compromise their strength?

it wont yield you any noticeable benefit.... waste of time, and yes and drilling a hole in your leaf spring will create a weak area, I cant say by how much it will weaken it but it sure wont strengthen it.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Why not get some greasable pins or bolts? Then the grease goes where you need it. Besides, have you tried drilling a hole in your spring? You can do it but it isn't exactly easy.

What you are proposing is a waste of effort.

 

[deucemonkey]

I was looking into this too. The bushings aren't touching inside the spring eye so theoretically grease could get on the pin. But the grease would just come out of the gap in the spring eye instead of greasing the pin. You'd have to put a sleeve in the eye so the grease could be forced around the pin. which means you'd need a bigger eye or a smaller bushing. greasable pins seem easier and maybe cheaper

 

[RockDoc]

I wouldn't tempt fate:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/206544-ome-trail-repair-kudos-lowenbrau-arb.html

 

[godzilla3177]

deucemonkey, that is what I was saying about the bushings press fitting in spring eyes. Anyhow after seeing that broken "New" spring, I don't think i will try on my 20+ year old springs. Thanks for the input..

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

Its really not that difficult to make your own greaseable pins, as long as you have a drill press and some taps you can make them reasonably quick and cheaply.

 

[ntsqd]

I wouldn't say that making the leaf tips slide easier is a waste of time. Quite the contrary, making them slide easily will reap huge benefits in ride quality and make the springs feel like they are softer even though they really aren't

However, installing grease zerks isn't the way to go about this. Adding small pads of a low friction material at the leaf tips and adding spacers between the leaves the size of the spring perch at the center pin is the way to go about this. The first reason that the GM 63's are so slinky is because they're really long, but the second reason is because they have these sliders and spacers. The tips and spacers considerably reduce the friction inside the leaf spring assembly. They reduce it enough that standard shock damping for leaf springs isn't enough.

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

They reduce it enough that standard shock damping for leaf springs isn't enough.

What damping are you running on your shocks in the rear with the 63" Chevy springs?

 

[deucemonkey]

I wouldn't say that making the leaf tips slide easier is a waste of time. Quite the contrary, making them slide easily will reap huge benefits in ride quality and make the springs feel like they are softer even though they really aren't

However, installing grease zerks isn't the way to go about this. Adding small pads of a low friction material at the leaf tips and adding spacers between the leaves the size of the spring perch at the center pin is the way to go about this. The first reason that the GM 63's are so slinky is because they're really long, but the second reason is because they have these sliders and spacers. The tips and spacers considerably reduce the friction inside the leaf spring assembly. They reduce it enough that standard shock damping for leaf springs isn't enough.

I'm in the process of switching over to 63's in the rear. I'm considering adding spacers to the toyota springs like the spacers on the 63's. (figured it might help keep them from rusting in the center as well)

Does it matter what material you use to create the spacers? I was going to experiment with 1/8th inch thick pieces of rubber, or should I use something harder.

Thanks

 

[StevoJonesFJ60]

I would say something harder, something like rubber would drag instead of slide.

Plus rubber tends to break down. I would say something more like UHMW