Looking to redrill my leafsprings and I used a snap-on drill bit to drill them and it started to but then got dull. Only the very tip went into the spring. Now I'm wondering what type of bit to use. If it makes a difference they are toy rears I'm drilling. Any help would be great.:confused:

Drill your springplates and perches. Not your springs.

Why not seen it on here a few times and no one said they had problems what do you see happening some have told me the spring will bend in half but?

Why not seen it on here a few times and no one said they had problems what do you see happening some have told me the spring will bend in half but?

but? ya, its bad if your springs bend in half. dont drill your leaves, i doubt any regular bit would be able to get through more than one. drill holes creates stress points and stress points means broken stuff which means no wheelin'

Ok well then how about this I'm putting rears up front and need to add to the leaf pack the stock center pin isn't long enough to add 2 or 3 leafs to and the hole in the springs are smaller than the holes in the spring perch do I drill those out to match the perch or is there a bolt of some sorts that you would use that matches the perch and then tapers for the springs?

you should always buy new center pins, same with u bolts. i did have to drill the hole in my superlift ad a leaf, but it was just to make it bigger, which is fine. so i think you should be OK if all you do is make the whole bigger in the leafs you want to ad. its still gonna be a b*tch to drill em though

Is there a type a drill bit you suggest to use or should I weld a peice of 1/4" plate to the perch and redrill it to match the springs?

are you enlarging the existing holes? or drilling new ones?
If you are enlarging use a masonry bit.

The center bolt holds the pack together.
The head of the center bolt locates spring pack on perch.
The U bolts hold pack to perch.
Take what is left of your center bolt to store and ask for a new one,or two
if your doing both sides.
You will need a nut and a washer for each.
New center bolts are very long. You'l see don't sweat it.:cool2:

I'm gettin way to confused about something simple, is the center bolt just a normal bolt but you use the head of it to go into the perch hole? I was thinking to use the bolt to go all the way threw but I guess not. What store do I go to there isn't an offroad store around hear inless Napa or Shucks would have it. Can I use a grade 8 bolt washer and nut? Sorry about this I've got everything else figured out just this had a brain Sh-= on it. Masonry bit isn't ringin a bell right now. I just wanted to drill the existing hole out more, was going to redrill the backones back further but some say no on that.

Napa does carry spring center bolts. I've used grade hex head bolts and grade 8 regular bolts with the heads rounded down also in a late night pinch.

Look under automotive springs in large yellow pages and those rebuilders will also have what you need.

You need a good mill bit or a carbide drill bit to drill through the leaves. All hardware stores carry masonry drill bits that have a carbide tip and they are cheap. They don't work so great but they will work - you may have to sharpen them a few times.

No, a center bolt is what it is. "a center bolt" holds you pack together.
Your NAPA store should have them. Some are almost a foot long.
Can be inserted without compressing your pack. Tighten nut and cut off
excess. "ITS THAT EASY" :)

Thank you I'll look for the bits and check Napa thanks alot.

Thank you I'll look for the bits and check Napa thanks alot.

You seem to be missing the point...

The perch has a larger hole because it needs to clear the HEAD of the bolt. The springs have SMALLER holes because they hold the BODY of the bolt.

See, the HEAD is larger than the BODY of these bolts.

So, don't drill anymore, don't buy anymore drill bits.

Goin just to Napa for the center bolts.

he may be talking about the holes that are already in the leafs he wants to put in being to small the fit even the body of the center pin through. I had to drill the hole in my Superlift AAL out because the body of the center pin wouldnt go through.

but i dont know, just a thought

edit:damn i cant spell worth a shit when im half asleep

stock leaf fprings from the factory are made from tool-steel.

my local spring makers told me not to drill it.
not only is it incredibly strong (you will go thru 6-8 bits for every inch you drill thru)

it's not safe to weaken a spring.

you're talking about the equivolent of cutting a coil spring to the size you want...


will it work? yeah, probably.
is it safe to cut springs? probably not.

I would not recomend drilling leaf springs, this will cause stress risers and eventually the spring will crack and break. If you must, use a cheap carbide tipped masonary bit.

Just wanted to emphasize the point that the "head " of the bolt sits in the perch to locate the axle-doesn't bolt through to hold it to it.

I would not recommend drilling the leaf springs as they are prone to bending but if you are set on it there is nothing we can do. I would recommend a set of sky-manufacturing.com relocating pads. they move your axle either 3/4 or 1 in. you can also take them to a machine shop and they can punch the holes. Either way drilling through hardened steel is a PITA, but go slow sharpen the bits often and use cutting fluid.

regardless of if you should, or shouldn't drill the leaf spring... that's up to you... but if you do want to drill it... i have found that using a cheap masonry drill bit with the cut edge flattened out a bit on the bench grinder so that it isn't cutting as much per revolution... worked like cutting a chunk of wood with a drill press.

i enlarged the holes in my leafs (rancho, black daimond and waggys) to put in a larger spring and have had NO problems. to drill the holes i use a drill press and alot of wd-40 (to keep the drill bit cool, it made a different.). with out wd-40 it dulled my bit very fast.i used one bit.... good luck