I was thinking about trying to redrill my top two leaves on my OME rear springs in my FJ60. I was thinking of moving them back an inch to and inch an a half. If I do this will I weaken the spring much or should it be OK? Also the remaining leaves would need to shift back and I’m not sure they would match the arch of the top two springs. I have two rear driveshafts (one is a spare) and both fit a little tight and I’d have to have both retubed to make them work. This would solve that problem and it would help as the new 35s would be more centered in the wheel wells. Suggestions, comments, advice, words of wisdom? Any other way to move my axle back that you can think of?

I have redrilled springs (it's a BITCH) without any adverse problems.

The problem I see with what you want to do is that the Old Man Emu spring pack's shape.

They are not in a regulat arch, they have the OME "saddles" that make them ride like they do.

IMHO, I say no, that will not be a good idea, not because of th strength issue, but because the fit of the springs.

if you only want an 1" / 1.5" then you could get away with redrilling your perch and spring plate

arndog

Eric,
I moved back my rear axle by re-drilling the center pin hole in the spring perch and plate forward 1.5" works great , and it's the max you can move back the perch and still be in the falt area of the spring.

-Scott

Spydertrax hardware sells a plate to reposition the spring 1.5" either direction for $20. This keeps he hole in the center of the perch.

It must be two plates for each spring, it would be a whole lot cheaper just to redrill the holes and be done with it!

I vote for re-drilling the perch and spring plate - much easier to do, and its "free". Drilling springs is a be-atch, and as Nolen said, weakens them and the contour of the spring will not be right. (although, in that latter regard, re-drilling the spring plate and perch would have the same effect, except of course, that if it does not work out, you can always go back to the original set-up, and dont have a new set of holes weakening the spring:rolleyes: )

I'm going to redrill the perches. I think an inch should be fine. I don't know what I'm going to do for a final outcome. Someone suggested moving my shackles back to center the axle in the wheel well. This seems like a lot of work and I don't really have correct tools to do it, which means I'd have to mooch off my friends. I try to save their efforts for really important stuff. Thanks for all the advice.