Front main leaf bent at the rear of the spring on the fixed end (no shackle reversal on the Jeep)

Can I just hook the winch cable to the front of the main leaf or to the shackle and pull to flatten it out??? (while tapping with a hammer)

I know I could use a BFH but it's hot and my garage isn't air-conditioned :flipoff2: (I will be getting a replacement pack but they are on backorder right now)


Any other easy methods???

http://www.chad-adams.com/erocc1/sept/gregh/images/DSCN3275_JPG.jpg

Take it off and to a spring shop. They will have the necessary furnace for heating and annealing springs and the fixtures and devices for bending and reforming them.

Spring steel: "When you stretch or bend a spring, you are displacing atoms within the crystals that make up that spring. Each atom in those crystals moves a tiny bit nearer or farther from its neighbors and it begins to experience tiny forces that would push it back toward its original position if you let go of the spring. When you do let go of the spring, these tiny forces act together to return the spring to its original shape while returning the individual atoms in the crystals back to their original positions. However, if you bend a spring too far, the atoms begin to slide across one another and they can no longer find their way back to their original positions. In that case, the spring has become permanent bent and won't return to its original shape when you let go. "

Yahoo is SOOO cool. :flipoff2:

Bring on the redneck repair fixes. :evil:

BigDude,
What the fawk is the angle on that rear shaft? Man that thing looks like it is hanging there rear end!:flipoff2:

How long was the backorder on your springs? Where did you try and get them?

i have a bent main spring too. just wheel the fawker for now and wait for a new one. i have tried fixind one b4 with not much luck. took one to a spring shop and they told me dont be a cheap ass and the could make me a new one.

are those the 44044's? I have bent 5 of those this year alone on my zuk!!!! The main leaf is weak on those.......Scott at extreme gear off road is the only place that i know of that has extra sets!

All other places are sold out!

I bent both of my fronts bad last weekend!

Originally posted by MattS
However, if you bend a spring too far, the atoms begin to slide across one another and they can no longer find their way back to their original positions. In that case, the spring has become permanent bent and won't return to its original shape when you let go. "
Bigdude, I think your atoms are lost forever. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by bigjeepinYJ
BigDude,
What the fawk is the angle on that rear shaft? Man that thing looks like it is hanging there rear end!:flipoff2:

How long was the backorder on your springs? Where did you try and get them?

I'm not going to say who was driving ;) (not me), but let's just say both rear tires had serious traction going down hill, the front got hung, and someone tried to push 3/4 of the passenger side tube and 1/2 the diff over the rock. The traction at the rear allowed it to keep pushing forward until something gave and he finally quit trying. The rear CV was very close to maxed out and both rear springs were at full droop. Lesson learned- Don't ever try to force 1/2 of a D60 front over a rock when going downhill, just take some back-ups :D


I only tried to find a pack through a friends 4x4 shop because I get them cheap. You know where to get them??? I will be moving the spring to the back once it's flat and replacing it when I get a new one. I'll call a spring shop but how about some redneck fixes too :D

I just called the local spring shop....Dentoni's.....And they said that they can bend it back, but if it bent once then it will bend again.......They suggested building a new main leaf for it...about $70 each main leaf.

Originally posted by Chrisjeep7
just wheel the fawker for now and wait for a new one.

It's bent bad enough that I believe it will allow the shackle to invert frequently (look at passenger side). I just want to flatten it out some so I can run it in back. It looks just like the picture now when sitting in the garage (read: fucker is seriously bent :D )

All the genious people and no cheap fixes? Don't make me listen to MattS :eek:

O SHIT! i was looking at the drivers side one. i just saw the pass side.....i would go to a spring shop and have them make you a little beefier one. when i took mine they said they dont like fixing them cuz it dont take.

Edit: and they called me a cheap ass.:( :(

Originally posted by bigdude


I'm not going to say who was driving ;) (not me), but let's just say both rear tires had serious traction going down hill, the front got hung, and someone tried to push 3/4 of the passenger side tube and 1/2 the diff over the rock. The traction at the rear allowed it to keep pushing forward until something gave and he finally quit trying. The rear CV was very close to maxed out and both rear springs were at full droop. Lesson learned- Don't ever try to force 1/2 of a D60 front over a rock when going downhill, just take some back-ups :D



No help on the redneck fix here... but you look close that the slip yoke on the front shaft in that pic?? :eek: Dam lucky something more $$ didn't get broke.

Don't really know how to fix it, but that pinion angle is dangerous. Ask me how I know. It WILL lead to a broken drive shaft and could lead to all sorts of things from there. I wheeled the shit out of mine with bent springs and it led to a severe multiple roll when the drive shaft broke.

Got rocker protection?:flipoff2:

Originally posted by bigdude


It's bent bad enough that I believe it will allow the shackle to invert frequently (look at passenger side). I just want to flatten it out some so I can run it in back. It looks just like the picture now when sitting in the garage (read: fucker is seriously bent :D )

All the genious people and no cheap fixes? Don't make me listen to MattS :eek:

I bent my mainleaf good out on the trail. got diff high centered... we tried pulling me back. then I hear bang. clank clank clank clank. Guy outside spotting the guy on the strap said my front driveline seperated. (reverse shackled) I was WTF!? I have a 12" travel driveline with at least 8" of spline engaged. it should never seperate, not even close.

I got out.. found my main leaf bent so bad that the front axle walked forward 3-4" at least. I had them get the strap off and pursued my temp fix that lasted for several months before I got another spring pack and around to swapping it out.

Took my winch cable while still high centered, and wrapped it around teh log and winched down hard to my bump stops. The mainleaf for the most part bent back. you could still tell it was bent, but it was driveable/wheelable at least after it mostly straightened back out.

Originally posted by Dick Hertzer
Don't really know how to fix it, but that pinion angle is dangerous.

Looking at that picture again....

DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT'S HOW EVERYTHING LOOKS WHEN NOTHING IS BROKE AND 100" OF WHEELBASE ISN'T CRAMMED INTO A 90" SPACE

Ask me how I know everythings fine when it's normal? :flipoff2:

Jim- the greas boot was loose and that slip probably had another 1/2" or so compression. Yeah, the guy driving is luck more shit isn't torn up :D

SD- What's rocker protection? :flipoff2:

Originally posted by bigdude


I'm not going to say who was driving ;) (not me),
:emb2:
It was one of those "Well chit" moments.

Originally posted by syko

:emb2:
It was one of those "Well chit" moments.

We all have'em :D

Originally posted by bigdude


Looking at that picture again....

DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT'S HOW EVERYTHING LOOKS WHEN NOTHING IS BROKE AND 100" OF WHEELBASE ISN'T CRAMMED INTO A 90" SPACE


It's funny how people can pickup on driveline angle and miss those big rocks that it's wedged between.:D

Originally posted by syko

:emb2:
It was one of those "Well chit" moments.
They always tell you to drive it like you don't own it. That's all you did.:p

Take it off and take it apart and then straighten it in a tubing bender or muffler tubing bender. Or the MFH

if its bent now it will break later, replace it and have no regrets;)

If you guys think the pic looks bad, you should see the video, the Jeep looks the same in the video, sitting still :flipoff2: But everything underneath is going ape shit. The front driveshaft was playing jumprope and the transfer case was hopping around so much it looked like it was going to jump up and change the radio station. "Rear tires had serious traction" That may be the understatement of the year, do like everyone else does, blame it on the spotter.

Originally posted by 350 Samurai

They always tell you to drive it like you don't own it. That's all you did.:p

Thats where my loaner rig rule comes in to play.

They break it, I'll pay for the parts, they have to do the work to fix it as good as new or better. Usually the parts are cheap, the time to fix can be considerable. ;)

Originally posted by Travis Waldher


Thats where my loaner rig rule comes in to play.

They break it, I'll pay for the parts, they have to do the work to fix it as good as new or better. Usually the parts are cheap, the time to fix can be considerable. ;)

We have the reverse agreement. He buys the parts for what he broke and I do the work to fix it. I'm not pissed at all, I like working on my Jeep. I just need the parts to fix it :D

do you have a press bigdude ? if so, there's a temporary fix ...

i redneck'd a fix to arch a spring once with a hilift, a rim cut in half and some chains ... just gotta use your imagination :D

- jack

Originally posted by bigdude

. Lesson learned- Don't ever try to force 1/2 of a D60 front over a rock when going downhill, just take some back-ups :D


at least it looks like yougot over the rock..... lol ..nice scrapes...

If you do get it bent back you might think about moving that pack strap forward or back a few inches so that the stress is put on a "virgin" area of the spring. From the pic it looks like that is right where it bent. Personally I would move it back, lose some flex but it will keep the weak spot supported by the rest of the pack. :D

my rear leaf was bent much like your right front was..

This was the result a short time later...
http://www.nctacomas.com/eskimo/fjspring.jpg

Well maybe the driver should just call around and order anew pack then :D (I honestly figured it would break if I tried to flatten it)

looks like both my front springs on mine that day at slickrock. i've bent them before and when i didn't have a replacement i just used a arbor press to straighten it out. didn't last though once i started riding on it ,it went back to the bent position, i didn't bend back all the way but enough to know that it doesn't work. just bend them back and give it hell to the new ones come and hope they don't brake. :usa:

I bent a main leaf on the front of my cruiser about four years ago. Looked pretty similar to the pic of Bigdude's junk. Took the springpack off, took it to a local springshop. They straightened it (I assume they used a press and some sort of heat, cause it melted the plastic pad between the leaves). Cost me $10 and two new ubolts. Been wheeling on it ever since, and never had another problem. Guess I am not beating on it hard enough. :D

Originally posted by Weezer
if its bent now it will break later, replace it and have no regrets;)

That's what I'm thinking.
But if you want to try something redneck, maybe try taking the pack apart and draw the bent leaf over an anvil.
(beat it with a BFH) Same method as temporarily re-arching only reversed.
Just don't hit it as hard as you can...................YOU might break the anvil. :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Chrisjeep7
O SHIT! i was looking at the drivers side one. i just saw the pass side


me too. i kept thinking, damn it doesn't look that bent. the other one is fawked.

Alcan can will make a new leaf for $45 ea.. that's not bad.

eskimo, is that white tape wrapped around the leaf?

dont be a :rainbow:! Replace the leaf.....

Heres a thought. Never done this, but it sounds like it will work. :rolleyes: Take out the pack and clamp the thing into a vice. Put the bolt back into the bushing on the bent side. Make a small loop of chain that wraps to the bottom side of the spring eye. Slide a crowbar into the chian loop and inbetween the bent leaf and the main pack. Heat the bend to cherry red and pull down on the bar. Once it down far enough, slide a u-bolt around the end of the leaf and the 2nd and 3rd leaf. Bolt it down. Your spring wont be what it used to be, and i wouldnt recomend wheeling on it again unless you want it to break at the old bend.
Hey, it could work ;)

Originally posted by bigdude
Well maybe the driver should just call around and order anew pack then :D (I honestly figured it would break if I tried to flatten it)

Summit is back until 10/10/02...... So they are a no go.:flipoff2:

and the transfer case was hopping around so much it looked like it was going to jump up and change the radio station.


Bwa ha ha hah ah ha......shiat, I spit coke on the keyboard. That was funny as hell!

Originally posted by Slaphammer
eskimo, is that white tape wrapped around the leaf?

White tape? There's a little mud on it... Maybe you're seeing the splintered steel?

The red thing is a tie-down strap we used to located the axle f/r so it could be FWD'd off the trail.

Well here's how it got rednecked :D (I will replace it when a new pack is available)

I called a local spring shop and they told me they would press the bend out for $10. I asked about heat, etc, and they said all they did was use a press to straighten it. I thought to myself that I can do better than that at home :D

All work was done with the spring pack assembled and in place in the front of the Jeep

I took my pitman arm puller and used it to brace the main leaf toward the center of the pack. This prevented the main leaf from buckling up and forced it to straighten at the bend. The pitman arm puller worked just like a spring clamp, but I didn't have any of those laying around handy :flipoff2:

I took my winch cable, ran it under the front axle passenger tube, over the frame, and hooked it to a HUGE D-ring shackle that was located right on the bent area. I tensioned the cable slightly to make sure it stayed lined up. I pulled out my $5 MAP torch from Lowes and began to heat the main leaf (figured I couldn't do any more damage :D ). I heated for approximately 5 minutes until I saw a faint glow and my spit sizzled off in about .1 seconds. Proper heat was also determined by the paint incinerating and the plastic friction pad melting. I then drew my winch cable in by remote. This not only pulled one the spring at the bend (due to the shackle) but also compressed from the center due to running the cable under the front axle. The main leaf began to straighten at the bend. I removed approximately half the bend and applied more heat to the bent area because my spit would no longer sizzle in the appropriate amount of time. After another few minutes of heating I drew the winch cable in and compressed the spring fully. I did not exceed maximum compression that the suspension normally sees, thus no reverse arch was achieved. I closed the garage up and I left the suspension compressed in this manner. I promptly headed up town to pick up my new skid plate that a local Jeep shop donated to the cause. After approximately 1.5 hours of BSing I returned home to my garage. The spring had cooled naturally and was now at ambient temperature. I released the tension on the winch cable and to my delight the spring had returned to 98% normal. There is approximately a 1/4" gap btween the main and second leaf under the spring eye.

I will be removing the pack and relocating it to the rear of the vehicle where it will undoubtedly encounter less situations forcing it to bend in the previous manner. The pack will be removed when a replacement become available, but not until I wheel on it a few time to see how long it can last :D

Overall the fix was 100% redneck, 100% cheap, and the results were aestetically desireable. I also replaced the skid plate, tie rod, tranny mount, and front driveshaft u-joints. Who waants to go wheeling :D

Kra-zee man....

I thought spring steel loses its elasticity once heated like that? (I really am not sure, just wondering)

Originally posted by Eskimo
Kra-zee man....

I thought spring steel loses its elasticity once heated like that? (I really am not sure, just wondering)

Beats me, I'm a chemical engineer :D

Hopefully someone with knowledge of metal properties will chime in. Otherwise I'll get out some books and figure it out for both of us :D

If I only had my junk on the trail we'd hit Tellico.......................Good job kev.