This week’s question comes from Cody, who drives a 1966 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon. Cody is curious about the differences between the three rear springs listed for his model. It’s likely that Cody’s wagon is a 2-seater, as this model typically uses three different types of springs, whereas the 3-seater version only uses two. Cody […]

Q – “I have a 1966 Imperial with one broken leaf. Should I replace just the broken leaf or the whole spring or both springs”? A – We find in very few cases that once the old spring is taken apart that the rest of the leaves are any good. Age and use takes its […]

What's the best way to finish my springs: Powder coating, painting or chroming?

Do you manufacture lowering mono-leaf springs for my 1955 Bel-Air?

Should I remove spring leaves to make my vehicle sit level?

Can a spring be both tangential and square?

I saw a spring where the leaves were stacked in an odd manner. Does the stacking order matter with leaf springs?

Is there an advantage to using coil spring isolators on the bottom as well as the top of springs?

How can I tell when my Trans Am was built so I can get the right springs?

How can you tell what the coil rate and load is for my `67 A-Body?

How should I choose which spring has the right capacity for my vehicle?

Will fresh factory coils or longer coils gain me some height?

I installed rear springs at the front of my vehicle. It seems to be fine. Is there something I'm missing?

Where should I put my axle pads?

My coil springs are rubbing on the the upper ball joint housing. Is this ok? What should I do?

I'm torquing my spring's U-Bolt to factory specs but it's crushing my axle pads. Is this right?

How should I fix my straight axle bump steer?

Should I purchase new U-Bolts?

I understand welding springs is bad. What about the U-Bolts next to the spring?

I tried burning out my bushings and it didn't seem to work. I didn't ruin my springs did I? How should I continue?

How should I remove my old spring eye bushings?

Should U-Joints be replaced when installing new springs?

I have Corvette leaf springs with grooves. Can we restore them or should I have new ones fabricated?

Why are my springs sagging after the rebuild?

I bought a pair of cruddy leaf springs. What can you do to fix them?

I ordered some springs but they don't seem to be quite like the original. Why is this?

How do I know the springs I ordered will sit my car with the right stance?

Can I use variable rate coil springs on my van?

Should I cut these coils, and how much should I cut them?

I put new shocks on my vehicle but it still isn't at the right height. What am I missing?

My vehicle had coil springs welded to the lower perch. What should I do?

I need some advice on which Camaro springs to get from someone who's been in the business. What are the differences between your offerings?

The leaf springs for my trailer are well beyond operational condition. Do you have original specs for my trailer springs or should I measure them myself?

I heard that springs never wear out, but my Camaro is rubbing at the wheel wells.

The bushings are wider than the spring. Why is this?

I can't find the springs I need online! Why is that?

How much will springs settle shortly after installing? Learn how to judge your new spring installation by knowing exactly what to expect from a freshly manufactured set from EATON Springs.

My chromed springs fatigued faster than grandma going up the stairs. Did chroming ruin my springs?

My mechanic says the new coil springs must not be right because the old ones were much more difficult to take out. Is this so?

Which isolator should I use? Is it the same material for the bushings?

Some guy said you can replace a U-Bolt by welding his product to the main plate of a spring. It seems like a bad idea. Is it?

Can you compress the coil springs before you ship them?

I'm looking to make my car a daily driver. Would Mustang II coils be a good choice?

Mike, I have a 1969 Camaro with a 350, and a 4 speed. It has multi leaf springs but I only count 3 plates. I want to order from you new springs should I order 4 leaf heavy duty OR 5 leaf standard? I want the car to be close to its stock stances. John […]

Hello Mike , I am asking for help with a problem I am having on a 1930 Hudson Street Rod. I mounted a Ford Mustang rearend on the original springs, and the springs flatten out with the weight of the car, no arch. With the spring flat the rear shackle hits the fender and wont […]

Mike, I want to lower my ’54 Ford but still keep it riding good, can this be done? -Jerry Jerry, Whenever a vehicle is lowered, there is a reduction in the amount of suspension travel. Because of this, the spring rate (how much weight it takes to deflect a spring one inch) is increased. Suspension […]

I have a '52 pickup with mono-leaf springs. Is there any way I can make it ride softer?

Mike, I have a 69 Camaro coupe with monoleaf rear springs. Would like to convert them over to 4 leaf springs and would like to know if your conversion kit will work and not have any gaps in-between the shock plate and the spring perch ? And does it require the rubber pads? Thanks, Steve […]

Mike, Please can you inform what’s the best/correct finish for both the visible and invisible (IN THE STACK) parts of leaf springs? A couple of people I know insist on painting them totally including all in between the leafs, the normal for them bondaprimer / undercoat / enamel topcoat layers. (They do have to externally […]

Mike: Hope you can help. I am in the process of rebuilding the front end of my ’57 Chevy car. If I use 2″ lowering springs, can I use the same front shocks or do I need to get something else? Would it be better to install the 2″ lowering spindles instead of the springs? […]

Is powder coating, painting, or chroming the best way to finish springs?

Mike, I am currently restoring a 1971 TA. I plan on replacing the rear springs but am having difficulty determining which ones are correct for my car. First off, all 1971 TAs came with the 455HO motor and F60x15 tires. When I do a search on your website using “Trans Am” under body style, the […]

Hi Mike, I just read your comment about Delrin inserts and it raised three more related questions I don’t believe I have ever seen answered. The first is, does using a full length insert change the thickness of the spring pack? Secondly, what effect do full length inserts have on spring rate? Finally, in general […]

Q -Mike, I just bought a ’54 Chevy 2 door. It has 3″ lowering blocks and is – in my opinion- exactly 1″ too low in the back. I’m really not a bubble gum things together kind of guy and I believe, in most cases, lowering blocks are a version of Bazooka Engineering. Agree? Aluminum […]

What can I do to stop my wheel hop?

Mike, I have a ’72 Nova sub frame under my street rod and stock springs are way to stiff. Do you know what the spring rate of a stock Nova with a V-8 is and do you have softer front springs? – Ron Ron, The 72 Nova with a V8 used many different springs. The […]

Mike, I wish I had read your tech page about two months ago. I just had my leaf springs powder coated and I’ve re-assembled the front springs with poly liners between the leafs. Am I correct in assuming that your advice for nothing to be between the springs also applies to these poly liners? If […]

Mike, Okay you got my attention. I just read all of your website and now I am thoroughly confused. But I take your opinion over all the others because you are an expert. Here’s my dilemma. I have a ’67 Chevy Nova Wagon. It has all original, factory stock suspension, front and rear. It has […]

Dear Mike, I was hoping that you would be able to enlighten me some on the leaf spring failure that occurred on my 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The vehicle has around 140,000 miles on the odometer and has never seen a Buffalo winter or been abused. A few weeks back I was on my way […]

Dear Mike, I have a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan two-door; lowered three Inches in the front by one Inch shorter coils and two Inch dropped spindles, and lowered four Inches in the rear by two Inch lowered reverse eye flattened springs and two Inch lowering blocks. My problem is this: the front and rear ride […]

Mike, The car in question is a 1954 Studebaker Champion Regal 4-door, six cylinder 169 engine. I would like to raise the back of the car 1 to 2″, and I am considering adding a leaf on each side since I have to pull the rear springs off anyway for some work. – Ron Ron, […]

Mike, I am overhauling a set of springs from a ’64 F250 that are in great shape. I’m getting a list together of hardware to order from you folks. I have read all your tips about coating/painting springs and not using grease between the leafs. My question is that I have heard some people recommend […]

Mike, I have a ’55 Ford Fairlane Tudor Club Sedan that needs new front coil springs. I am going with a resto-mod approach. Better handling with a decent ride quality. The question I have is, can the front end be lowered by using shorter springs? Will this throw any alignment or other related issues off? […]

Good afternoon Mike, I recently purchased a 1971 Chevy Camaro with a 350 which someone had installed air shocks and what appears to be a new set of leaf springs, 4 possibly 5 leaf on it. I replaced the air shock with a set of standard premium gas charged ones. Unfortunately the back end of […]

Mike, I have a ’79 Camaro with 350 engine with A/C and I have replaced the shocks but still have problem with front end bottoming out when I hit a dip in the road going over 45mph. What do you recommend? Thanks – Fred Fred, Contrary to what many think, shocks do not hold up […]

Mike, Bought a set of OEM rear leaf springs for my ’70 Boss 302 Mustang. I have no problem with the quality and specs of these springs but, when you advertized OEM correct replacement springs…. I was really disappointed when they arrived that they didn`t look the same in appearance detail as the factory units. […]

Mike, Good morning, I have a street rod shop and retail parts store. I am building a ’68 Camaro, and looking for a lowering mono leaf springs for the rear. Can you help? Thanks – Bruce Bruce, We sure can. We make F and X Body mono-leaf springs with up to a 3 Inch drop. […]

Mike, I recently purchased a 1934 Ford 3 window coupe replica. To make a really long story short its an older kit that just never got put together, but in an excellent condition. My first order of business is to get a rolling chassis. The build book that was provided by the manufacturer calls out […]

Know about your U-bolt torque. It'll save your springs!

Q -Mike A quick questions for you. I purchased springs for all four corners of my ’70 Camaro Z28 last fall and have installed them. About the rear leaf springs, do the bands that hold the leafs together get removed after installing? Or do they stay there? I ask because I also have a ’66 […]

Mike, Several weeks ago I brought two rear leaf springs to you for service and repair. While there, you explained that automotive leaf springs shouldn’t be lubricated. There is currently a discussion of this going on in our internet discussion board. Our manuals (1940-50 era) tell us to grease the springs. You have said that […]

I have a 1938 Plymouth and I have heard that I should replace the springs that are 1.75-inches wide with ones that are 2.5-inches wide. Can the springs be made with narrow eyes so the existing hangers can be used? – Rick Rick, Yes, springs can be made wider with narrower eyes fit the hangers. […]

Mike: I have a 1948 British Ford Anglia that was raced in the ’60 Gasser Wars. I have extremely large polyglass tires (33.5″ x 19.5″ mounted on Weld Draglite 15″ x 15″ Aluminum Wheels) on the rear, and as soon as I get the vehicle up to 35 mph, the vehicle likes to rock and […]

Mike, I am curious if there is a part that the leaf spring clamps play with regards to the function of a rear leaf spring? Is there a difference for instance on how many clamps are placed on a five leaf set up as opposed to a four leaf, and are the locations of the […]

Mike, I bought monoleafs for my truck 8 years ago, not knowing the down side of using them. They sat around for 4 years before I put them on. They sit too low for my taste. To make matters worse, I was sold rear monos with a 6″ drop instead of 4″. Now they are […]

Mike, I have a 1938 Chevrolet Coupe Street rod with rear leaf springs which are 48 Inches long. Someone told me they are Dodge truck springs. And I believe them because the car rides like a truck. Do you have a spring that would make the car ride better and also get rid of the […]

Q – Mike: I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with you during the Silver Springs car show this past weekend. I have also looked at several of your articles on your web site and found them to be very interesting and informative. I also appreciate the T-shirt offer regarding the a discussion we had […]

Mike, When measuring a leaf spring, I assume that the front part and the rear part of the spring’s dimensions “When following the curve”of the spring is the same for both a standard arch spring & a high arch spring. If this is true, what happens to the rear shackle? I wouldn’t think that it […]

Can mono-leaf springs be dangerous?

Mike, I have a stock 1956 Belair which is sitting kind of low in the rear. I have installed new Load Leveler shocks that raised the rear a little, but I need to raise rear another 1-2 Inches. Can this be done with just adding a leaf? The original springs appear to be OK, she […]

Mike, What effect does grease between the leaves of a pre-50 spring have please? Besides stopping them squeaking. Kind Regards, Mike Mike, If the springs are really pre-1950’s, the grease will help them slide against each other easier and help stop the squeaking. This means springs from the pre-1950’s, not a vehicle from pre-1950’s. Since […]

Q -Mike How long is the typical working life of a passenger car leaf spring? Should I be concerned about the primary leaf failing and possibly causing an accident? There are 5 leaves in the pack with at least one appearing broken at the center. The vehicle is a ’78 Plymouth Volare station wagon with […]

Mike, I want to install a set of mono leaf springs on my 1953 Ford f-100. I have a 383 Mopar with a 727 torque flight tranny. Will mono leafs support this unit safely? My friend has them on his with basically the same set up. His springs are straight out with no upward curve. […]

Mike, First of all I want to thank you for letting me ask a question. I have a ’56 Belair with an LT-1, 700R Trans. This car did have a 454 in it when I got it. Anyway, since removing the 454 and installing the LT-1, I am having problems with the rear-end wiggling back […]

Q – Mike, I bought both front and rear springs for my KR from Eaton and I am not happy at all. Just look at the picture. The nose of my car is sticking way up in the air. This is crap. I was sent the wrong springs. What are you going to do about […]

Mike, I purchased some custom lowered springs from you this past summer. They came unpainted and I put them on my car without painting them. Over the weekend I was putting her away for the winter and noticed that the springs were rusting. Should I be concerned about the rust and if so, what should […]

Is there an advantage to putting multi-leaf springs on a vehicle with mono-leaf springs?

Hi Mike, I have a 1965 Chevy Impala convertible that I am trying to find front & rear springs for. I purchased a set of springs that (with the help of all the other stuff) make the car ride like a lumber wagon, I have been told that the front spring rate is 403.9 and […]

Sir, I have a 1966 GTO with new coil springs installed; I have no idea what brand but the car appears to set to pretty much its stock height. I would like the car to sit a little higher in the rear verses the stock height. I thought about installing air shocks, but this car […]

Mike, I had new rear mono leafs installed on my 1967 Camaro Convertible and the result is my wheelbase is now 1.25″ shorter. I had ordered (not from you guys unfortunately) leaf springs, could I have received the wrong ones? Do you have the measurements of your/the proper monos that I can compare against? I […]

How much can one expect the springs to settle after installation?

Howdy, I have a 64 vette, with a Strange Ford 9”. Yes, it’s a 64 straight axle car. Former drag car. It’s set up like a 62 for the leaf springs. I have 4 leaf springs on there now, which are for a 62, which I purchased from a local vette resto shop. They have […]

Dear Mr. Eaton, I must let you know that I am a very unhappy customer. In August of 2009 I purchase both front and rear coil springs for my 1969 Pontiac GTO. Your sales person, Gary, seemed to be very knowledgeable at that time. He asked more questions about my car than any other parts […]

Q -Mike, Hope you can give me some direction here. I have an ’81 Corvette that has one side lower than the other in the rear. The local shop replaced the rear tie bolts, but it still is tilting to one side. They think it is the leaf spring and recommends I replace it with […]

The front springs on my street rod are sagging after installing a big block. How should I go about finding the right replacement springs?

Mike, I have a 1966 Mustang Coupe with a 200ci engine and 3 speed manual transmission. Not a speed demon by any account. The rear end is sagging so I want to get a pair of leaf springs from Eaton. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from the Mustang forum I frequent. I’m undecided whether […]

Q -I ordered a set of coil springs so my 1969 GTO would sit 1 Inch lower. But when I put them on the car sat higher than it did with the old springs. How come? Don – New York A – Don, Remember when you placed the order with Gary he said asked how […]

Q – I’m interested in new springs for my 64 Bonneville. I bought new springs from XYZ Company 2 years ago and I’m not happy with the results. When I was having them installed the mechanic said one of the rear springs was bad so I got a replacement. I wanted a pair, but they […]

How do you measure ride height? What does plus/minus one inch actually mean?

Hi Mike, I’m in the market for a F41 Spring for my 1966 Corvette with F41 suspension. Currently the car has the original GM spring with the curled and notched ends. My concern is that it has obvious pitting under the paint and I’m afraid to re- use it. I have narrowed my choices down […]

Q -Kind of a follow up question to last week’s email question, Ken from Lancaster, CA wrote and said he went to the local auto parts store and told them he wanted to raise his car about an Inch or two and they sold him heavy duty coil springs. But when he installed them the […]

Mike, I purchased a set of new rear springs from you for my 1967 GTO and when I put them in the car leaned to the driver’s side about 3/4 of an Inch. The lean was there with the old springs but I thought the new springs would level it out. I even switched the […]

The shimmy is so bad I have to stop the car to get the shimmy to stop. How should I fix this?

Mike, I have a 1968 Camaro Hardtop that I want to lower 2 Inches in the rear. I have headers and dual exhaust, which sometimes scrape on the driveway, so I want to install air bags to lift it as required. My question is, how does this affect the suspension and spring rate? Can I […]

Mike, I am in need of some custom leaf springs made for a 20 Inch lift on my truck. Is this something you can do? I have checked with a lot of places and no one can help me. Can you? – Scott. Scott, You are about to add us to your list of those […]

Mike, I have a 1970 Firebird, Fiberglass fenders, hood and nose piece, no fender wells and the battery in the trunk. So I have lightened up the front end by about 175 – 200 Lbs. The car now sits up high in the front and what I want is for it to sit 2″ lower […]

Do you really need a panhard bar?

Fixing and understanding axle wrap

Hi Mike, My woodie is a show car, all stock to Early Ford V8 standards. It lists low on driver’s side like a big guy has driven it daily for years, with no other weight or passengers along. I’ve not been able to locate any info on “leveling” the car. As you probably know it […]

Mike, I have recently purchased a 1933 Chevrolet 4 door Street Rod, with an early ’70s 350 engine. The car was built in 1990 using a mid-60s Corvair front clip and ’72 Pinto rack and pinion steering. The front coil springs have 2 spacers and look really tired. What would you recommend as a replacement […]

Mike, I recently purchased from Eaton Spring (about 8-12 mos. ago) new heavy-duty leaf springs for my 1989 Ford F-150 4WD pickup truck. I currently run a pair of Monroe Gas shocks on the rear. Can you recommend an Eaton product that will provide more stability with heavy loads in the bed and towing heavy […]

Why are EATON Corvette springs more expensive than others?

Hello, I have a question about 1963 Ford Galaxie rear leaf springs. I was told that a 1963 Galaxie with 6 leaf spring packs sits 3 Inches lower than a car with 5 leaf spring packs. Do you agree with this? Thank you for your time, -Cliff Cliff, The one who is spreading this information […]

Q -Mike, I have a Riviera that I want lowered about 2 Inches in the rear. You don’t make lowered springs for this car, something about not enough demand. So what I want to do is cut the coils. Is this alright? Frank from Seattle A -Frank, in a lot of cases it is fine […]

Mike, I recently bought a set of coil springs for my 1969 Camaro from you and someone is telling me you have them made in China. Is that true? I can’t find any info on your website or on the box I received them in. Gary Gary, All of our springs are MADE IN THE […]

Mike, I need to lower the front of my car approximately 1 to 1 1/2inches. I understood from your " Question of The Week "answer, that you would cut an Inch off the spring to lower it an Inch but people are telling me that I am reading that wrong and that I would have […]

Mike, I cannot believe I finally found a spring expert! I have read all your tech articles and thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. Now for my question – Can you take an existing spring, stretch it and then shorten it to get a stiffer spring rate while keeping the car at the […]

Does cutting a coil change the spring rate?

Dear Eaton Tech Person, I am rebuilding a 1978 Ford, 4×4, F150, Standard Cab, 400 cu In. engine, truck for a series of articles. Even though the vehicle’s front springs appear to be fine, and it was not overly low in the front end on teardown, I am considering the replacement of the springs. The […]

Mike, I just bought a new pair of springs from you folks for my 62 Falcon. I don’t have a warranty because I have a stroker motor installed. I installed the springs on my Falcon and noticed a decent amount of slop between my spring perch and the leaf spring center pin. I took the […]

Mike, I purchased a set of your 2 Inch lowered springs for a 1979 AMC Pacer frontend that is installed on my 1954 3100 Pickup. To give it a more lowered stance my mechanic cut the springs, which in my opinion is to low but that is not the problem. It just rides way too […]

Q-Mike, I am refurbishing a 1979 Firebird and removing the 403 engine. I am installing a Pontiac 455 with a/c and auto tranny. Estimated horsepower: 450. I will be replacing the coil springs and need advice on the additional weight requiring a stronger spring. If this isn’t enough information, just send me an email. This […]

Mike, I’m in need of some custom springs, and I’m trying to gather information from every company I can so as to get the best spring for the best price. I have a 1993 Jeep Cherokee, 4-dr, 4.0 I6 Engine, Automatic Trans, 4×4. I am wanting to lift my Jeep, and the lift I need […]

Mike, Your online listings for rear leaf springs to fit a 1966 F100 show springs with or w/o EZ ride shackles. Can you tell me what are/were EZ ride shackles? Is this an optional shackle that was offered by Ford at the time? How do I identify if my truck has them if it has […]

Mike, I would like to inquire about a front spring for a 1937 Ford Coupe, at this time it has an original front spring. I would like to know what my options might be. From a single spring, to a reverse eye spring, or anything else you may suggest. Let me give you a little […]

Mike, I recently purchased from Eaton Spring new heavy-duty rear leaf springs for my 2003 Ford F-150 4WD pickup truck. I currently run a pair of Monroe Gas shocks on the rear.can you recommend an Eaton product that will provide more stability with heavy loads in the bed and towing heavy trailers. Regards – Rick […]

Dear Mike, We met in Richmond, VA at the NSRA show last August. My car is a 1937 Packard convertible with Fat Man suspension and Mustang II coil springs. The springs had sagged to the point that the lower A-arms were not level but were going up toward each wheel. It had been suggested by […]

Good Morning, I have a 1967 Firebird that presently has a mono leaf spring and air shocks. I would like to get rid of the air shocks. The majority of the time the car is used for cruising with one or two people. However, sometimes my daughters ride with us to cruises. We also use […]

I have a street rod that uses the frame of a 1980 Cutlass LS which I believe is called a GM G Body. The car is a 1940 Ford two door coach. It has the rear springs form the original ’80 Cutlass in it and they are too weak so I use air shocks to […]

Mike: I have a 1976 Firebird front stub grafted to my 1936 Chevy. The stub has been narrowed 2 ½”, the drag link has been sleeved, and the engine moved back 11 Inches to accommodate the radiator. The front springs now are too stiff and carry the car like a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The […]