Modified my spring perches to fit, but want to ensure I didn't screw it up :)
 

Hey all,

Apologies for the noobish post, but I guess I need a little affirmation that I didn't screw the pooch on this one.

I got my ubolts made to mount the rear to the leafs, however one thing I didn't pay attention to when ordering perches some time ago is that they're 2.25" leafs, and the perches I bought a month ago are 2.5". So I went to mount things up and I realized that the ubolts wouldn't fit around the perches.

http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/...pspgtsskfo.jpg

So I called around and no one has any in stock. I really wanted to get the rear in this weekend, and waiting until Monday for Amazon or Summit to arrive just didn't sound tasty. So I figured I'd try and modify the perches I bought.

So I started by slicing them down the center. My hand wasn't as steady as I wanted.

http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1cquaunn.jpg

To keep it centered I wanted to take off equal material on each side, so I used a grinder. Then I welded the pieces back together, top and bottom.

Then I smoothed out the top and redrilled the hole.

http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/...pslzko1r1w.jpg

Now the ubolts will fit:

http://i1037.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0vnubiec.jpg

Now on my old rear end, one perch had a 5/8" locating hole, and the other is like a 9/16". Looks like the leafs have a 9/16" nub on each side. Should I welt up the hole I drilled and make it 9/16", or is it not meant to be a snug fit?

Also, anything else I should be concerned about? I set it on the rear and it seems fine, but if any other photos would help you experts assess, I'd be happy to provide them.

Thanks all!

Re: Modified my spring perches to fit, but want to ensure I didn't screw it up :)
 

On the next one I'll use a cutoff wheel I think. My wheels were just too frayed and I didn't want to go to the hardware store again. But in retrospect a straight cut would have made evening it out easier.

Re: Modified my spring perches to fit, but want to ensure I didn't screw it up :)
 

I think those should be fine as long as you got good penetration when you welded them back together. The hole in the perch should be a snug fit to the spring centerbolt. This prevents movement which can elongate the hole and cause the rear of the truck to not track true to the front.

Re: Modified my spring perches to fit, but want to ensure I didn't screw it up :)
 

Okay. Sounds like I need to weld it up and redrill for the correct size. I based it on one of the old perches that was the same size, but when i looked at the leafs they were definitely smaller.