Re-arching stock springs?

[CG]

I don't know jack about this kind of thing, but do spring shops that do this have some sort of way of knowing what the stock arch is? I'm sure any springs you want re-arched will have sagged a bit.

If they get your stock springs all back to factory what is the most lift you can have put in? If your only looking for an inch and a half to two inches wouldn't this be much cheaper than buying new springs when you want a spring only lift? Or does even a little bit of a re-arch make the springs too stiff?

[sweetk30]

all the work to pull / have re-arched / install and sag out again on a OLD spring = waste of money if you can get stock replacements or small lift kit set .

i would never have them re-arched my self .

yes there is books on the specific arch of the stock stuff this his how it would be done .

[kwmech]

If the spring shop is good, reaching an old spring is usually not a problem. I just pulled a bunch of old springs from out back and had them arched for my '91 burb. I even had a leaf added that brought the front end up about 3-4 inches from the original 2 spring pac

[CG]

The ones I have are already loose. I'm not looking for much lift. I wouldn't mind saving some money for a change (over buying new). I asked a local buddy what he thought about this and he told me there is a place in our area that does spring work. Im going to stop in and see what they have to say.

[special-K]

There is a lot of myth surrounding re[arching springs when it is a very practical service that exists because it works. I use the several vehicles, new and old, that I have had this service done on as proof. Isn't it ironic that those who rag on re-arching usually will also tell you to expect your expensive brand new spring packs to settle> I also never experience that with any new lift springs. Not that I measured, but so negligible, if at all, that I could not tell. And isn't that all that matters?

I use a great spring shop and they do the whole job. I drive in and drive out with what I spec'd. Actually, the first set I did myself because there were no lift lifts available for 61-71 Dodges at that time. Probably still aren't. We did it the old fashioned carriage and buggy way with anvil, sledge hammer, and two strong young men. Starting in the center, with your buddy gripping with all he's got (the vibration is killer springy if you hold too loose) you pound down on the center of one main leaf and work a ways out from there in both directions. Then go through the others arching to match the main leaf. Then do the other side matching each spring to it's mate on the other side. We also added one new, which is what spring shops do, to assure it stays at that arch. Never had one sag and have owned them long after the arch job.

I had my '90 Blazer springs arched to a requested 1" over stock, which turned out to be more like 2" when it was a year or two old. I didn't want a lift on our family car, just level and proud looking. I ran 33/12.50s on 10" wheels with Bushwacker Extenda-Flares and they never rubs on the fiberglass in the 193k we drove it

Shoot! The pictures with this set-up are stuck on P-Bucket. I dread going there for those. But here it is before, when new, after I power coated the rallyes & Ventshades and installed 32/11.50s. I felt the nose sat down. Maybe just level, but with the nose up a hair these solid axle trucks handle twice as well. No nose dive and pounces straight w/o roll over the bumps. I need to wok up the nerve to get on popupbucket to steal my pictures back

[kwmech]

So a little addition to what I'm experiencing. Had the fronts done...cuz they were 2 leaf and bent backwards quite a way. Had the leaf added and rearched. Came out right where I wanted. The rear pack had....some time in the past....an extra leaf in it that was not factory. Original spring pack was a 4+1. Soembody in the past put an add-a-leaf in it to bring up the rear end sag. Didn't really work out correctly. So I'm looking at taking this to the spring shop. Decide not to. Buy a brand new pack from SD spring that sells a 6+1 pack. It shows up and I install it. Springs flatten out to the overload. I put in a 2'' block and the rear still sits quite a bit lower than the front. I have to pull the new springs out and take them to the spring shop to be corrected.

[special-K]

That sucks. And I worry about lift springs being more for toys than actually handling a load you'd expect from a truck. I did add-a-leafs and a 2" block hoping for 3-4" of lift to go with the 4" springs I put on front. The GMCs come with Dana 60 and about 1/2" spacers and the previous owner had a solid block of 1" steel added to that. I took all that out, so lost 1 1/2" right there. It looks like the rear is in about the same place as if the add-a-leafs did nothing and I gained 1/2" from the 2" block. Since I want 4" of lift and I swapped the u-bolts to nuts-up and used heavier than ever necessary Tuff Stuff plates that bottom out on the stop brackets with the slightest weight, I want to get new lift springs. The truck was a 5th wheel hauler in it's prior life and had HD truck air shocks plus that added block (and front springs were seriously sagged). I figure the P.O. figured the springs were well used up. I could go the spring shop route but I feel I can buy the lift spring packs for no more than that would cost. I also bought cheap front springs, so going EZ Lift all around. I don't really want to work the truck as hard as I do now, so looking ahead at keeping the truck forever, eventually restoring, and getting an improved ride while gaining desired height I can count on.