Question about Leaf Springs

1969VAGTX · Mar 7, 2022

When the weather gets better this week I will share some pics of the GTX that I just purchased. In the meantime, I am going over a few things with this car. The most obvious thing that stood out to me was the fact that the passenger side is noticeably higher than the drivers side. Upon further inspection, I discovered that two spacers (or add-a-leafs) are installed on the passenger side. The driver side just has the springs mounted. The car was restored in the last five years and driven very little. Any idea why the springs would be set up that way? For reference, the car is a Hemi GTX. Would appreciate any thoughts before I start “fixing” things. Thanks.

Passenger Side

Drivers Side

33 IMP · Mar 7, 2022

Stick shift car with a dana? Those springs are stock (or stock HD replacements.) The trackpack/super track pack cars had biased extra leaves (or actually front half leaves) because of the physics that happens to a rear-end under acceleration. The superstock race springs are the same way. The passenger side is stiffer, because the physical reaction is to increase the load on the drivers side, and decrease on the passejger,passenger,, due to the direction the engine rotates.

Cranky · Mar 7, 2022

Rear axles torque counter clockwise and biased leaf springs counter that..... they also help counter the clockwise torque of the engine.

AR67GTX · Mar 8, 2022

440 cars have the same extra leafs too. If the car sits unlevel side to side I would look at the torsion bar adjustment first and get the front level. Probably the rear end will follow. Be sure to study the procedure in the service manual for removing/installing/adjusting TBs.

Edit: corrected crazy typos and IPad over-writing

66Satellite47 · Mar 8, 2022

A Hemi X would have either the Trac Pak or Super Trak Pak spring package. These are a biased design with the added front half leaves on the passenger side to counter the torque applied by the axle which is trying to force the passenger wheel up into the wheel well. The front half is stiffened to control the "wrap up"/ bending of front of the spring due to the force which is trying to rotate the pinion nose up during hard acceleration. This is a real good design.

Demonic · Mar 8, 2022

Yup. Those are stock, not “add a leafs”.

1969VAGTX · Mar 8, 2022

And today I learned my first important point about a Hemi car. Didn't realize that this is actually the correct spring design for the car. Good to know that it isn't something I need to worry about.

Now I need to work on a few minor things, starting with adjusting the carbs a little bit and tinkering with some small stuff.

The car is otherwise is excellent shape. It was delivered in the rain yesterday, so once I can get it cleaned up and get some good pictures I will share.

Thanks to you guys.

Cranky · Mar 8, 2022

Don't know if the cars came from the factory with the left front torsion bar adjusted up a bit more to help counter act the right rear spring bias but this was something that some drag and street racers did to help put even more weight bias on the right rear (and to level the car out some). Doing this would also help cars that didn't have a Sure Grip in the rear end act like it had one. I used to do this by placing weight on the right side of the trunk (battery placement to the trunk helped too) and also used air shocks with a separate line kit and would run more PSI in the right side shock.

Question about Leaf Springs

1969VAGTX

FBBO Gold Member

33 IMP

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Cranky

Banned Henchman #27

AR67GTX

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66Satellite47

Well-Known Member

Demonic

Well-Known Member

1969VAGTX

FBBO Gold Member

Cranky

Banned Henchman #27

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