Rear leaf springs

['73bird]

How does one remove the front bolts to get the leaf springs loose

 

[texas69bee]

Take the hanger off as well. 4 bolts on the front side of it.

 

['73bird]

Take the hanger off as well. 4 bolts on the front side of it.

So there is a hanger on the front of the leaf springs?

 

[Photon440]

Yes there is, and it should look something like this:

You might not even see the nuts that need to be undone because of mud and dirt, so clean it up and spray some lube there first.

 

['73bird]

Thanks

 

[powermyster]

Sorry for hijacking this thread but seems related. I currently have mine off (should have loosed the front eye bolt first)

Anyways the manual and the bushing suppliers cite an oval front eye bush. Mines soaking in penetrating fluid now but looks to me to be a round bush. Any come across this.

 

[rrTor-Red]

View attachment 360240
Sorry for hijacking this thread but seems related. I currently have mine off (should have loosed the front eye bolt first)

Anyways the manual and the bushing suppliers cite an oval front eye bush. Mines soaking in penetrating fluid now but looks to me to be a round bush. Any come across this.

The bushings are round. Yes, a lot easier to remove the nuts off the studs for the forward spring perch hanger. Remember when putting it all back together, those nuts are torqued, just FYI

 

[powermyster]

The bushings are round. Yes, a lot easier to remove the nuts off the studs for the forward spring perch hanger. Remember when putting it all back together, those nuts are torqued, just FYI

Yes mine are round but the replacement ones for 73/74 are listed as oval like in image. And the manual shows an image of an oval one.

 

[rrTor-Red]

Yes mine are round but the replacement ones for 73/74 are listed as oval like in image. And the manual shows an image of an oval one.

View attachment 360263

I'm going by experience with 71-72. If 73-74 are different, odd to me why the oval shape.

 

[Bruzilla]

The oval ones were on late 73 cars and all 74.

 

[powermyster]

The oval ones were on late 73 cars and all 74.

Mines a 74. Though who know what was done to it over the years.

Can I order a 72 Spring bush kit is it the same. the 72 wouldn't have spring isolators etc is the rest the same?

 

[mopar73dge]

I would order the new springs from Springs and Things, they have a great price and they are a matched set for your car, they can also do a 1 inch raise if you like. I had my rear springs with rubber bushings already installed, they are perfect and everything was shipped quick, I re-used my front hangers and of course installed new u bolts, front eye bolts nuts original type and new rear shackle hangers bolts and rubber bushings. the ride is so much better since over 150k miles the front bushings did not even rotate! they were so rusted tight. the height is perfect, after filling the tank with gas they held up the car. I did install the rally charger shock the rear with the coil over, they will raise the car 1 inch in the rear and keep the height with two people in the back seat full tank of gas and only drop to about 1 inch lower. Shocks are Monroe about 75.00 for the pair form Advance Auto. I re-used the iso clamp rubber for the rear springs, they were like new, so I did not go with the poly clamps, new axel u bolts and nuts, make sure you tighten to the 45 ft lbs as stated in the shop manual, they will torque to the 45 lbs and stop incredible, of course use the original locking type nuts. they are designed to lock and stop as specified, use a Sawz All to cut off your rusted old u-bolts, its much easier. good luck hope this helps.

 

[powermyster]

I would order the new springs from Springs and Things, they have a great price and they are a matched set for your car, they can also do a 1 inch raise if you like. I had my rear springs with rubber bushings already installed, they are perfect and everything was shipped quick, I re-used my front hangers and of course installed new u bolts, front eye bolts nuts original type and new rear shackle hangers bolts and rubber bushings. the ride is so much better since over 150k miles the front bushings did not even rotate! they were so rusted tight. the height is perfect, after filling the tank with gas they held up the car. I did install the rally charger shock the rear with the coil over, they will raise the car 1 inch in the rear and keep the height with two people in the back seat full tank of gas and only drop to about 1 inch lower. Shocks are Monroe about 75.00 for the pair form Advance Auto. I re-used the iso clamp rubber for the rear springs, they were like new, so I did not go with the poly clamps, new axel u bolts and nuts, make sure you tighten to the 45 ft lbs as stated in the shop manual, they will torque to the 45 lbs and stop incredible, of course use the original locking type nuts. they are designed to lock and stop as specified, use a Sawz All to cut off your rusted old u-bolts, its much easier. good luck hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice the springs are already in the process of refurbishment and I took a chance on the '72 bushes. Should have all by the end of the week. The only thing I haven't done yet is for a replacement for the air shocks, I'm gonna pull them and try source them locally if possible. If not I was thinking of getting the KYB gas-a-just shocks.

I'll let you all know how I go.

 

[mopar73dge]

I just noticed you are from Ireland, very interesting its nice to know there are Mopar drivers everywhere... I would like to visit your country someday. The KYB are more expensive but if your ride height is good why not! let me know, Mike

 

[Bruzilla]

Mines a 74. Though who know what was done to it over the years.

Can I order a 72 Spring bush kit is it the same. the 72 wouldn't have spring isolators etc is the rest the same?

Where you have to be careful on the 74s is with the spring hangers. The springs with the oval ends are about 3/4" shorter than the springs with the round ends, and the hangers are a bit longer to account for that. This fact made my life Hell when I was switching to Super Stock springs as the Mopar Perfomance hangers do not account for this. I ended up having to buy 68-70 hangers and drilling new holes in them. It looks like whoever swapped the older springs on to your car also swapped the hangers, so you should be okay with 72 springs.

The 72 won't have spring isolators, but you need to look at the shock plates on the car. The ones for non-isolated cars have a small hole in the center. The isolated ones have a hole a bit over an inch wide to accommodate the rubber donut on the top of the isolator. If you have the isolated plates, you'll need to weld in a washer to close up the hole.

 

[powermyster]

Where you have to be careful on the 74s is with the spring hangers. The springs with the oval ends are about 3/4" shorter than the springs with the round ends, and the hangers are a bit longer to account for that. This fact made my life Hell when I was switching to Super Stock springs as the Mopar Perfomance hangers do not account for this. I ended up having to buy 68-70 hangers and drilling new holes in them. It looks like whoever swapped the older springs on to your car also swapped the hangers, so you should be okay with 72 springs.

The 72 won't have spring isolators, but you need to look at the shock plates on the car. The ones for non-isolated cars have a small hole in the center. The isolated ones have a hole a bit over an inch wide to accommodate the rubber donut on the top of the isolator. If you have the isolated plates, you'll need to weld in a washer to close up the hole.

Thanks for the reply, the longer hangers make sense if they are a shorter Springs. I bought new hangers too so I'm sure I'll know if they are too short.

Have to hand it to Rock Auto and DHL. I ordered Monday evening and got texts to say they will be delivered tomorrow.

 

[powermyster]

Ok got my springs back, with a leaf added! Bushes and shackles are here. Just a little more pairing to be done to freshen up the plates etc.

I hope the shackles fit my springs because the bolts uses in the made up shackles are too thin for the poly bushes.

Got new u bolts with the springs but they don't have imperial bolts so had to get 14mm and drill plates out slightly.

 

[mopar73dge]

looks like your ready to go with the install after a little more painting..

 

[Nacho-RT74]

My Charger is 74 and got round too... true is it was assemblied locally and not in USA

now, even is not oval, still got a thicker isolation bushing. Same outer diameter but smaller inner diameter, so smaller diameter bolt goingthrought

 

['73bird]

So the leaf springs are different for the big blocks like the 440 than the small blocks like the 340?