Leaf Spring Swap

Ask technical questions about your Ford Bronco II here. Technical write-ups on your axle swaps, engine swaps, chop tops, etc. are encouraged.
LarryA
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:01 pm

Leaf Spring Swap

Post by LarryA »

Ok, read the old thread on leaf spring swap and have a few questions (if anyone that "knows" can help. No guesses please.
Will Explorer leaf springs fit a 1990 B2? If so, do I need to get the shackel bolts also from the doner vehicle? Will this swap fly without problems as far as drive shaft length and such? My B2 springs are not very good and appear to be sagging a good bit. I'd like to get about 1" to 1-1/2" of lift at the rear. The front I want to keep as it is. I'm just not sure what I should look for, a certain body style ( 2 door / 4 door ) and/or year?
This assumes the swap is doable.
Another option would be about 1-1/2 lift blocks but that wouldn't correct the sagging spring problem.
Dreded
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 11:32 pm

Post by Dreded »

yes they will fit a 1990 BII(I have a '90) and all ya gotta do is measure the springs eye to eye as they sit in the vehicle on your BII and on the Explorer i believe its '93 and older explorers that will work in any configuration one thing to watch for though is that the explorers witha towing package have a 5 spring pack where as the regular have a 4 spring the 5 spring would make for a quite a stiff ride in a BII and they actually give ZERO LIFT except for the fact they get rid of the sag

the other thing you need to do is flip the centerpin bolt as they mount on the bottom of a explorer axle and the top of a BII

and it will not move the rear diff at all so no shaft changes.
4x4'ers Eat More Bush!
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LarryA
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:01 pm

Post by LarryA »

Thanks. I know there are quite a few EX's at the yard. That will go on my list for the next trip.
eisle89
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:24 pm
Location: El Paso, Texas

Post by eisle89 »

'91 - '94 and make sure you get them out of a 4 door model. The 2 door has a single leaf " monospring ". You don't need the shackles.
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mekcanix
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:25 pm
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

Post by mekcanix »

yes this is a easy swap .......................unless you count getting the bolts out of the sploder cuase i did this swap about 3 weeks ago and I still have the marks from pullin them damn eye bushing bolts
Its a Bronco II thing............EVEN WE DONT UNDERSTAND
85 bronc modded up a bit
BDEUCE
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:24 pm
Location: Canada's Yukon

Post by BDEUCE »

just going to revive an old thread here...i got my springs from a j-yard, out of a 95 sploder four door. it's a four leaf pack, three leaves and a big thick flat one. I held it up to the b2, it looks like the mounts are in the right spots. i keep hearing 91-94 sploders are where to get the springs from, and that's what i told the yard i needed (it's not a u-pick yard). they told me the springs are the same...they crossreferenced, and looked it up, and the replacemant part numbers from ford are the same.

this fly with you guys? i got the springs, the pb blaster, breaker bar and pnuematic cut-off wheel, carwash tokens with jackstands, new bolts, bandaids, wobbly pop for after, a helper and satellite radio. do i need anything else?

will these springs be the same as promised?
TRUNK_MONKEY
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: Westminster,Colorado

Re: Leaf Spring Swap

Post by TRUNK_MONKEY »

LarryA wrote:Ok, read the old thread on leaf spring swap and have a few questions (if anyone that "knows" can help. No guesses please.
Will Explorer leaf springs fit a 1990 B2? If so, do I need to get the shackel bolts also from the doner vehicle? Will this swap fly without problems as far as drive shaft length and such? My B2 springs are not very good and appear to be sagging a good bit. I'd like to get about 1" to 1-1/2" of lift at the rear. The front I want to keep as it is. I'm just not sure what I should look for, a certain body style ( 2 door / 4 door ) and/or year?
This assumes the swap is doable.
Another option would be about 1-1/2 lift blocks but that wouldn't correct the sagging spring problem.
since the springs wont net any lift--here is what i did.

http://www.coloradopowersports.org/foru ... 07ac&t=767
i lowered the spring mounts for the rear axle it gave 2 1/2 inches of lift.you can gain a little more lift over that by using chevy lowering rear shackles.the chevy works the opposite of the fords---the chevy long shackle will raise you up.this idea comes courtesy of the ranger station (the dot com one)
BDEUCE
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:24 pm
Location: Canada's Yukon

Post by BDEUCE »

um, i am not looking for lift. i am looking for clarification as to whether my 95 springs will fit. i'm looking to relieve sagg - with a full tank of gas it looks like it's taking a dump. :frown: i went to trs.com, bII.org, bII4x4.com, and alot of others, but i can not find this, so i posted on an old topic so that if i get my answer, maybe someone in my shoes in the future would be able to stop looking when they get here. (larry a posted that a year ago)

to reiterate, (quote: bdeuce)

i got my springs from a j-yard, out of a 95 sploder four door. it's a four leaf pack, three leaves and a big thick flat one. I held it up to the b2, it looks like the mounts are in the right spots. i keep hearing 91-94 sploders are where to get the springs from, and that's what i told the yard i needed (it's not a u-pick yard). they told me the springs are the same...they crossreferenced, and looked it up, and the replacemant part numbers from ford are the same.

this fly with you guys?
TRUNK_MONKEY
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: Westminster,Colorado

Post by TRUNK_MONKEY »

i recently read elsewhere that when doing what you describe it in fact wont lift any,but will likely put you back to stock height. but with used leafs you may well get a set that is no better than what you took off.you may be better off having your leaf packs rebuilt/re arced/repaired by a spring shop.
i assume also if the part # interchange you should be good,but be prepared for them to be wrong too.i also dont trust a salvage yard counter monkey to be 100% knowledgeable as well.
good luck with your swap
did you see this one?
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_li ... rLeafs.htm
BDEUCE
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:24 pm
Location: Canada's Yukon

Post by BDEUCE »

what in the hell is a spring shop??? we sure don't have one of those. my options are as follows, in my pursuit of NO LIFT. i have in fact worn out springs. most b2 leafs are flat when installed - mine are like a rainbow shape. bumpstop is about an inch from the axle. sagging. yes, the sploder springs will in fact lift MY b2, but not much more than stock. this is what i am looking for i already own the 95 sploder springs, and i am putting them in tomorrow. thanks for your help trunk munkey, but i don't think you are understanding me.

does anyone else know for sure about 1995 four door exploder springs. are they the same as 91-94 four door exploder springs. this is all i want to know i'm doing this tomorrow, it'd be nice if someone knew something i didn't, so i could save alot of f*cking around to find out they won't fit.
BDEUCE
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:24 pm
Location: Canada's Yukon

Post by BDEUCE »

i just realized you have a ranger. i have a bronco ii. i believe the spring mount is different - netting a b2 lift where a ranger won't. anyone care to comment?
TRUNK_MONKEY
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: Westminster,Colorado

Post by TRUNK_MONKEY »

BDEUCE wrote:i just realized you have a ranger. i have a bronco ii. i believe the spring mount is different - netting a b2 lift where a ranger won't. anyone care to comment?
aahhh i did not know b2's mount were different.and a spring shop repairs/re arc's and fabricates new leaf springs.
http://www.denverspringandsuspension.com/index.htm
this one is just a few miles from me,and they are all over the country.google leaf springs and i am sure you can find some in your locale,or reasonably close.
i guess there is no for sure way to get back to stock with out new springs,used parts will always have the risk of going thru all the work and be not a lot better than what you had.i bet repairing your leafs or the salvage yard ones is cheaper by half than new leafs,and you can get new bushings and bolts.the OEM ones rust in and near impossible to get out and re use.
so however,whatever you do to fix it,thats cool.just trying to offer help.i just did old rusty leafs off,and new clean ones back on.
BDEUCE
Posts: 135
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:24 pm
Location: Canada's Yukon

Post by BDEUCE »

the final answer (in my case, everyone's experience seems to differ :confused: ) about 1995 sploder springs for the b2. they did in fact fit, and they did infact lift it way more than i thought they would. it seems to be about 2 '' higher than stock. way easy too. i would recommend this to anyone. had to cut some bolts, but not impossible. disassembly took about 2.5 hours, re-assembly took 45 minutes. new u-bolts, new eyebolts, all grade 8, all torqued to reccomended specs. will post pics later...

nate
TRUNK_MONKEY
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: Westminster,Colorado

Post by TRUNK_MONKEY »

BDEUCE wrote:the final answer (in my case, everyone's experience seems to differ :confused: ) about 1995 sploder springs for the b2. they did in fact fit, and they did infact lift it way more than i thought they would. it seems to be about 2 '' higher than stock. way easy too. i would recommend this to anyone. had to cut some bolts, but not impossible. disassembly took about 2.5 hours, re-assembly took 45 minutes. new u-bolts, new eyebolts, all grade 8, all torqued to reccomended specs. will post pics later...

nate
cutting the eye bolts for us was the worst!! damn rusty old bolts! good to hear you have good springs under ya now :cool:
DBrown
Posts: 1545
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 5:21 am
Location: Bowling Green, KY

Post by DBrown »

before you start takeing everything apart why don't you just jack up the rear and measure the leafs you have now from eye to eye and check that with the exporer leafs you have bought? with the leaf unloaded in the rear it should be the same measuremnet with the new leafs you have out.
71 Bronco - twin sticked, full width, 2" lift, wristed arm, lots of rust...

http://www.catalystcycles.com
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