61 leaf spring replacement ?

[Philt]

Suspect I will soon be replacing the leaf springs ( look OEM) in my recently acquired 61 convertible. I noticed that with the 62 they installed 5 springs. Should I replace the original 4 springs with this later 5 spring units or stay stock?
Phil in Tenn

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[Hadderz]

Hi could add air shocks, this would improve the ride and allow a bit of height adjustment plus probably cheaper!!

 

[Dale Leonard]

I would put stock stocks on the car and go on ebay and add a small air bag to each side in the rear. This makes the ride really nice and you can raise the car as much as you want and not sacrifice ride. I did this to a 1983 F150 ford pickup. The reason for the airbags was to use the truck to move fifth wheel trailers around. Just a few pounds of air and the load capacity was increased dramatically and the ride went from rough to very smooth. Your choice you decide.

 

[Ford5of5]

Generally speaking, more leafs means a stiffer ride. This all depends on the composition of the spring steel used. Get ahold of a spring company and tell them what kind of ride you prefer. For example, a soft ride that dips into the corners a little or a hard ride with a car that feels like it's on rails going around a corner. Ride height is usually dependent on the arch. Absolutely do not use air shocks or Monroe load handlers to correct for bad springs. Doing so puts stress on shock mounting points that were not designed to hold the weight of a car. The load adjust airbags for trucks are meant to level out loads for safety and will cost about 5x what it costs for new springs and again are not meant to correct for bad springs.

 

[Dlluinstra]

I removed the air shocks from my 61 convertible, upgraded he front sway bar and added a rear sway bar, totally happy with ride and handling.
David

 

[Dale Leonard]

Ford5of5 you are wrong. I bought the airbags and brackets off ebay and modified the brackets myself to fit. They were not load adjust like you are refering to. I hooked them up to operate from one air fitting and it held the weight up that I put on them and it softened the ride tremendously. It is a 4x4 and it rode really rough. What it did was to take the load off the springs and made the truck ride on the air bags. They were cheap and for me they were easy to install. To install the type of air bag system that you are talking about would cost a lot of money. I have a 55 t-bird and I am going to do the same on it because I really like the ride and what it did for my truck.

 

[Ford5of5]

The systems you're talking about replace the coil and/or leaf springs with an air spring, like what was used in Lincolns of the 90's? You are correct then, that's a different animal than load levelers and is usually refered to as air suspension. Is it worth going through the trouble of those modifications to a classic T-bird? I had them on a '92 LSC and I liked them until the car started to lean. I converted to 90's T-bird coil springs because of leaks and cost to replace air springs, back then they were big bucks. The difference in ride quality was negligible. For me, that was one of those cars I wish I didn't sell but I got tired of AOD issues.

 

[Dale Leonard]

Your choice. I said that I added them. I used them in conjunction with my springs and shocks. I did not replace any or remove anything. I just added two small airbags to my system. The only thing I did away with was my mechanical stop that keeps you from breaking springs when you overload your truck which won't happen in a car. The bags were added to the existing system. Maybe I should have explained more in my first post but figured that everyone would figure out that all I did was add to the system. Not change everything out. On you AOD, they did have a problem and it was a gromet on the throttle linkage and if the linkage fell out it tore up the transmission. When you replaced the plastic one with a brass gromet then it did not do this. But is this the same problem that you wee having or something else. Just curious.

 

[Ford5of5]

The second time I burnt up the trans I got rid of my transmission guy and then sold the car to a friend that was into Fords more than me, I'm more of a non-Chevy GM guy. My friend said that it was a bad kickdown cable, it had a different name that I can't remember. Apparently on the AOD they would rust up and freeze but this issue was probably in addition to the bushing or that was just how he explained it. My buddy said that it burns up the servos because it will shift too hard. I don't know myself, trannys are like voo doo to me. I was thinking about getting another LSC project car but I'm swamped with other projects.

I'm almost done with a '79 Trans Am and then I plan on doing a resto mod to a '72 Firebird. Problem is my Dad's '66 T-bird keeps sidetracking me with electrical and vacuum issues. Also, my Dad and brother Bill are into 50's shoe-box Fords, so they take up a bunch of time too.http://[img]https://i.*********/Z3mS9Ue.jpg

This is how I know what air shocks will do to sheet metal. This is '79 F body rear shock pocket, it's a little bit more than a 1/8" thick. The air shock poked it's way through the roof of the pocket. The shock also tore up some sheet metal above the pocket.
https://i.*********/Z3mS9Ue.jpg

 

[Dale Leonard]

The bushing does the exact same thing as your problem. My dad had his transmission rebuilt twice before we figured it out. Anyway you sound like me on projects. I am restoring a 1955 t-bird , 1956 corvette, and a 1964 corvette and a whole lot of other projects. I'm retired and like my Dad said before he died. So many projects and so little time left to do them.
Also I'm like you and do not like air shocks and the repairs that come after using them. Cars are not made like they use to be made. Take care Nice talking to you.
Dale in Fl.

 

[John W.]

Check what is original for your car and go with that. The springs you have now might be replacements. Be sure to tell the spring shop that your 'Bird is a convertible, there may be a difference vs. hardtop springs.
John W. 60 HT

 

[Philt]

thanks guys, collecting the necessary bushings and such and expect to pull the rear leafs in a few days. After a good washing, the springs look much newer than the rearend although the rubber looks long past its prime.
Think we will start with new bushings amnd rubber all around . I can always go back in later, suspect upgrade the front sway bar and a rear sb will make the ride a bit more managable. Have the disc brake kit in hand but may juts convert the fronts.
Located near Nashville Tenn, feel free to contact me at pwtrusty@*********

 

[Rbeck204]

There is a difference between convertible springs and non convertible. Make sure you get the correct rear springs.

I have a 61 convertible also. A couple of years ago I replaced my rear springs with new ones, removed the air shocks, and installed new rear spring bushings (6 required).
It restored the stock ride height and rides great.

As Diluinstra had done above, I am also going to add new heavy duty front and rear sway bars next week to finish it off. I expect it to great.
Rich

 

[Philt]

Rich ,
where did you source the sway bars? i understand you should upgrade the front to heavy duty when adding the rear sb.

 

[Rbeck204]

Bird Nest in OR had them in stock. I talked to Don there. I ordered both front and rear
Rich

 

[Dlluinstra]

Mine came from Birds Nest, also.

 

[Dlluinstra]

Super people at Birds Nest

 

[Philt]

Thanks for the advise on parts vendors. New to the marque and need a reputable parts house.