Installing Leaf Spring pads

[pitzel]

After a failed attempt at the Moog K6544's (the white hockey pucks!), which made my camber too positive, I think I am going to try a pair of Dorman 31066's (http://www.amazon.ca/Dorman-HELP-31066-Spring-Insulator/dp/B000COCRB4/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1402606961&sr=1-1&keywords=31066).

 

My question is, how would I go about installing these on-vehicle? Is such even possible? Or does the whole spring have to come out?

Edited June 12, 2014 by pitzel

[Garrett Powered]

you need a special tool to remove the spring. or if you can weld, you can make one.

[pitzel]

Yeah my appetite for spring removal is zero. But can the replacement pads be applied to the spring ends while they're still sitting in the knuckle, albeit compressed slightly (for clearance) by a jack?

 

Obviously not as easy as simply hammering in the K6544's, but I really am not interested in using them after what they've end up doing to the camber.

[Garrett Powered]

Obviously not as easy as simply hammering in the K6544's, but

 

never got that to work either..

[pitzel]

never got that to work either..

 

How so? Camber/alignment, or not being able to install the pads themselves? I didn't have any trouble installing them, and removal wasn't that difficult either. Tires didn't even have to come off in either case.

[Garrett Powered]

It may be that some can and some can't, not really sure. early leaf springs may be different. the birchmount spring was made for the nylon pads I noticed. they are flat on the ends

[George]

I used a floor jack with a piece of wood on top as not to damage the leaf spring. Jack up the leaf spring with the wood block between the lateral links, raise the leaf spring off the pad, scrape old rubber off spring if needed, slide nylon pad into place and let the jack down. They should all be the same. Maybe some are just more difficult.

[TWilks]

I did the same thing as George ^^. Worked perfect for me.

[pitzel]

I did the same thing as George ^^. Worked perfect for me.

 

With the white nylon "hockey puck" pads? Or the pads that have to be glued to the ends of the spring?

 

If you used the white nylon pads, did your camber become messed up?

 

Maybe my problem is that the monoleaf on my car is still in pristine shape since it only has a little over 135k on it. While the people using the nylon pads might be running 200-300k by now, and are experiencing some sag.

[TWilks]

With the white nylon "hockey puck" pads? Or the pads that have to be glued to the ends of the spring?

 

If you used the white nylon pads, did your camber become messed up?

 

Maybe my problem is that the monoleaf on my car is still in pristine shape since it only has a little over 135k on it. While the people using the nylon pads might be running 200-300k by now, and are experiencing some sag.

 

I used the Moog White Nylon pads. The rubber on my spring was gone when I got the car (153K). Adding the "pucks" did change the camber a bit on the rear & raised it up - but it actually helped my rear, since the monoleaf was sliding on the steel knuckle. It made the ride much quieter and smoother. They've been in there 13K miles so far & doing great. I changed the rear struts after a few months with the pucks and the ride was even better.

[Schurkey]

I'm mystified as to how the camber change can be a bad thing, based on whacking a pair of the white nylon spring spacers into place.

 

The rear leaf sags over time, the thickness of the nylon blocks barely compensates. The only camber change is based on ride-height change, and in most applications, the ride-height is merely returning (closer) to stock. Therefore the camber should return closer to "as manufactured".

[pitzel]

Well there's no sag (yet), and camber change is bad as half the freakin' rear wheel wasn't even touching the pavement.

 

The car only has 135k miles on it. Maybe too early in its lifespan for sag to be an issue? I'll keep the pads and install them when the sag does appear, if the rest of the body lasts that long, lol.

[Schurkey]

Well there's no sag (yet), and camber change is bad as half the freakin' rear wheel wasn't even touching the pavement.

 

The car only has 135k miles on it. Maybe too early in its lifespan for sag to be an issue? I'll keep the pads and install them when the sag does appear, if the rest of the body lasts that long, lol.

You clearly have other issues in that rear suspension. SOMETHING is bent...badly. Or wildly mis-adjusted. Changing the ride height by half-an-inch does not camber the tire halfway off the pavement.

[GnatGoSplat]

I was once able to install the OEM pads similar to the way George described as well. I just applied the adhesive to the spring and some on the pad, and slipped the pad under the spring.

 

I don't recommend the nylon ones, someone has posted pics of them eating through the spring itself.

[pitzel]

Weird, so I went on a 600 mile trip without the pads, the back seem to sag a lot, put the pads back in, and voila, all is well now. I don't get it, a few weeks ago when I was cursing and swearing up and down in this thread that they were camber-wrecking, and now everything is all right.

 

Guess I should have let the new struts settle in before I put them in?

 

Cancelled my order for the Dorman's. Silly Amazon had a month to cough them up to me, and they still couldn't.