Cheap leaf springs?

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Buying "cheap" leaf springs, or used leaf springs is a crap shoot. You are probably buying someone else's headache, just my .02.
 
Thanks for all the replies!
Buying "cheap" leaf springs, or used leaf springs is a crap shoot. You are probably buying someone else's headache, just my .02.
I think you are right, cheap ain't the way to go looks like. Better dig a little deeper and have something I'd actually like when I'm done! Otherwise it will cost even more having to buy another set when the cheap ones sucks!
 
I shot ESPO and email, I know its Sunday but i figured they would get it tomorrow. Laura is messaging me right now! That's impressive! I'm liking this company already!
 
The V8 spring has the larger eye bolt. I always buy them and just drill the front hanger to the proper size. Make sure you get the 6 leaf too.
 
Leaf springs are made from 5160 steel. Beyond that you get what you pay for. Having a set of existing springs re-arched is another case of getting what you pay for. A properly re-cambered leaf spring should give the same service life as it did originally. It's not unreasonable to spend the cost of new springs to have a set of factory springs rebuilt correctly, if not more. You get what you pay for. Cheap replacement springs are usually just that.
 
Leaf springs are made from 5160 steel. Beyond that you get what you pay for. Having a set of existing springs re-arched is another case of getting what you pay for. A properly re-cambered leaf spring should give the same service life as it did originally. It's not unreasonable to spend the cost of new springs to have a set of factory springs rebuilt correctly, if not more. You get what you pay for. Cheap replacement springs are usually just that.

Having re-arched a LOT of leaf springs growing up, I can tell you their service life is greatly diminished from new.
 
Cheap springs aren't good and good springs aren't cheap. I bought some standard height 5 leaf springs from Expo 10 years ago. Still working good.

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Take a good look at ToolmanMike's 2 pictures (I presume they are 10 years ago and today). You can see that the springs have "settled down" over time, with IMHO the "after" picture showing what I would say was a perfect stance. Don't be surprised that they settle after a year or so of moderate use. That why I order mine +1 or 2 inches, depending on what I want the final stance to be. Don't freak if you put them on and they are a little high to start.
 
espo.. i think they were +2". they were 5 leaf and man you put the slightest thing in the trunk and they would sag which is why i prefer teh 6 leaf. they don't do that.

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Call Espo, they will help to spec out what you need and they will build the springs to spec. I just bought their plus 2” 6 leaf springs for my 340 Duster. With U bolts and shipping it was close to $400, but keep in mind that overbend and 6 leaf are both up charges over a stock leaf. If you go stock you will come in lower. The key here is Espo (springsnthings) will not sell you springs until they know the specs of what you have and are planning to do because they are built for your car and required driving style, not just “it fits all A body for the entire run, good luck”.

Stay away from Mancini. I have a pair of their springs that the bend in one is crap and I told them it was with pics of the end bending the opposite way and they said “You are the only one with the problem in 600 sets sold this year.” followed by “We will accept them back but will not pay return shipping since there is nothing wrong with them that we can see.” I did not want to spend another $80 in shipping to get back $250 since I already paid $80 to get them here.... Mancini won this time... but with the junk spring here I know I saved someone else from getting it!

When buying springs, no matter who you go with, always go to an actual manufacturer, not a reseller, because the manufacturer knows what they are doing. All the resellers do is just look at a sheet and tell you yes, it fits.
I had good luck with the XHD Mancini springs, but I bought them around 8 years ago, the pic is with a 1" lowering block, because they sat too high.

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I purchased Mopar Performance XHD springs from Jegs, and they have settled very little, if any. This is a bit higher than I want, even after 8 years. I am considering standard height ESPOs, but am curious how XHDs compare to ESPO's +1 and/or +2 - does anyone know?
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I used the geometry corrected 1" lowering springs from Hotchkis on #projectvertfish.
As far as I can tell the "geometry corrected" part has to do with the leafs being stacked towards the front eyelet instead of centered.
They seem to ride nice and I really like the stance.
https://www.hotchkis.net/product/19...metry-corrected-leaf-springs/?mk=&yr=&md=&sm=
At $400 they are not as cheap as the others have mentioned but they do come with front hangers, bushings and U-bolts.

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I also need a new set of springs for my '72 dart and not sure what height to get. the current old originals sag quite bad and have the rear end sitting very low so bad that i installed air shocks years ago to get the *** end up but i would like to do it right and get new leafs but not sure on weather to get +1 or +2" or what because i dont know where it would sit with fresh stock springs because these sag so much.. I want a slight stance to it with the rear being a little higher than the front but not too much..
 
I used the geometry corrected 1" lowering springs from Hotchkis on #projectvertfish.
As far as I can tell the "geometry corrected" part has to do with the leafs being stacked towards the front eyelet instead of centered.
They seem to ride nice and I really like the stance.
https://www.hotchkis.net/product/19...metry-corrected-leaf-springs/?mk=&yr=&md=&sm=
At $400 they are not as cheap as the others have mentioned but they do come with front hangers, bushings and U-bolts.

View attachment 1715658694
Looks good. Are those 17's?
 
I also need a new set of springs for my '72 dart and not sure what height to get. the current old originals sag quite bad and have the rear end sitting very low so bad that i installed air shocks years ago to get the *** end up but i would like to do it right and get new leafs but not sure on weather to get +1 or +2" or what because i dont know where it would sit with fresh stock springs because these sag so much.. I want a slight stance to it with the rear being a little higher than the front but not too much..
+1" New springs will take the sag out and raise it a bit. The +1's will give you a rake to start and will settle just a bit over stock height. (level)
 
I also need a new set of springs for my '72 dart and not sure what height to get. the current old originals sag quite bad and have the rear end sitting very low so bad that i installed air shocks years ago to get the *** end up but i would like to do it right and get new leafs but not sure on weather to get +1 or +2" or what because i dont know where it would sit with fresh stock springs because these sag so much.. I want a slight stance to it with the rear being a little higher than the front but not too much..

To me it sounds like you want +1". +2" sits way too high for me.
 
Okay, I took the advice to avoid cheap leaf springs and I finally saved up and bought a set of 340 XHD springs with +1" lift from ESPO!
They asked if my eye bolt was 1/2" or 5/8". Said that some people drill them out for the bigger bolts. I cant help my curiosity, why do people move up in bolt size? Strength? Old bolt holes wallowed out?
Thanks!
 
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