Originally Posted by bobva

<<<@!1!@>>>

Very easily by tightening the bolts while jacks are on the frame and the spring are hanging in air truck must be on ground.

bolts must be tightening ( axle bolts can be about 50%+ of torque spec at this time) only after you bounce the truck by placing tires on lets say some six or eight inch blocks push truck off blocks to get it to bounce with no shocks on truck. ( now you can tighten axle bolts to spec) Then drive truck up and down a ramp Amazon.com: RhinoGear 11909 RhinoRamps Vehicle Ramps (Pair, 12,000lb. GVW Capacity): Automotive one tire at a time.

then tight bolts to about 1/2 torque spec blocks again bounce truck tighten more ramps and blocks tighten slowly till spec then after you get you spring nested then put the shocks on the truck. But i still drive the truck over a speed bump a few times before mount the shocks.

With these spring it took me longer to torgue the bolts than the R&R of the springs.

Originally Posted by thrashingcows

Trying to understand what you are writing here. Little tough with no commas...

So install springs, and leave the eyes about 50%. Then lower and bounce and tighten the eye bolts to spec?

Then move on to the axle bolts? And the driving up and down on ramps, speed bumps etc? Torquing them incrementally as you go?

Originally Posted by bobva

So install springs, and leave the eyes shackles about snug tight but loose .......... axle bolts 50 %%. Then lower and bounce and tighten the axle bolts to spec?

Then progressively tighten the spring & shackle bolts till spec with bouncing and ramping a speed bumping.

Then and only then put the shocks on.

Thats the was I was told do it many years ago by a spring shop owner.


If you were to tighten all bolts while truck frame in on jacks and axle hanging with no truck weight the springs will not work right or even close.

all four tires must be on level ground while tightening bolts

Originally Posted by thrashingcows

I never tighten down suspension components until it is sitting down on it's own weight, a cycle the suspension...(Bounce up and down on the front end or frame). Did I do all that was advised to you by the spring shop owner...not quite...but close.

I can always loosen things and try again....have nothing to loose by trying your tightening, and torquing regime.

Originally Posted by bobva

With these springs its no 1 hour job I drove over a lot of speed bumps in my neighborhood lots.

From my house to the gate there are 6 SB of different sizes I must have drove over them 20+ trips 12 SB per trip many trips with out touching bolts.

Originally Posted by bobva

There no hit and miss when you use the right shocks

The cheese eaters that are complaining about the PB springs fail to mention the shocks the are using.

Originally Posted by PJ 3

I actually thought of that but my concern was that there seems to be more movement on this new spring design and I was nervous about just having a little over an inch of free play so I got it rebuilt to better specs.

I upgraded the spline shaft and slip yoke. It is much larger in design compared to the stock drive shaft that was on there. I used the original shaft but replaced the cv joints and ball assembly. The new spline shaft and slip yoke welded onto the existing shaft has a travel distance of 3 inches now.
Here is a pic of the completed shaft.........

Here is a closer shot of the new end welded up. The slip yoke was complimented with a rubber boot and sealed with clamps, making it maintenance free. The rubber boot and slip joint design is similar to the TJ jeep style except quite larger. As you can see the diameter of the slip yoke and back end of the original shaft are the same size now !
A spicer conversion joint was installed to match up with my dana 60.

Ideally , there should be 3 degrees on the shaft angle. I don't know what the stock angle was with the sagged front springs but I now sit at 18 degrees. Turning the shaft by hand didn't create any binding issues. I locked the hubs and run the front end after the install today and there doesn't seem to be any issues. Works great.

Here is a pic of the final install. This upgrade is maintenance free, never needing grease to the slip joint, cv's only and much stronger.

Originally Posted by bigragu

Oh yeah, my u joints are spicers and I'm up 2" max on my lift

Originally Posted by u2slow

First you'll have to find out if you have the 7260 or 7290 yoke on the front diff. The former is ~3" across (roughly spicer 1310 size) and latter is ~3½" across (roughly 1330/1350 or 3R size). The nice thing is Dana 60 & 70 yokes are all interchangeable. Many different conversion joints exist, but not necessarily for all combinations.

One option for a slightly longer shaft is one from a 2ndgen. The flange fits the same, and they all seem to use the 7290 yokes and joint at the pinion.

Originally Posted by thrashingcows

Just wanted to say thanks again to Sevnt300 for all his R&D work with working out a way to actually make these Smooth Ride springs, ride smooth.

I did his conversion today and I couldn't be happier. Truck rides so much better! I would highly recommend this alteration to anyone who has a set of these springs on their truck, and finds that they ride a little too harsh for their taste.

Here is a link a thread a wrote up about what I did.....

Smoothing out Smooth ride springs... - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum

Originally Posted by u2slow

I lost track which of you guys have the 'stock' replacements and the 2" lift ones? What sort of shackle angle did you end up with?

My shackles are dead vertical with the 2" ones. My old leafs are now in my RC (gas) so they are laying dead flat instead of sagged - and I have about 30* lean on the shackles.