Jim Lane

So last week I went to Atlas Spring in City of Industry http://www.atlasleafspring.com/index.html and ordered my new set of custom springs for my dually I paid him $300.00 deposit and he said he will have them in a few days.

They do not order the springs from some company that mass produces them by the hundreds, each spring pack is hand built according to your individual specifications and request.

See if you can guess which ones are mine?

They are the second set from the bottom.



It is like I got my truck a Christmas present that it always wanted.

I had them build me a 9-leaf progressive "Soft Ride" spring pack, there are more thinner leaves to take the place of the thicker stout leaves.



All of the springs are made in house, from domestic spring steel, no Chinese junk.



He also added 2 extra clamps to keep the pack together and each spring tip rides on an isolator.



I had them install them on the truck, it was not worth my time to have to get dirty and he told me they had a real pain trying to get the front bolts out.

I dropped it off at 11:00 A.M. and he called at 3:00 P.M. and said it was ready.



That last clamp just cleared the mount for my airbags



Here you can see the tip isolators and how the leaves now slide on poly instead of steel.

Also notice that there is no overload spring, with the new springs to gain a much better ride I had to sacrifice 500 pounds of total capacity but I will never miss it, my air bags will easily make up for the loss.



I still have to get under the truck and check out all of the work and make sure it is up to my standards and it looks like I have to wipe off a lot of fingerprints as well.



Now for the true test, I have already driven a couple of hundred miles on both surface streets an on the freeways and the ride is so much smoother and the truck is alot quieter inside, almost to where you can carry on a conversation with yourself.

Before when I drove on the I-210 Freeway into Pasadena the truck would hop and shake as I tried to stay in the smoothest part of the roadway but tonight I drove in the #2 and 3# lane where the trucks drive and the ride was so much nicer, no hopping or shaking and the truck was not rattling with every bump I hit, just a solid ride.

I also noticed when I would go over a speed bump the rear end of the truck would not bounce over or rattle.

So far I think this is the best $700.00 I have spent on one single improvement for my truck.

This just put me one step closer to having my ultimate 1st. Gen.

When I get some time I will use my new Go Pro Hero-2 Hi Def camera to share the ride.

The freeways in Southern California are roughest and the worst riding roads that I have ever driven on, just driving here in So-Cal was literally tearing up my truck.

So how much did all of this cost you are asking,

Springs $497.00
Hardware $38.00
Tax $46.81
Labor $125.00
Total $706.81

Also when I was unloaded my old springs from my truck, in checking their condition, other than my broken overload leaf all of the spring tip isolators I had installed were all still in near perfect working condition and had not significantly worn down, so I would still highly recommend doing this to your springs.

The only thing I am not happy about is they got the rear end 2" higher than I wanted but at my convenience they are going to pull the springs and drop them 2" it is amazing how 2" of lift in the rear can change the stability and handling that I am used to, it seems to have introduced a bit of wander in the steering.

So what do you think, I am extremely happy.

Thanks for letting me share this with you.

Jim

NJTman

Jim,

Those springs look High Quality.... nicer than the ones I bought out of Canada

If you left them, wouldn't they settle down ? Meaning the 2" lift would eventually work its way southward slightly ??

How will they lower them, other than reverse arching them in their press ???


What are you doing with the old springs ? Other DTR members in your area might like to buy them ....

they could say that they had a little bit of "Jim Lane" in their truck.....


T.

Alec

Another fine addition to your truck! And a very reasonable price. I haven't been in the forums for a while, and it was a pleasant surprise to see your post right off!!

2" in the rear reduces the caster angle enough to make a noticeable reduction in the steering's return to center, but as already said, I think I might wait to see how much the springs settle in the first six months -- especially if you encourage them a little by not airing up the bags . . .

M1Lover

Man, never thought I'd have "Spring Envy" but I sure do! 700 and change installed? A bargain, I'd say. Well done! H

rebal

Looks good glad your happy with it I know when I installed my Kelderman air ride I was in heaven...wait I still am
I think the only thing I didn't like about my 1st gen was the lumber wagon ride.

torquefan

Wow that $125 labor sure seems like a good deal. You can spend several hours fighting to get that apart on a 20 year old truck, even one in good shape. Looks like a great upgrade.

jimbo486

Great deal, Jim! Good to know I'm not far away from somebody who can build a good set of springs for me when it comes time!

ClassA4x4

Wow, great price!

Is the price with them keeping your old springs?

I thinks Ill stop by for a new set when i visit Cali.

rattlerbob5.9

Put some weight on it and let them settle in to see where you end up as others have said.

About 25 years ago i did something similar of a spring build on all 4 corners of my 1/2 ton 74 power wagon. Used the thinner stock kept the original mains added 7 in the fronts 9 in the rears 3.5" overall lift = truck rode great and still could carry the same load as a 3/4 ton truck would without dragging it's azz.

Looks like they did a quality job with the extra clamps and sliders

Jim Lane

It is going to be a few months before I could even get the time to return so for now I am going to let them ride but I don't think they will settle in 2 inches though, also I do not like the feel or the stance of it setting at that angle.

Until then I might add a couple of isolators under the front coils to level it out.

My truck always has about 1000 pounds in the rear just for my job.

Jim Lane

$125.00 was a price I couldn't argue with.

I would spent the first half hour laying under the truck figuring out what I needed and then asking myself if I wanted to do it today, they had all of the special jacks and a big cylinder that lifted the entire back end of the truck off the ground, how could I argue with that, and I didn't have to buy another box of Band Aids of take myself to the ER for any stitches.

And at that price they even loaded the old springs in the back of my truck so I didn't get my hands dirty.

Yes I have a nice set of carefully used springs sitting here in SoCal.

Jim

slatemd

"The freeways in Southern California are roughest and the worst riding roads that I have ever driven on, just driving here in So-Cal was literally tearing up my truck."

Jim: Not to pick a fight...Try driving The Cross Bronx Expressway. You have'nt lived Buddy, untill you take a 1st Gen on that magical mystery carpet ride!!!! You don't hit potholes here bro, you drive down them, across them, up them, and then finally, out of them

You Calif boys got way better roads than us New Yorkers!!!!

Nice springs. I had a really nice conversation with "Jungle Jim" today and I am thinking on several ideas to rebuild my entire front end.....

The fun never stops!

rattlerbob5.9

Jim i would tend to agree you likely won't get a full 2 inches and how much help they get from the air bags (air pressure) will be a big factor. It will take some time, after a few months you should have a good idea. What is the condition of your front coil's, if they are the original's they are tired maybe a fresh or upgrade pair up there and the rear settling into place would be the outcome you are looking for.

DJ Turbo.

Now I want a set if it makes the ride that much better hells yea it'd be sweet!

Jim Lane

I replaced my front springs about 5 years ago when I rebuilt my front suspension, I ordered them from my local Dodge dealer, they are 4000# coils.

Jim