Leaf Spring Friction Pads

Where is a good source for leaf spring friction pads? I would prefer not to pay for multiple "middle men" as the parts should not be very expensive. Thanks!

 

Contact your local spring shop. Many places online to buy them as well.

 

My local spring shop? Haha Umm...yeah, we don't have one of those. Bigger cities probably have a spring, axle and frame place but we don't unless he shares a building with the local Betamax player repair man. Even if we did have a spring shop he would be the middleman I am trying to avoid. The parts probably cost $0.30 to make I don't want to pay $5.00 a piece for them. haha I don't even have to look to know they can be bought online but thanks for the input. I am more so looking for the manufacturer/supplier or if I can't determine that I will at least support a Toyota place like Wheeler's, Toytec etc.

 

Toyota sells the tsb friction pads for OEM leafs

 

If I would seen this sooner could given you mine I threw them away damnit

 

I got 4 you can have for free if you want. I had an AAL with pads made at a spring shop but I ended up having to cut the springs shorter and couldn't drill new holes for the pads.

Send me a pm if interested.

 

Thanks, guy. I might have enough but not 100% sure. I am in the process of constructing a "frankenpack".

 

If you have to drill holes, may I ask how you did it. I was able to drill 1/8" pilots for 3 out of 4 pads. The one, I guess I hit a hard spot in the metal because it would just not drill. When I tried opening up the holes to about 3/8" the drill bit went half way through then just plum stopped! I tried from the other side of the same hole with a newly sharpened bit and no luck. I have access to a hydraulic punch press but I was afraid of punching such a hard steel.

 

I was able to drill mine with a HSS drill bit in a mill and a Kurt vise. The trick is low RPM, rigidity, heavy feed and a lot of oil or else the material will work harden on you, which sounds like happened to you. Sometimes a pilot hole does more harm than good to your 2nd drill bit as it causes chatter. A better drill bit would be cobalt, an even better one would be carbide but avoid the carbide unless your work holding is very rigid as it will just break the carbide if stuff starts shifting around the slightest. You could drill a lot of holes with a carbide drill or endmill and a rigid setup.

 

Quality drill bit, slow speed and lots of cutting oil.

 

X2 on what these fellows said.
I used a cobalt bit and a cobalt tap to build a "3 leaf progressive AAL" years ago before you could just buy them.
14 holes total, many folks "get by" with sharpening a carbide masonry bit but all the quoted stuff still applies.


A spring shop gave me a hand full of these pads, looked like they bought them by the pound. I cut them down to the circular shape I was after. Still quiet after 15 years.

 

That probably is what happened to me. Unfortunately the slowest my bench top drill press goes is 620rpm. Even with lots of oil it was a no go. Also my bits are hss. If I ever take the leaf pack apart again I'll look for a good cobalt bit and a slower drill press!