Leaf Spring Refurbishment-First mod, advice welcomed

So I bought a stock leaf pack with a 2" AAL from a local TW member and have decided to clean them up and use them for a little lift. Here is a picture of them when I got them, sorry if it's small, I can only view certain pictures with my work computer.



The plan is to hit them with the wire wheel, sanding wheel, spray them with rustoleum primer, and paint them with Krylon flat black. After that, I will throw them on the back with some rear 5100's, planning to get a small group of TW members together near Houston to help, me providing lunch or something along those lines.

Here is a before/after of using the wire wheel. Not much difference.



I will hopefully have more pictures this weekend. Wanted to take them completely apart but unfortunately I don't have the tools to do that.
I will be taking them partially apart, getting most of the rust, but not all.

I will take pictures when the installation happens and let you guys know how everything goes! If anyone foresees any issues or has any suggestions, PLEASE post them here or PM me! There is no rush to do this being that my job allows little time to tinker.

Thanks for reading!

After Completion Edit:
So refurbishing leaf springs is really pretty easy, all you have to do is...
1. Find some leaf springs
2. Grind off the rust
3. Hit the leafs with a sanding wheel (optional)
4. For spots you can't reach, use rust converter applied with a paint brush to turn the rust in that area into a black primer. (This is only necessary if you do not want to take the leafs apart)
5. Paint the leafs with a primer/paint combination meant for metal. I recommend Rustoleum or Krylon.

And that's it! Much more detail and helpful info can be found in 4X4's thread, Tacoma Spring Refurbishing.

 

Bump for picture fix

 

Found some great stuff for knocking out rust you can't reach!



Painting the leafs to convert rust



Before and after priming



Really wanted to paint them today but didn't have the time. Will try to do this week or next weekend. Not sure why no one has posted, but if anything this thread will serve as personal documentation

 

Haha, I know a guy on this site that rebuilds / re configures stock springs , now what the hell is his name.... C'mon people help me out here.....

 

Are you looking for these ??....





or these.....




you could use these for donors....





These are on their way to being something...



stock leaf with single AAL...

 

What do you mean by looking for them? And I am hoping the pack I am working on will look like that last picture when I'm done. As far as donors, like I asked you earlier, can I use a leaf from my current leaf pack?

 

Haha, sorry Devin , I was being a wise ass with that remark & Yeah , the more I thought about our chat earlier, & you'll never hear me endorse this again probably, but for your app & needs I think just another 'yota leaf just might be the ticket, & if it doesn't work out for ya let me know & I'll dig out some donors I have & just give you 2 (1 for each side) but you'll have to pay the shipping....cool ?

 

Sounds good! Granted shipping isn't too much. Did you get my last PM?

Also, does it matter that my donor spring won't be the same arc most likely? Thanks for your help. As for this actual thread though, is there anything wrong with painting them how I am? I've been told to put used motor oil in between the springs too, to prevent squeaking. Ever heard of that?

 

Watching with interest. I am thinking of building mine with Chevy donors, but have access to some older toyota a too. Didn't think you could double up using the same length leaf.

 

I saw one members pic, said he used a single dakota leaf donor and got 3 inches... and I asked him that to clarify. Don't know how, Doug is the man with the answers! (4X4)

As far as same length springs, I don't think you can? Where do you see that? Thanks for watching!

 

I may have gotten these threads mixed up with Doug's. I don't see it now, and after reading the other one I'm a little bit more informed. Looking at the donor pics you have here though, maybe I was too quick to pick out my chevy leaves. Dunno, but I guess I'll see soon enough.

 

Hey I'm sorry I couldn't post these sooner! Damn work has be tied up all the time Here are the leafs finished and then on the truck!

Well photobucket is blocked by my work... But I can attach them.

I am a procrastinator (as you can see) and waited until literally the night before the mod day to paint these. One reason I waited so long is we kept having rain rain and more rain. Anyway, when I painted them it was humid, so the paint didn't stick very well, though I let them dry in the house. You could handle the leafs (carry, etc) and not get any paint on you, but one deliberate scratch with your fingernail and you could see the primer. Hopefully by being on the truck the paint will stick better but I would not be surprised to see all the paint rubbed off of the leaf where it has been touched by the other suspension parts.

1. Each spring hung on the tree
2. Great way to hold these suckers up! You wouldn't guess the wire was that strong.
3. My lowering kit springs.
4. My refurbished springs!
5. The lift
Rear:
Old ground to fender: 33"
New Ground to fender: 38"? I may add a block in the rear to get more rear lift. I will see once I get the new tires and wheels on.

Both rear sides were 1/2" difference in height, probably some weird crap with the lowering kit, but it is no longer there.

My next job is to remove the squeakiness!! And no worries, new tires and rims (16") are on the way!

 

What did you use instead of the factory bumpstop?

 

Nothing works like electrolysis for rust removal.

Big plastic tank, some metal, a batt charger, some washing soda.

 

You're looking at it! Ha I am on the bolts right now!! Hopefully I don't bottom out, that is a strictly temporary thing. The lowering kit ones could not be reused. BUT to answer your question, I will be using the daystars because someone at the meet told me they were the softest bottom-out.

I used rust converter and it worked great! I am not sure I understand what you're talking about

 

Oh yeah. Have a big tank of chemicals behind my apartment, along with the electro plating tank and anodizing tanks. Lol.

Dude. Rust convert products are much easier.

 

While I agree with you lol he was just saying what the best idea was. I am still curious as to how all of that works though

 

Gotcha. Use the following in a web search:

rust removal electrolysis

 

Actually, I owe you an apology. This looks rather cool for small parts. I just may have to do some experimenting.

 

I have always heard you could soak things in used motor oil?