Deaver J59s: Leaf Spring Installation Orientation Question

So now I'm panicking; did I install my leaf springs backwards?
@jbrandt

I never read anything about which way the springs should be installed... This has me panicking; did I do them right, is there a specific way to install them?

So look at a leaf spring



The left side has a larger spring wrapping the bushing eye
Whereas the right side (of the above image) has one leaf wrapping the bushing eye


I installed the J59 springs with the single-wrapped bushing eye to the shackles, not to the frame.

Did I install my leaf springs backwards?

 

In the image, not the picture, the military wrap leaf thing always goes towards front. The rear and the shackle get the other end. Sorry man. At least you asked though and didn't get further.

 

What is the "military wrap leaf thing"?

 

Looks correct to me...you have the single wrap end on the shackle, that's right.

 

The end that has the metal wrapping around and above the bushing

 

Yours is installed right. The end with the sticker goes towards the front.

 

Just make sure you torque those bolts to spec, then torque them again after a few hundred miles. Leaf springs are notoriously noisy and clunky when improperly torqued.

Rear shackle bolts - 67 ft/lbs

Main eye bolt - 115 ft/lbs

U bolts - 90 ft/lbs

 

The manual stated 67 ft/lbs for all the bolts,

• Leaf to frame
• Leaf to shackle
• Shackle to frame
• U-Bolts

Where did you get your torque specs from? I in fact loosened one bolt specifically for thinking I went too tight.

I may drive it that first few hundred and then torque them to your specs, but I need some more information before I go that tight.

 

I might've misunderstood you or I didn't look close enough at your picture. The military wrap is the longer leaf that wraps around the bushing. I thought in your picture with the shackle that the wrapped leaf end was in that shackle. Closer looking shows I saw it incorrectly. The military wrapped end goes into the mount on frame that uses the pin.

 

@BenevolentMachination
Edit: I saw your pic incorrectly. You're good to go homie

 

Got it, thank you for clarifying your observation.

 

I've had my J59s since 2005, they've never clunked, even when the poly bushings wore out, & I just used an impact. Not saying it's not a good idea to torque them but I never used a torque wrench on the main eye or shackles until I put on greasable last year. And I've had my leafs off the truck a few times.

 

I have a torque spec guide I use from TW

The shackle bolts are looser I presume because the shackle moves/rotates. The main eye bolt should be tighter, can you post a pic of the manual you have?



'Front leaf spring mount' on that sheet is the main eye bolt

I've had that sucker come loose once before on the trail and it's not fun when that happens lol. I couldn't get a torque wrench on the driver's side one because of the gas tank and I didn't torque it enough

 

Better man than I am, I didn't know anything besides engine related stuff actually had a torque spec

 

It's a matter of debate on TW lol, some people swear by the ugga dugga and others by exact torque specs. I don't have an impact wrench and I'm always afraid of the snapped/stripped bolt horror stories I hear, so I just use the torque wrench and keep these torque spec sheets laminated and in my truck for when I need them. Plus I don't have as much experience as some do so I don't trust myself to know what's "tight enough" for one thing and not for the other.

I even torque my lug nuts 83 ft/lbs

 

As others said, you should be good to go.

Since the axle is mounted asymmetrically (one end is like 24" to the pin and the other is like 31"), you'd notice immediately if they were backwards, as your axle would be way off center from the fenderwell.

 

Not to mention I don't think the center pin/bolt on the leafs would come close to lining up with the axle no?

 

The seat bolts have a torque spec. Not that anyone but the most type-A of type-A's would use a torque wrench on seat bolts, lol...

 

If you didn't move your axle during the replacement, yeah, that'd be another sign. But if you moved your axle around you may not notice as I'm pretty sure the axle would still bolt up to the backwards leafs. Well they'd fit until you tried to mount everything up and find that your axle is 7" to the rear of where it should be, lol...

 

You're right on those torque specs; I was too tired to realize I was reading the T100 torque specs. I also read the "97 ft/lbs" on the T100 torque specs as "67 ft/lbs". I stand corrected.

I also tightened my shocks to the T100 spec, too (tightened too much by 14 ft/lbs).

Edit: I still can't read; the u-bolts for the T100 read 97, not the shock absorbers, but at the time I mixed up the text and read everything as 67 ft/lbs.