Leaf Spring Liner location when moving axle back?

[Oldtimer]

WH 2-1/2 spring packs.
I am moving my rear axle back 1 inch for tire clearance at front of wheel well.
Added hole, for new location, to spring pad on axle & mounting plate.
While prepping to add new hole to wedges, I realized that the u-bolt will be clamping behind liners, between spring leafs.
Will this create a problem with u-bolt nuts coming loose, or am I overthinking this?

 

[Yeller]

Link it!
No, just kidding, please laugh.

I'd disassemble the pack and cut a hole in the liners to move them back in line with the u bolts and clamp plates. I'd also make sure your spring perch reaches the end of the degree wedge.

 

[DirtDonk]

I don't think you're over-thinking it, but I don't remember anyone ever saying they had a problem or that u-bolts loosened up any more often than they already do.
You must re-torque u-bolts after the first few hundred miles (anywhere from 200 to 500) and then again at about 1,000 miles no matter what the setup.
In your case, with the question mark of the new location for the pads, I'd check torque on them at various intervals enough to make your life worry free later. Do this for a little bit (few thousand miles maybe) and if they have not worked loose by then, they're probably good to go for the duration.
Yeller's suggestion about re-drilling the pads is probably the correct way from an engineering standpoint. And it would certainly put your mind at ease, which is enough reason right there.
But again, I don't think I've ever heard of any of the members here that have done the move, having done the re-drilling.
Then again, maybe I was sleeping through class on those days!

Would not hurt to drive it hard and hit speed bumps and corner aggressively and stuff like that during this time of re-torquing. But it's probably not 100% necessary either.

Whichever way you go, let us know here in your thread and if you can remember to update it in the future, please do.

Paul

 

[Oldtimer]

Yeller & Dirtdonk,
Thanks for replies

The aerospace side of my brain says to redrill the spacers.
The Bronco side say just drive it.

I will redrill holes in spacers and degree wedges.

What would James do?

 

[DirtDonk]

Haha! Probably turn the front knuckles/C’s and install an NV4500!

 

[jamesroney]

@DirtDonk why don’t we just ask him?

I’ll tell you why. Because you know the answer he will tell you. And it will include doing more work. And you will have to hear all of the theory behind it, and blah, blah, blah…”any job worth doing is worth doing right,” and “it takes just as long to do it right as it does to do it wrong.” Then there’s the whole “just because everyone else gets away with it, doesn’t make it right.”

Then he will go to the garage and take a picture of his set up just to prove that you are all wrong…and of course he will confirm that he has the same issue. Then he will stew on it for a couple of hours, and decide to remove and drill the pads. Then there will be the inevitable comment about the wedge, and how it shouldn’t be there.

 

[Oldtimer]

I appreciate the therory, you have already convinced me to cut and turn the front C's, eventually I will dump the wedges and install longer perches, I am in the process of drilling the liners.
I just hope I haven't double the price of the D44 gear set I am purchasing.

 

[Oldtimer]

Disassembled springs drilled new holes in liners and reassembled.
Now on to 2-1/2 lift installation.