Additional leaf for Wild Horses springs

[ericwilkison]

About four years ago I installed a set of Wild Horses 10 leaf stock height rear springs. I have to say I've been very happy with them. The ride quality is light years ahead of the old worn out stock springs I was running.

Now, several years later my plans for the old gal have changed (I'm sure no one else has done that before) and I want to get it a little higher. The stock height rear springs actually sit 1.5" taller than stock, It was sitting with a good rake for a couple of years. I just installed some taller front springs and now the front is sitting with a solid 2" lift. I'd like to get the rear up another inch or so to get a slight rake again.

I was looking at the WH web site and found this little gem on the leaf springs page:

"Keep in mind that WH leaf springs are designed so you can install additional leafs or remove leafs if your needs change and you want to increase or decrease the load capacity or ride height."​

If that is the case can I get another leaf to add on to the springs I have? I tried calling and was told the only option was to purchases a whole new set of springs. With shipping added in those things are not cheap. If there is some hidden option to get an additional leaf I'd like to find that out first. Does anybody... cough... Paul... have any better ideas?

 

[73azbronco]

Remove and have them re arched to where you want them, should be some spring shop in portland.

 

[EPB72]

Add another leaf third from top , that was the difference 11 pack and 10 pack ... but the added height might be minimal . Rearching may be the ticket

 

[68Broncoz]

Here go, they used to be in Portland now moved to Salem https://benzspring.com/about/

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey Eric. Unfortunately we no longer get the extra leaves with our spring orders that let us (for awhile) sell our own custom "add-a-leaf" kits to raise the springs using the same thickness leaf. Whoever you talked to probably did not know about those back in the day. Sorry about that.

We still have add-a-leaves, but only for stock springs, and not for our own.
Using them in our leaf packs might net you a usable amount of lift, but the stress points at the tips of the new leaves, where they intersect the WH leaves and basically try to re-arch the pack, is just too much. They would probably cause a problem in just a short time. Couple of years maybe of regular driving, and maybe just a couple of hard off-road excursions would do it right away.

But there is something to the local spring shop idea. Not necessarily in re-arching, but in adding a custom leaf to your specs.
They can re-arch of course, but would probably charge a pretty penny for 10 leaves vs the old 4, 5 or 6 leaf packs they're used to dealing with.
Adding just one leaf up high like was suggested earlier would be much less expensive I would think.

Personally, even though they're low on everyone's scale of desirability, I think a 1" block would be the ticket. Or at least get the bang-for-the-buck award.
A good cast-metal block with full engagement pin would be a very easy way to get your height.

And speaking of your height, I would narrow it down to a precise amount first. Before you make any decision on how, jack up the rear of the truck yourself until it sits just the way you want. Then measure the difference accurately, say with the body line or bed rail. The difference between how is now and how it is when it looks perfect might be slightly different from what you think.
I'm just thinking it would be nice if it turned out to be only 1/2" or so, in which case you could probably just buy two new short leaves per side and longer center pins and space it up higher with leaves instead of blocks.

Paul

 

[ericwilkison]

Ahh, so the WH spring add a leafs were available in the past. Unfortunately got my hopes up on that one.

I called Benz Spring that 68Broncoz recommended and they want $350 to re-arch them. I'm more inclined to buy new springs at that point.

I have seriously considered the lift block idea, but have run into an issue with pin size. The standard pin size is 9/6" but the WH springs have 5/8" pins. The spring perches on the axle were enlarged to 5/8 when installing the the springs I have now. I've been able to find exactly one set of blocks that have the 5/8" pin size, but they are billet aluminum. I've heard that aluminum tends to crack, is that the case with billet aluminum?

I'll look into the custom add a leaf. Honestly I'm leaning towards just getting new springs. It just seems like the "right" way to fix it. There is a fine line between saving a few bucks and just being cheap.

 

[DirtDonk]

I've heard that aluminum tends to crack, is that the case with billet aluminum?

No, I would not think that's the case with billet. Cheap cast ones are notorious, but very little feedback on billet because frankly there are not that many out there on Broncos I'd wager.
The cheap aluminum ones are still used with much success on lowered 2-wd trucks, especially smaller trucks and especially with spring-under setups. But you start seeing the failures when putting the cheap ones on lifted 4x4's with big tires and spring-over applications where axle twist / spring wrap is more of a thing.

I'd maybe want to see them in person, but I'd have to assume if they look good, the billet ones would be the ticket.
As long as they didn't go too hog wild making them lighter by putting lots of air space and ribbing. The more solid they stay, the stronger they should be.
All that is pretty much true of wheel spacers too. Cheap aluminum ones crack, billet ones have been used for many thousands of hard miles on any number of hard-built and hard-used 4-wheel drive rigs.

There is a fine line between saving a few bucks and just being cheap.

This should be a poster in every Bronco owners garage!
That's your "Hallmark moment" and maybe your next business venture.;D

Paul

 

[ericwilkison]

Well shoot, Now you got me thinking that the billet blocks might not be all that bad. I'm only looking at 1", so not going crazy with it.

These are the blocks I'm looking at. Technically they are sold as lowering blocks. I don't see any reason why they could not be used as lift blocks. Anything I'm missing?

https://allstarperformance.com/aluminum-lowering-block-billet-1-00in-all56061/

 

[DirtDonk]

To me, the fact that they are slightly wider at 2.5" vs our 2.25" wide springs and perches, is an advantage rather than a bad thing.
I am using 1" x 2.5" blocks too, on purpose. I took a half-round file and made four shallow grooves on the vertical sides of the block to recess the u-bolts. This not only allows the u-bolts to sit square (instead of splayed out like they would be with a wider block) but also serves to locate the blocks in addition to the center pins.
Just feels more secure and more well thought through, as opposed to looking at splayed u-bolts.

If you wanted to go all pro on it, you could have notches machined just the size of the u-bolts. But for me the half-round file worked just fine on the cast steel blocks I have.

Paul

 

[JefeAZ]

I need to search the garage for them but I took a leaf out of my WH 10 pack on both sides to get the ride height I wanted. Let me know if I should track them down. It was one of the shorter leafs

 

[Action]

A little built into some degree wedges will also work pretty good