kramttocs Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Got some work done on the F350 over the new year's weekend. I managed to drill the six holes needed for the 4x4 sway bar link brackets, painted the brackets, and then installed them with new hardware. I finished cleaning up the rear leaf springs, and layered them with a couple coats of paint. I re-installed them, but have decided to replace the center pins, hence the c-clamps. I also moved the full-float Sterling back under the truck, and cleaned the green paint off of the hubs and coated them in black paint as well. On a side note, does anybody know where to get new U-bolts for the rear sway bar brackets that go on the axle? Mine are crusty, so I need to replace them. Ford only sold them in a kit, so that's not an option. I looked for some a few years ago for an 85 c&c and checked into uboltsdirect. Truck is currently sitting in a field with no rear sway bar but I remember feeling good about that company fwiw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 I looked for some a few years ago for an 85 c&c and checked into uboltsdirect. Truck is currently sitting in a field with no rear sway bar but I remember feeling good about that company fwiw. Thanks for the recommendation, I've bookmarked them for future reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Got some work done on the F350 over the new year's weekend. I managed to drill the six holes needed for the 4x4 sway bar link brackets, painted the brackets, and then installed them with new hardware. I finished cleaning up the rear leaf springs, and layered them with a couple coats of paint. I re-installed them, but have decided to replace the center pins, hence the c-clamps. I also moved the full-float Sterling back under the truck, and cleaned the green paint off of the hubs and coated them in black paint as well. On a side note, does anybody know where to get new U-bolts for the rear sway bar brackets that go on the axle? Mine are crusty, so I need to replace them. Ford only sold them in a kit, so that's not an option. Shaun - It looks like you have a 5-leaf spring packs. Do you know the part number of them? And, could you measure the individual springs for me? Big Blue has a 7-leaf pack and I'd like to remove some, so maybe I could make them into copies of yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Shaun - It looks like you have a 5-leaf spring packs. Do you know the part number of them? And, could you measure the individual springs for me? Big Blue has a 7-leaf pack and I'd like to remove some, so maybe I could make them into copies of yours? I will grab those measurements tomorrow. I know the springs were stamped E7, so I should be able to read the stamping hopefully. How are you counting the springs? Are you counting the overload as the fifth spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 I will grab those measurements tomorrow. I know the springs were stamped E7, so I should be able to read the stamping hopefully. How are you counting the springs? Are you counting the overload as the fifth spring? Yes, I was counting the overload as a 5th spring. Probably not the official way if doing it. And, there's no big hurry. But I would like to compare to mine and see if I have some of the same ones you have. How hard was it to take the pack apart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Yes, I was counting the overload as a 5th spring. Probably not the official way if doing it. And, there's no big hurry. But I would like to compare to mine and see if I have some of the same ones you have. How hard was it to take the pack apart? Gary, I realized I had a picture of the cert label from the parts truck, and found the spring code to be 7F. So according to that and the chart below from the MPC, the highlighted number should be the part number for the springs, which matches up with what I can see on the spring. However, when I tried to verify that number in the dimensions chart, I couldn't find a listing for E7TZ, all the numbers seemed to start with D8 and E0 but no E7 in sight. I probably just don't know the correct way to cross the number, but maybe you can use the number below to cross? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Gary, I realized I had a picture of the cert label from the parts truck, and found the spring code to be 7F. So according to that and the chart below from the MPC, the highlighted number should be the part number for the springs, which matches up with what I can see on the spring. However, when I tried to verify that number in the dimensions chart, I couldn't find a listing for E7TZ, all the numbers seemed to start with D8 and E0 but no E7 in sight. I probably just don't know the correct way to cross the number, but maybe you can use the number below to cross? No, there's no E7's in that chart. But in '83 on Page 75 I find that E3TZ 5560-T was replaced by E7TZ 5560-A. And the E3 was used in several vehicles, including an '85 F250 w/an 8600 GVW and a 460. Sounds familiar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 No, there's no E7's in that chart. But in '83 on Page 75 I find that E3TZ 5560-T was replaced by E7TZ 5560-A. And the E3 was used in several vehicles, including an '85 F250 w/an 8600 GVW and a 460. Sounds familiar. Yep, and my parts truck was a 1988 F250 4x4 w/8600 GVWR and a 460 as well. So were you able to get the dimensions from that or do you still need me to measure tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Yep, and my parts truck was a 1988 F250 4x4 w/8600 GVWR and a 460 as well. So were you able to get the dimensions from that or do you still need me to measure tomorrow? Well, I went to bed and didn't look any farther. But now that I have I don't see E3TZ 5560-T in the Section 53 size chart. But, even if I did that only provides the thickness of each leaf, not the length. I was hoping to determine which leaves I want to keep by matching the lengths up to yours. So it would be helpful if you could measure yours. Thickness would be an added bonus, but I think the length is the key dimension. However, I'm not in a hurry so it doesn't have to be today. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Well, I went to bed and didn't look any farther. But now that I have I don't see E3TZ 5560-T in the Section 53 size chart. But, even if I did that only provides the thickness of each leaf, not the length. I was hoping to determine which leaves I want to keep by matching the lengths up to yours. So it would be helpful if you could measure yours. Thickness would be an added bonus, but I think the length is the key dimension. However, I'm not in a hurry so it doesn't have to be today. Thanks! I will be out there later today putting new pins in the leaf packs, so no better time than while I'm doing that. I'll post the measurements in Big Blue's thread so that you can detail your changes there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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