dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Doing new wheel bearings, axle bearings, . Looks like the felt wipers on your knuckle ball could be worn.
Axle service kits are availabe from:
Trail-Gear: http://trail-gear.com/knuckle-service.html
marlin Crawler: http://marlincrawler.com/axle/front-axle-parts
--marlin Bearings and seals seem to have a better repuation than the T-G parts

4Crawler has a pretty good step by step process on his website:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eRebuild.shtml
(he does mention about doing a tack weld on the axle to replace a C-clip, I am not sure if that is totally necessary)

edit: another Front rebuild link: http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/tech/axle/

It also looked like in one of your pics the PS tie rod end rubber boot might be torn.
My truck drives so much better after rebuilding it.

95yoda

Man, you're good, you can see all that from a picture, I need to send pics to you so I can get a heads up on what needs to be done on my truck!!!

CUONTOP

Dude, Those things are flat! Do you have a spring shop in your town? You might be able to have them re-arced. I don't think an add-a-leaf will help here, maybe start checking wrecking yards for springs off a 79'

foskco87

The front springs should be more or less flat if they are stock. Mine are flat and my truck sits normal and rides fine. If you got to www.toyotareference.com and look at the toyota broshures for the 79-83's you can clearly see in some pictures that the front springs are flat so im assuming thats how they should be considering the trucks are brand new in the pictures. You must have extended bump stops. I wouldnt say your springs are shot as they have hardly any negative arc, but you should probably start saving for new ones because they will be shot soon.

foskco87

Ok if you go to the 1982 broshure for the pickups there is a picture with a brown and black shortbed driving up onto some rocks and in the background is a dark grey long bed. You can clearly see the flat front springs, they even seem to have a slight negative arc. Atleast it looks like it to me.

4banginRunner

Just for reference, my 79 with STOCK springs

Stock springs are pretty flat put still have a positive arc. Your springs are sagged and are all sorts of twisted up

disregard the yellow boxes

MaximRecoil

Well, the bump stop pads do seem to be extended, i.e., the section of square steel tubing that is bolted in there. The problem is — while the springs are relatively flat right now, the bump stop is also pressed right up against that piece of square tubing. If I removed the piece of square tubing that was added on at some point, I have a feeling that the front of the truck would sag an inch or two past where it is now, and the springs would have negative arc.

So yeah, as you and someone else in this thread pointed out, the stock springs don't have much arc when new (I've seen other makes of trucks that were the same way). If my truck was sitting that way without pressing against added-on extended bump stop pads, then I wouldn't be worried about it.

MaximRecoil

I'm not sure if these are the numbers you were looking for, but the following comes from the 1979 factory brochure for the 4WD Pickup:

83

Yeah, there are some very experienced people saying to replace them so I won't disagree. I'll just also agree with foskco87 and 4Crawler that stock solid axle Toyota leaf springs are flat. That's the way they are. So don't you 2nd/3rd gen etc people come talking about stuff you don't know about and make him spend money he doesn't need to.

No I'm guessing if those stops were removed he'd then really have negative arch, and so yes, they need some work. But the only front leafs I've ever seen with any arch to them are on lifted trucks. Stock front springs are flat.

And no, your truck doesn't look lifted, looks totally stock to me.

83

Wow I totally missed that there was a page 2...need coffee. Looks like we're all more or less on the same page. You can have a local spring shop (ask around) re-arch them. I don't know the longevity of a "fix" like that 'cause I've never done it, but it's an option. Some of them will re-arch and add a leaf. Cheaper than replacements, but if you're like me and this truck will be more or less restored in the end and you plan to keep it 'till you're dead...might be worth more money. Re-arching could be a longer term temporary fix though, until you're wealthy and buying new springs is no big deal (I'm doing a lot of that sort of stuff....).