Leaf spring question 94 xtracb 4X< 89 oneton 2wd
04-01-2017, 07:55 AM
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Leaf spring question 94 xtracb 4X< 89 oneton 2wd
Greetings Yotaheads,
I have a '94 Xtracab 4X4 that has very worn and sagging rear leaf springs...they are so bad it is dangerous to drive. I have a donor truck (yard art) which is an '89 2WD one ton standard cab shortbed...I got them next to each other and visually the springs look like they will work, the one obvious difference being that the 2WD has the rear axle mounted above the springs and the 4X on top. My question to you folks is; Can I use the one ton springs? What would I need to do to use them?
I'm reluctant (experience) to go tearing into this without any kind of insight as to if this is do-able. It would be sweet to have a little extra payload...however, I am trying to do this without any cash out-of-pocket as it is not priority, but needs to happen anyway. I have a killer set of tools as well as a nuts/bolts/parts & pieces stash from Hell.... I tried to find any sort of info/specs online that would give me a clue but to no avail.
I thank you ahead of time...
I have a '94 Xtracab 4X4 that has very worn and sagging rear leaf springs...they are so bad it is dangerous to drive. I have a donor truck (yard art) which is an '89 2WD one ton standard cab shortbed...I got them next to each other and visually the springs look like they will work, the one obvious difference being that the 2WD has the rear axle mounted above the springs and the 4X on top. My question to you folks is; Can I use the one ton springs? What would I need to do to use them?
I'm reluctant (experience) to go tearing into this without any kind of insight as to if this is do-able. It would be sweet to have a little extra payload...however, I am trying to do this without any cash out-of-pocket as it is not priority, but needs to happen anyway. I have a killer set of tools as well as a nuts/bolts/parts & pieces stash from Hell.... I tried to find any sort of info/specs online that would give me a clue but to no avail.
I thank you ahead of time...
04-01-2017, 11:25 PM
#2
For leaf springs, the biggest thing is length (mounting points), spring width, and how much of a U it gives (lift I guess you could call it). The 2wd ones would probably work fine, maybe with a little mods to make them fit on your axles (locator pins etc could be different, not sure). The real question I'm trying to figure out is how does sagging leaf springs make a truck unsafe to drive? They are just springs, if they sag, your rear just sits lower than normal. I suspect you have bad bushings, loose axle bolts, broken frame, or something going on that should be looked into better.
Fair heads up, the nuts generally come off pretty well for the leaf springs, but to get the bolts out can be a fight. I live up north where salt is used so down south it might be a different world. 89 and 94 pickups are the same generation btw, so most parts should be more or less interchangeable.
The 1 ton likely has an upgraded brake booster (similar to v6 model, or super large single diaphragm one). Your 4x4 calipers are bigger than the 1 ton's caliper (2wd design), but the booster could be a nice upgrade if you're looking for more stopping power =). Besides the booster, larger 2wd calipers, and I think an extra leaf in the rear, the 1 ton 2wd pickups are basically a 2wd pickup.
Fair heads up, the nuts generally come off pretty well for the leaf springs, but to get the bolts out can be a fight. I live up north where salt is used so down south it might be a different world. 89 and 94 pickups are the same generation btw, so most parts should be more or less interchangeable.
The 1 ton likely has an upgraded brake booster (similar to v6 model, or super large single diaphragm one). Your 4x4 calipers are bigger than the 1 ton's caliper (2wd design), but the booster could be a nice upgrade if you're looking for more stopping power =). Besides the booster, larger 2wd calipers, and I think an extra leaf in the rear, the 1 ton 2wd pickups are basically a 2wd pickup.
