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Finally doing my 08 Leaf Spring Conversion

24K views 43 replies 16 participants last post by  Skew12 
#1 ·
Well I finally found someone to build the conversion hangers for me to put 08+ leaf springs on a 99-07 model truck. My parts should be in tomorrow, will probably be next week before I get started. For anyone that didn't catch any of my old thread, I'll try to answer a few questions ahead of time. The main advantage of the conversion is In 2008 the F-250/350 received a longer rear spring that increased payload capacity as well as increasing the ride quality greatly. The 08+ leaf spring is 8" longer than the 99-07 leaf spring. A disadvantage of the 99-07 leaf spring is that the axle is not centered on the leaf spring. In other words, from the axle to the rear spring mount is 8" longer than it is from the axle to the front spring mounts, which adds to the axle wrap problem. The 08+ spring adds 8" to the front of the spring which puts the axle in the center of the leaf spring where it belongs.

First step will be to mount the spring hangers. They are designed to be set against the frame and use an existing bolt hole on the frame to line the hangers up correctly. Once they are lined up, its time to drill some holes. The hanger also takes into account the emergency brake cable, and is built to keep it functioning properly. I'll be posting pictures and adding to the write-up as the project progresses. In the meantime, here is a picture of what the hanger looks like. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need more information.

 
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#2 ·
Hangers came in. I took a couple of pictures. I put a drink can in the picture for size reference. These things are big, well built, and heavy. Almost 25 pounds each!!!



 
#3 ·
Well I wanted to get everything installed today but it didnt work out that way. One of my pistons on my rear passenger side brake caliper shattered, so I spent the day installing a new rotor, caliper, pads, and a ton of brake fluid lol.

Anyway, while I had the passenger side jacked up and the tire out of the way I went ahead and installed the passenger side 08 conversion hanger.

Here is a pic of what it looked like before I started:



There is one existing hole on the frame for lining the bracket up. Basically the bracket goes up and against the bottom of the frame, and butts right up against the front of the factory hanger. Here is the existing hole:



I went and bought some grade 8 bolts, 3/8" by 1 3/4" long (about 5/8" of shoulder on the bolt), and nylon lock nuts and flat washers to go along with them.



Once I slid the bracket in place, I put a bolt through the hole on the bracket that matched up with the existing factory hole, and bolted snugged it down. Then I drilled out the highest hole (number 1 in the picture) and snugged it down. I used the 3/8 bit and drilled the frame wherever there were holes on the new bracket. I just drilled it a little to mark my spots, the took the hanger off to drill them completely. I used a 3/8" Cobalt bit and some cutting oil and it was a piece of cake. Just remember to keep that bit lubed. Here is a pic of the holes once I had them all drilled.



Then it was just a matter of putting it in place and bolting it all down. Would have been SUPER quick if the stupid muffler wasn't in the way. It makes things hard to get to. Anyway, here is a picture of it all bolted in place.



And a bottom view:

 
#6 ·
thats my beater honda I inherited when my daughter blew then engine up lol. In the process of doing a VTEC motor swap right now. I call it Project MPG!!! lol
 
#8 ·
ok, and how is the ride in comparasion? Looks like I have another mod to do on the EX if the ride is plush?
 
#12 ·
You are gonna have to look at the ride height and weight capacity as the X is like having a permanent 1K load in the bed of a 350. It causes straight pickup springs to sag. That is why the B code springs are modded by adding an extra leaf or two depending how you do it to handle the extra weight. Compare the actual weight of the 08s versus the 99-2005 in the rear. The other thing is checking the frame to make sure it is the same as the Super Dutys at that point. AS the X goes to the rear it uses a different frame rail shape. I think its good at he front mount though but not sure. I like the idea though if it gives a even better ride and it should offer better perf when the suspension cycles given the even distribution and longer arc.


TxFireman1972,

Is there any lift that comes from doing this straight spring swap in the rear? Maybe from the weight capacity or ride height dif in those years or vehicle weight changes? Or is it a even swap height wise?
 
#9 ·
when can we buy these?
 
#11 ·
The hangers are available now, pm me for more info if you want it since he's not a site sponsor. You can usually find leaf springs for $200 or so. I picked up a set without overloads, because I am going to do helper bags instead.
 
#14 ·
Why not just remove the original hanger and move it forward?

Aaron
 
#15 ·
You probably could if you could get the hanger off without messing it up, use the mount holes without hitting something, and make provisions for the parking break cable. And also get it in the right place and still have the whole hanger on the frame. Lol
 
#17 ·
I haven't got the leafs on yet. You don't have to buy lifted springs. I have 5" ICON springs and 3" blocks on there now. I'm going to go to a traction block setup with a factory 08 leaf spring. I'll be running 8" of lift in the front, will probably end up with 9" in the rear.
 
#22 ·
OK, I got some work done on the driver's side today. I was working against mother nature and I wasn't winning. Plus it was IPhone 4 Launch day so I had to go take care of that!!! LOL

Anyway, I did get the driver's side hanger installed. Here are a couple of pictures of how it started before I touched anything:





The parking brake cables had to be unhooked. This is on my 2005 model, I believe the early models may be a little different. What I did is go to where the cable goes through the body mount under the drivers door. I pulled slack on the cable (as much as I could) and then clamped it behind the body mount with a pair of vice grips, which keeps it from going back through and leave slack in the cable to allow it to be unhooked.

Here is a picture of where the cable goes through the body mount:



Here is a picture of it clamped off to allow the slack:



Once it was clamped off, I went back to where the passengers rear brake cable and drivers rear brake cable come together along the frame just under the rear door. Here is a picture of where they come together:



Just forward of that is a coupler that you can unhook to separate it from the main cable:



Next step is to unhook the metal bracket from the drivers side cable. The plastic fitting that goes through the bracket has little clips that you just squeeze or push in with a screwdriver:



Once thats unhooked, then unhook the cable that goes to the pass side by sliding it out of the bracket:



I did drop the fuel tank, just to give myself some more room. Its not hard at all and definitely makes things easier to get to. Once the tank was dropped, I unbolted the plastic mount that holds all of the brakelines and fuel lines so I could pull them away from the frame to keep from hitting them with the drill when I drilled through the frame.

Here's the bracket that holds the lines:



After that is was basically the same process as the passenger side. There is one hole already on the frame that you use for alignment. So you just slide the bracket up against the frame, put the bolt in the existing to alignment it properly. Then I just used my drill bit the go through the holes on the bracket and drill just enough to mark the spots to drill. Then I removed the bracket and drilled all of my holes.

Here's a picture after the holes were drilled:



Then I put the hanger back against the frame and bolted it all down, and re-ran the parking brake cables.



The passenger side cable goes through the lower hole on the rear of the hanger, passes through the hanger, then comes out of the front hole on the hanger and has to go through the body mount bracket. When it passes through the body mount bracket it has one of those plastic fittings with the little clips that holds it in. Here is a picture without the hanger installed so you can see the body mount bracket I'm talking about:



Here are the two cables:



Then they just hook back up, just like they were before starting.

Here is a final finished pic of the hanger mounted, bolted in and all brake lines hooked back up:



I'm hoping this weekend I can get the leaf springs pulled off, the 08 leaf springs installed, and mocked up with blocks to figure out exactly what size traction block I need so I can get them ordered.
 
#24 ·
08 Spring Conversion is Complete!!!!!

Well I finally got it finished up and man those springs ride GREAT!!!

Not a whole to write about on installing the leaf springs. Here are some before pictures with the 5" ICON leaf springs and 3" of blocks that it had:

Passenger Side:







Here is a side by side picture that shows the difference in length between the 99-07 spring and the 08+ spring. Remember its 8" longer.



Once the UBolts were all off and the leaf spring bolts out it was just a matter of hoisting those things out!! I took the factory shackles off of the ICON springs and put them on the 08 leaf springs



It was a little too tight for the leaf spring to go in the hanger but nothing the angle grinder couldn't take care of. I ground a little off of the bushing/metal sleeve, enough to make it clear and fit in the hanger:



Then it was just a matter of sliding the rear shackle into its hanger and then jacking the axle up, watching to make sure it cleared the hanger as it goes in. It does take a little convincing to make sure it goes where it needs to go. May need a few "taps" with a good size hammer. It takes a little wiggling, prying, pushing, among other things to get it where it needs to be to slide the leaf spring bolt in. This is the Passenger side but the Drivers side is the exact same procedure:





Here are finished pics. No the blocks are not in there crooked. I needed to find out exactly how much block I need before I order my traction blocks. I mocked it up and ended up with a 7" PMF fabricated block (tapered), and a factory 2" F250 block, for a total of 9" in the rear (recently went to 8" on the front).

Drivers Side:







Passenger Side:





 
#25 ·
I love the spring swap but that lift block scares me! Even with tractions bars, I have no doubt that the ride is way better because of the length and that the center is in the middle. I would call up Alcan or Deaver springs and have a custom rear set made to get rid of the block. never less awesome write up
 
#27 ·
I would think that the arched springs would degrade the ride. I'm not a suspension expert, but those lift blocks the way they tie into the U-bolts look good to me. Tex; I take it the old front hangers dont come off? Thanks for the write up!
 
#26 ·
#28 ·
Yeah they will come off, I'm just trying to build my energy up before I do it. Lol
 
#29 ·
Those huck rivits are hell to remove I removed a ton of them doing my front conversion. In this bolt on world those "traction blocks" are a pretty solid design hats off to them. I build rockcrawlers and suspension is my thing. I still would rather use a quality lift spring for a 08'+ and short lift block, less than 4". Bumpstop pads are to easy to fab extensions from the frame. And either a floating traction bar or straight bars with a Johnny joint at one end and a poly bushing at the other, but for bolt on you can't beat what you are looking at.
 
#30 ·
Looks great man. I look forward to seeing how you like them.
 
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