DIY Stable Loads?

[MTBob]

I have a 2008 Chevy SRW 1 Ton.
I'm thinking of making my own version of Stable Loads - something to take up the space between the regular stack of leaf springs and the overload spring.
I've read a couple of older posts about guys making them for their Fords. Has anyone made these for the Chevy leaf springs?
I've looked at the new Stable Load design and that's one approach. Just wondering if anyone has done something else.
Photos?

[JumboJet]

On the Chevy, just fill the space between the overload and the regular springs. For a 3200 mile trip, my son used 2" angle iron and bolts to hold in place.

[Tarkin75]

2Gordons wrote:

I did just that. Worked fine for a couple of seasons, then one split. They are a little off-camber, which might account for the splitting. The Stabil-loads I replaced them with match the angles of impact on the overload springs a little better.

Regardless, the pucks worked for a while, and they are cheap enough to replace if need be.

Stress risers... I'd wager there was maybe some sort of a nick or a cut in the edge of the hole you drilled (bit getting stuck maybe) that lead to a crack forming, and going farther and farther until it split.

Another puck could be "hollowed out" for a bolt head/washer, and then cut at an angle in a table/chopping saw to match the angle of the springs better if your assumption of angles is correct also.

Later
C

[2Gordons]

kawa900stx wrote:
Yours look well made, aluminum?
This is how mine look.

I did just that. Worked fine for a couple of seasons, then one split. They are a little off-camber, which might account for the splitting. The Stabil-loads I replaced them with match the angles of impact on the overload springs a little better.

Regardless, the pucks worked for a while, and they are cheap enough to replace if need be.

[d3500ram]

Home made version for bottom overload spring:
Wood splitting wedge-

(photo is courtesy of Turbo Diesel Register)

Has anyone actually installed the wedges as shown above? Do you have the part number (or dimensions since there are several offered.) My local home centers and hardware stores do not carry these and I need to order off of the inter-web. Any info to get the correct ones would be helpful. If all else fails, I could try to interpolate dimensions and transpose to the leafs

[kawa900stx]

Yours look well made, aluminum?
This is how mine look.

[Raften]

kawa900stx wrote:

recycler wrote:
you could try logging wedges.. drill through them to make a slot to clamp them on and they are available where ever chain saws are sold..

Hockey pucks are what I used. Double stacked. I have had them for 3 years now and they show no sign of wear.

Just saying, the ones I used cracked in half in two months use.

[kawa900stx]

recycler wrote:
you could try logging wedges.. drill through them to make a slot to clamp them on and they are available where ever chain saws are sold..

Hockey pucks are what I used. Double stacked. I have had them for 3 years now and they show no sign of wear.

[Raften]

Hocky pucks don't last long. This is what I made years ago.

[d3500ram]

Home made version for bottom overload spring:
Wood splitting wedge-

(photo is courtesy of Turbo Diesel Register)

Home made version for top overload spring:
Custom perches fabbed from 2-1/2" TS to extend the rubber bumps that allow the overload springs to engage sooner:

[Grit_dog]

Good ideas!
I need to fashion a set for my Dodge 2500.
Overload leaf is at the bottom of the stack.
Stable loads for this truck require drilling the overload leaf to mount them (and apparently that sucks so bad they give you 4 drill bits with the kit!).
I have some high durometer rubber froma bridge girder bearing pad. Either that or slice 2 hockey pucks diagonally and mount in there.
Think if I can carve out a notch in the rubber that is parallel with the spring I could get away with hose clamping them to the spring itself.

[NRALIFR]

I made some for my truck out of some 1/2" thick Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW) that I had scrapped from work.

I stacked two 3"x3" squares, and mounted them using two galvanized carriage bolts. I cut a concave surface on the top block to match the shape of the spring perch on a table saw by running it perpendicular across the spinning blade. I had to make a special fence that clamped to the regular fence to do that. To get the square shoulder under the bolt head to settle into the plastic, I just torched the head a little and let it melt its way in.

When I have time I want to make a new set with three layers, but as you can see I'll need to buy longer bolts for that.





:):)

[recycler]

you could try logging wedges.. drill through them to make a slot to clamp them on and they are available where ever chain saws are sold..

[MTBob]

billtex wrote:
Hockey pucks...

ooooh... I like the simplicity of that reply... great idea!!!
Thanks!!

[billtex]

Hockey pucks...