2012 at the Hammond Barn

[Bob Carriere]

Amazing what can be done if you listen and have the balls to try it.

In the process of tweaking the frame just a bit more........ I salvaged a short section of leaf spring from a donor and prepared to installed one more leaf spring thickness on the driver's side...... actually 1/4 inch.

So I removed the spring pack.... relatively easy considereing the well greased/lubed new pins I had installed and using big C clamps prepared to remove the "center" bolts.... install the new leaf and a new "center bolt" which only costed 0.96 cents.

Well the center bolt that had been installed by an Ottawa spring dealer, a seemingly reputable truck spring shop ,turned out to be a regular grade 5 5/16 bolt that had the head ground round and a small washer ground to match the head size..... NOT the proper 3/8 center bolt that should have been installed. Why..... because the spring pack hole was too tight to fit the proper 3/8 bolt I purchased.

In a few minutes of drilling using a large HD hand drill I cleaned up the holes and installed the proper bolt. So much for trust !!!!!!

Whe came the time to re-install the spring pack I realized that it was a three hand job....... and my aging muscles just could not handle it alone. Getting older is a real piss-off !!!!

Well later Grant came by and with his help in about 45 minutes everything was back in its proper place....phew !!!

Frame is now also perfectly levelled.....

Bob