FORD LEAF SPRINGS ?

I've owned Ford trucks for over 50 years & some had over 200,000 miles on them. My current Ford has 123,000 miles on it. I have NEVER greased any springs!! I have had springs break - but never on a Ford Truck - always on a trailer of some sort.

Tom J

typically no, nowadays they use teflon buttons betwee nthe leaves. greasing springs is so fifty years ago :)

nate

But then why were the E250's leaf springs oozing grease when delivered ? I'll try greasing, I guess. Get a nozzle, unload springs, shoot grease. Maybe park on a hill, up one day down the next, hot day.

All you are going to do is load your springs up with dirt, grit & sand!! Not Good for the surfaces of the springs!!

Tom J

yes, this is true: grease collects dirt. But Ford's cost accountants cheated on paint, welds, steel...not only saving weight and raising mpg but lowering costs. Seam sealants are below minimal, seriously threatening the truck's longevity. Parts are left unpainted. Yet, the leaf springs were greased. OK, eliminating squeeks and cracks during break-in ?

Well....If you are really concerned about the grease in the springs, you can remove them from the truck, break the spring pack apart, clean each leaf, reassemble placing a thin sheet of teflon clothlike material (think you can get it from NAPA) between each leaf, and remount the spring packs. Not a speck of grease, no sand/gravel/grit, and no squeaks....

DaveD

will write it into the list. but first, a collector tray under the AC condensor followed with 2 coats VHT urethane on fender wall and frame box member. Our nab has a new "flyover". up in Biggar: beautifullly done, spacey side lights on the walls. Storbe strobe strobe. Flew over checking the new truck's handling and squooze out leaf grease left side. Handling is neither truck nor car. Replaced stock Hankooks with Toyo A/T, Bils for a 350, Hellwig bar and muh left wrist. Now the E250 handles like a good chevy sedan. The Toyo run with Audi on the interstate in 3" water, the Bils cure psoriasis, and the bar keeps all four tires on ground despite the constant camber front end. Ruins mpg claims but its safe to drive now. teflon cloth ! after pnuemo ground effects and rear skirts.

On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:07:52 -0700, datakoll rearranged some electrons to say:

Take it easy on the drugs.

try powdered apple

The E250 is a delivery van. Not so good out on the interstate: unacceptable. I was surprised at how bad the stock van is given window vans hauling kids and old folk. The local blvd is smooth, sweeping and slightly tracked with triax grooves. The double beam front end follows the tracks, right on one, the left on another, leaving a badly located rear deciding an independent future course. The situation maybe a constant problem causing adhesion and directional control loss where your van use suffers so only once every 5-6 seconds. A Hellwig rear bar, Toyo A/T sticky tires, and Bilstein shocks turned a highway pig into a good sedan, with mpg loss fersure. A simple and total upgrade for non-delivery usage are Bilsteins on the rear only. Replacing two shocks gives an upgrade into acceptable handling from unsafe at any.

So, if you drive an E250, put some good shocks on the back if it isn't a window-van.

SUMMIT doesn't have rears in stock, at this time. Call Bils in Mooresville. Summit will order for you. Don't tell them I sent you.

Yeah. Adding fronts make the suspension a wee bit stiffer. Not much but some scream abt uncomfy ride like they got terminal arthritis from it.

The rears are a big deal. I drove a Dodge delivery van: Atlanta beltway. MG, PV544, Buick LeSabre 6.9. The Ford needs Bilstein rear shocks. Delivery goes GP Local noise suggest window vans are inflicted with different valving than the E250 delivery van. We are praying over our Pinto gastank.

A 2008-09 Ford Econoline is not seam sealed at doors or inside doors. Lift out front door sills, front up and pull forward, lift up and curl back floor covering. Side door sill lifts out at rear then pull rearward. The inner lip is tied down with clips: lift up. Pull flooring back at rear doors. The seams are left unsealed, exposed to water runoff from poorly placed and not long enough floor covering. There are bolts at rear and under the drivers and passengers feet possibly unpainted and rusting. Levine Autoparts sells 3M sealers online. Six tubes will seal door seams and engine compartment seams. The 8500 is the lesser sealant but has zero odor. The urethane is excellent, durable with slight odor.

covering needs an extension. Ford=92s design allows water runningoff directly into door wells and sills when floor covering shouldcarry water over the sill top and onto the sill floor NOT under sillfloor. Seattle Fabrics sells heavy Vinyl online for under Ford=92s floorcovering then over the sills.Inside doors are urethane sealable at door bottom and outside panelthen paint with urethane, VHT from Summit Racing. Slight odor for apaint. Two front wells before each fender are urethane paint needed and behind the battery on inside front wheel well. The A/C condenser leaks water directly onto the fender running down fender into the front right box frame member. Spray the inside box frame if not tarred. The battery needs a new fixture bolt with rod and a wing nut cut to below battery top. Buy one before taking the battery out: 3/16ths rod. Examine top and bottom roof drip edge for weakly painted surfaces and unsealed areas. Seal inside bottom door corners or the complete circumference with urethane then. Try a small watercolor brush from Wal.

Check cargo front side door's upper folded edge for a water leak area and below door hinge corners. The rear palstic drain guard between rear bumper and body was Goop glued onto the body. Take a look at the rear corner side door step. The water collector box there could use urethane sealant. Local noise suggests this box is a water drain. Internet searching suggests valve noise is a frequent complaint. Owner's manual states: valve noise at cold start up, adjust. Our dealer did not adjust. Using Valvoline 5/20 synthetic, the noise localized into a small band between high idle and low idle during start. I asked the dealer to adjust start sequence for a longer hi idle and a very gradual reduction to low start idle. This adjustment and the Valvo synth cured excessive valve noise at start. Also added a HD valved fram filter.

Probably a "cosmoline"-like anti-rust compound for the long boat ride from China.

I thought they eliminated the double beam starting with the'92 vans? Using ball joint a frames instead?

I doubt it; my '93 F-150 still uses the old Twin-I-Beam front end (but with ball joints not king pins.) And yes, it's a bit of a pig, even with new shocks.

Typically the F-series would get suspensi> I thought they eliminated the double beam starting with the'92 vans? Using