Blackwood springs

[Arlandsmith]

Suggestions for rear spring conversion

[papawayne]

Any local Spring/Shock business can put them together for you, although I had to go an hour and a half here in Maine to get to Palmer Spring in Portland. I live in St George. these were for my 63. These are leaf springs, correct? Wayne

[Mike]

I always liked those.
Its F150 based. Unless they've done something underneath that interferes with frame mounts everything needed should already be available.

[TonyC]

Curious...the suspension issues you have requiring replacement?

[1Bad55Chevy]

My bet is the rear air bags have blown out so they are looking for a coin spring conversion. Since the blackwood uses both an air spring (air bag) and a mono leaf I wonder if you could just use a f150 multi leaf spring instead. Take a rear leaf off and take it to a local junk yard for comparison.

[1Bad55Chevy]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166138955023?m ... media=COPY

Those might work. You would need to research what air bag fits the navigator and it might be the same.

[papawayne]

I have heard that after market air bags are cheaper than springs. I had a 2002 Town Car not long ago, and one day it went BANG! The next day on the way to work, it went BANG again. The Mechanic whom I trust said to replace the air bags, and he claimed not to be lazy. Rust ultimately claimed the car. Wayne

[Mike]

I have heard that after market air bags are cheaper than springs. I had a 2002 Town Car not long ago, and one day it went BANG! The next day on the way to work, it went BANG again. The Mechanic whom I trust said to replace the air bags, and he claimed not to be lazy. Rust ultimately claimed the car. Wayne

Looking up the rear air components they are pretty cheap for the blackwood.

[Dan Szwarc]

I’m not convinced OP is a real person wanting real advice but a spammer in disguise.

[papawayne]

He doesn't seem to come back to us, does he? Does he really have a Blackwood? There aren't many of them. The booms on my old Town Car were real, though. Scared the crap out of the couple in the back seat that we took out for supper. The next morning, when the other side went, I was all alone. Twas a bumpy ride until I got them fixed. Wayne

[TonyC]

That is the main reason for my aversion towards balloon suspensions, even stock ones. But stock ones are more likely to have proper references for replacements at shops than the non-stock conversions that seem to be all the rage now...unless the owner keeps references and contacts for a non-stock job, which I have reason to doubt.

---Tony

[papawayne]

Now Tony...I am the captain of drivable junk cars. I kept a 77 Plymouth Fury on the road until the leaf springs came up through the trunk one day. The inspection Mechanic would come out of his shop (not the right thing to do) and ask, "How's things", And I would show him how well the radio worked and hand him a breakfast sandwich. He'd say, "See ya next year", and put a new sticker on it. Unfortunately, he's gone to sticker heaven. Wayne

[TonyC]

Well, then, I guess I'm a senior lieutenant in those rankings, having had similar regular exchanges with my own mechanical mentor, and my experiences even after we went separate ways. I'll never forget the suspension issues with the B-Mer; the springs were fine, but the pockets they fitted into were not–especially the rear pockets.

As for Frankenstein, after nearly 58 years of use, abuse, and neglect, the only things I've had to do thus far were replace the bushings. I also added a pair of helper springs to the rears, just to mitigate any sags with full loads. I don't doubt that the leaf springs will eventually need outright replacement, but 58 years is quite a long-standing period, far more than any air bag.

---Tony

[Lee]

Now Tony...I am the captain of drivable junk cars. I kept a 77 Plymouth Fury on the road until the leaf springs came up through the trunk one day. The inspection Mechanic would come out of his shop (not the right thing to do) and ask, "How's things", And I would show him how well the radio worked and hand him a breakfast sandwich. He'd say, "See ya next year", and put a new sticker on it. Unfortunately, he's gone to sticker heaven. Wayne

Wayne, if you are captain, I’m at least a lieutenant. When I was just a lad, the rear shackle frame mount of my everyday ‘61 Windsor totally collapsed from rust one day, but I found a 3 foot piece of heavy angle iron, and with a BFH, I pounded it through the shackle, and deep into the (remaining) frame member. Drove it that way for another year. I have a ton of those stories, but I really need a few beers to give them color, and I have things to do right now.

[papawayne]

Beer helps everything. On the other hand, God has given us bed frames to work our magic. And, even now, no matter how many times I go to the dump. there is always a bed frame for the taking. Hopefully some young buck is using them. Wayne.