femurphy77
SDD Junior Member
I've seen several different threads on different forums talking about squeaking front leaf springs and all the threads had one thing in common; what a pain in the obama it is to replace the isolator shims in the springs.
I must have done something wrong because it only took me about 10 minutes total to replace/install new isolators at all 4 locations on my front springs including the saddles for the spring eyes! I didn't use a chisel to wedge the springs apart to slide the isolators in, I used a small but sturdy nail bar and pried the spring far enough away from the spring eye that I was able to slip the new isolator in then release the spring and give it a good shot with a hammer to seat the locating pin and then spread the spring again to install the eye saddle.
This was all done while I had the front end jacked up enough to almost lift the front tire off the ground to help unload the spring. I used one of those high lift jacks under the tow eye, installed the isolators then jacked up the other side to repeat the process. I had been putting this off for some time due to the horror stories I had heard about how difficult it was. Of course I have a '00 SDD and the later models may indeed be a PITA. Anyway it is amazing how much quieter and seemingly smoother it now rides. Now to get those new shocks installed and it'll be ready for another 275k miles
I must have done something wrong because it only took me about 10 minutes total to replace/install new isolators at all 4 locations on my front springs including the saddles for the spring eyes! I didn't use a chisel to wedge the springs apart to slide the isolators in, I used a small but sturdy nail bar and pried the spring far enough away from the spring eye that I was able to slip the new isolator in then release the spring and give it a good shot with a hammer to seat the locating pin and then spread the spring again to install the eye saddle.
This was all done while I had the front end jacked up enough to almost lift the front tire off the ground to help unload the spring. I used one of those high lift jacks under the tow eye, installed the isolators then jacked up the other side to repeat the process. I had been putting this off for some time due to the horror stories I had heard about how difficult it was. Of course I have a '00 SDD and the later models may indeed be a PITA. Anyway it is amazing how much quieter and seemingly smoother it now rides. Now to get those new shocks installed and it'll be ready for another 275k miles