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Since getting my M38 on the road I have developed a click type noise when the rear suspension flexes that sound like it comes from the left rear.
Upon conducting another inspection I noticed that the left spring shackle, lower where it goes through the spring eye was loose. I jacked it up and proceeded to tighten the bushing on the shackle. It pulled the bushing in but I noticed that the bolt head of the bushing was also being pulled into the spring eye instead of remaining on the shoulder of the eye. I imagine this is my clicking sound and that it has been unscrewing the bushing.



I am looking for any suggestions to fix this. I know how hard it is to find M38 NOS springs. I don't know if it is possible to have the spring eye heated and the diameter reduced. I have thought I could turn a washer to the OD of the bushing just inside the hex head and slide that on to keep the hex head from drawing into the spring eye, but figure that will cause other problems.
I have seen some replacement spring shackles for the M38 on some parts sites that have the flat rod between the anchor/bushing bolts more like a modern shackle.
Any suggestions.
Thanks
Ralph

Wes,
I am hoping you or others on the site can clarify somethings.
First I am only talking about the rear springs, when I use the word front and back it is relation to the REAR spring.
From what I gather from the ord 9 and other sources the basic REAR springs (before adding the pivot bushing) are interchangeable, in the sense that they are interchangeable left to right and the front and back of the spring, the spring eyes are the same. The only measurement I can find for the spring eyes is 7/8 inch front and back. So either spring eye could, in the beginning, be used for the pivot and either spring eye could be used for the shackles.

Consequently, it is possible that while the rear spring eye is too worn for the shackle bushing, the spring could be rotated 180 degrees and the spring pivot bushing removed and then that eye might not be too worn to properly hold the shackle bushing. Of course that is assuming that the worn end that now becomes the pivot will properly hold the pivot bushing.

Don't know if this would be a long term fix but it might work until a acceptable set of m38 springs could be found. ????

Thanks
Ralph

I am trying to remember without looking it up but isn't that one of the left hand thread shackles? Also you don't want the shackle too tight, it needs room to move as the springs flex.
IF you can find a good spring shop they should be able to make new spring packs or even just the leaf with the eye on it. I found one near Simcoe Ontario but that is probably not helpful.

I do not think a swapping the spring ends by turning the spring around is going to work. Look closely at the illustration above. The other leaves are not stacked dead center on the main leaf. They are oriented much further forward. Personally I think the simple fix is to bush the spring eye so the spring eye is full and the inside of the new additional bushing matches the OD of the bushing with the shackle if the spring shackle threaded bushing is fitting too loosely in the spring eye. If you think about it the overtightening of that shackle bolt was probably the source of the accelerated wear on the spring eye. On page 296 of TM 908012 Par B. (6) clearly leaves a wee bit of slop there. Adding any flat metal at the bushing hex will be difficult since that would result in the shackle bushing being partially engaged promoting more un-even wear.

No, the right rear shackle lower threads are left hand.

Thanks Wes, I will look at putting a bushing in the spring eye for the shackle but am not optimistic. I do have a lead on some springs.