"Helper springs" on Astrovan?

Hi all,
I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear.
I do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything
in the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical
gear and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.

Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs
these vans have? Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying
capacity? I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up
empty-handed.

Cheers,
- JJG

Keep YerSpam wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear.
> I do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything
> in the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical
> gear and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.
>
> Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs
> these vans have? Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying
> capacity? I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up
> empty-handed.
>
> Cheers,
> - JJG
>
I had the same problem with my Astro. I had a local spring shop
installed a leaf spring kit designed for this vehicle.

Larry

"Keep YerSpam" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
> I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear. I
> do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything in
> the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical gear
> and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.
>
> Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs these
> vans have? Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying capacity?
> I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up empty-handed.
>
> Cheers,
> - JJG
>

Not sure if this link will work,

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...966839/c-10101

but that is J.C. Whitney catalog listing for Gabriel heavy duty shocks with
overload springs for you make and model van. They should do the trick. About
$75.00

Keep YerSpam > wrote in article
>...
> Hi all,
> I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear.
> I do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything
> in the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical
> gear and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.
>
> Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs
> these vans have? Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying
> capacity? I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up
> empty-handed.
>
> Cheers,
> - JJG
>
>

The correct way to do it would be to add a leaf to the existing
springs......

I refer to most aftermarket "helper" springs as "spring breakers"
..........since they usually bear on two points on the leaf - effectively
introducing a bending component to the leaf spring.

And "booster-spring" or air shocks place the burden of weight support on
shock mounting points that have not been designed for that purpose.

I worked two years in an auto/truck spring shop and have seen just about
everything - including the results of the above "cures."

We usually got to sell a completely new spring - after repairing the damage
done by the "(insert your favorite adjective here)-rigs", of course....

"*" > wrote in message
news:01c6af65$5c9d2cc0$6e92c3d8@race...
>
>
> Keep YerSpam > wrote in article
> >...
>> Hi all,
>> I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear.
>> I do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything
>> in the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical
>> gear and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.
>>
>> Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs
>> these vans have? Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying
>> capacity? I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up
>> empty-handed.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> - JJG
>>
>>
>
> The correct way to do it would be to add a leaf to the existing
> springs......
>
> I refer to most aftermarket "helper" springs as "spring breakers"
> .........since they usually bear on two points on the leaf - effectively
> introducing a bending component to the leaf spring.
>
> And "booster-spring" or air shocks place the burden of weight support on
> shock mounting points that have not been designed for that purpose.
>
> I worked two years in an auto/truck spring shop and have seen just about
> everything - including the results of the above "cures."
>
> We usually got to sell a completely new spring - after repairing the
> damage
> done by the "(insert your favorite adjective here)-rigs", of course....
>
>

This is good to know. I will certainly consider adding this advice to future
requests. Obviously, I am not the spring expert here.
--
Kevin Mouton
Automotive Technology Instructor
"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
Red Green on the subject.

On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:37:28 -0500, Keep YerSpam
> wrote:

>Hi all,
> I have a 92 Chev Astro w/ the single plastic leaf springs in the rear.
>I do some light hauling with it and it really squats when I put anything
>in the back. It's not like I'm putting 1000# in there, just some musical
>gear and a couple people and it looks like a dog squatting.
>
>Are regular helper springs going to rip up the plastic leaf springs
>these vans have?

Probably. I recently installed Hellwig helper springs on a Ford E150
van. They came with generic instructions that covered several models
and VERY STERN warnings against using with their products with plastic
leaf springs.

> Are there any retrofits for these to up the carrying
>capacity?

Any time you need to add helper springs you are on dubious ground and
likely the vehicle is overloaded in aspects other than ride height
although it is not obvious by appearance. I made sure this was
understood when I installed the helpers on the Ford van.
Unfortunately nothing I was ever going to say would convince the
owners to use a more suitable 3/4 ton model for their mobile
dog-grooming business. They had way too much invested in outfitting
the van with sinks, water tank etc. so we were making the best of a
bad situation. An alternative to helper springs would be air shocks.
They have the advantage that they can be adjusted for different loads
anywhere and anytime if you carry an air tank (inexpensive) and a tire
pressure gauge. What is NOT good about them from an engineering
standpoint is that they make the shocks mounts weight-bearing -- a
function they were not designed for except in rare instances where
they were a factory option.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

> I tried searching for info about this, but am coming up
>empty-handed.
>
>Cheers,
> - JJG