I am installing TCI's rear leaf spring kit on my 49 chevy truck. I have run into a problem, and I hope someone here has run into this same problem. The instructions I recieved are pretty vague but I'm almost positive I have done it right so far. You have to drill out the rivits and strip the old spring mount off. Then you put the new one's from TCI on using the same holes. I have done this and they went right in on the original holes. The front mount doesn't have a shackle and just bolts in. My problem is the rear mount has a hanging shackle that should attach to the leaf spring, but the spring appears to be about 3" short? I verified that it is the correct spring, so the parts are correct and at least by the instructions I have correctly mounted the frame hardware. I think if I had the rear end on the springs they would fit because the weight would flatten out the springs, but that doesn't seem right. Anyone have any ideas?

i'm not an expert by any means but I'm a little confused by your post. You said if the rearend were on the springs they would flatten out? In my mind that says the spring are arched up. Maybe I am not understanding...(which happens a lot to me

I have kind of similar problem with my truck only with the stock springs. I removed every other leaf and am putting a Nova rearend in. But in moving the position of the rearend towards the back of the truck which is needed to keep the tires centered in the wheel opening, the axle doesn't sit in the low part of the springs and is about 2 inches or more rearward of the center of the leaves. Just wondering if this is okay.

Your right I was confused/clueless. The springs are not arched up. I got working on this last night and thought it would be a quick job. After about 5 hours of fighting it I gave up. I guess what I was trying to say is if I could flatten out the springs they should fit, but that doesn't seem to be the right way to install them to me. I called the people who I bought them from and left a message, hopefully they will know the answer, but they have not been very helpful in the past

if flattening them out seems like it might help, you can take a strap ratchet and wrap it around the frame and springs to simulate a load. Just a thought.

I am in the process of installing the same kit in my 53 chevy pickup..Check the orientation of the brackets...I tryed to upload pictures to show the way they go in,but the pictures were too big...or give me your email and i will email some pictures to help you out.TCI makes a good product but there instructions are terrible!!!

I uploaded a couple pictures to my photo album on this site...check your installation to my pictures...My springs were the right length (48")

Thanks alot for the info and pictures! The instructions should really have some pictures. It turns out I had everthing mounted up right. I spoke with a TCI tech yesterday and he said that there is enought variation in these old trucks that sometimes they don't fit. I guess the rear crossmember is back farther than it should be. I also don't like how the springs are not parrallel with each other because the frame gets wider at the rear, so I will weld up some plates and mount the rear shackes where they should be and parrallel to each other. Fortunatly the front end installation has been covered by magazines, because the instruction are really terrible.

Been watching this thread as I am considering the TCI rear leaf spring kit for my 51 chevy. Does the TCI kit relocate the rear wheels to place them in the center of the wheel well? If not, were you able to easily do this and if so how?

I like the TCI products that I have seen so far but agree with you guys that there instructions suck and it's hard to get anything from them even after you call. I installed their IFS on my truck, but when I received the kit there were no instructions at all. Took me about a month the get them sent to me. If it weren't for articles in magazines I would still be trying to install it.

Anyone tried other manufacturer’s rear spring kits? How were they on instructions, installation and fit?

They look to land in the same place as the original axle did. Which is a little too far forward. The only thing I am altering in the alignment of the springs so they dont wander out at the rear. I don't think it would be worth the price of this kit to move it back a few inches. It's expensive because it's supposed to be easy. Moving the brackets back would be a pain, and I think I would just make my own brackets to do that and save the cash. I guess you could also relocate the spring perches back a bit, but that might become a safety issue. As for the front end IFS instructions these are the best I found:
http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/as...TB_0306_TCI.pdf

Hey Guys:
If you want to see a nice web site on trucks like ours,check this one out.Its Centerline's web site ,he's a mod here.
http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/