Bantam T3C springs?

HarryT

Adventurer
I've got an old Bantam trailer that rarely hauls over 400 pounds, it has 9 leaves in each spring pack. How many leaves should I remove to get that silky smooth ride?
 

Robert Bills

Explorer
None. The WWII Bantam T3 and Willys MBT were originally shipped with 8-leaf spring packs to handle the specified 500 lb. payload. The spring pack was later upgraded to 10-leaves (used for M-100) as these trailers were often loaded with the maximum 750 lb. highway payload, and many WWII trailers were upgraded to 10-leaf springs through the years.

If yours are the original 60-year-old Bantam T3-C springs, with 9 thin leaves, some of the leaves are probably brittle. Removing a leaf is inviting spring failure. My advice would be to get replacement springs, bushings, etc. (unless you are doing a true restoration, in which case I would suggest a spring shop to duplicate the originals). Off the shelf aftermarket replacement springs (front springs for MB, GPW, M38, CJ-2, CJ-3, etc.) typically have 10 leaves and a military wrap (what I use), but if you look around you might find some with 8 leaves and no military wrap, which would be the closest you are likely to find to a replacement for a civilian Bantam trailer.
 
Last edited:

Willman

Active member
:iagree:

My springs ride great now that the trailer is weighted down by the RTT, extra water & fuel.....All i need now is some shocks to smooth it out alittle.

;)
 

Robert Bills

Explorer
Only the miltary Bantams had shocks; the civilian T3C did not. If your civilian Bantam trailer has been retrofitted with shock mounts, the proper shock is the same as the front shocks on a Jeep CJ2 or CJ3. The Monroe part number is 94038.
 

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