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rear leaf springs
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fireguyfire
Posted 2017-10-29 5:32 PM (#551289)
Subject: rear leaf springs


Veteran

Posts: 169
1002525
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
I am doing a full restoration on my 58 Chrysler and have the frame sand blasted and in paint; I am now reassembling the front and rear end.
I have restored a few muscle cars and trucks over the years but have never torn apart a pair of rear springs before.
Being that everything else is being taken completely apart, sand blasted (or bead blasted) painted and reassembled, I want to give the rear springs the full treatment as well since I have them off of the frame still.
Can anyone suggest how to go about testing my springs to see if they are still within spec, and then a basic tutorial on how to pull the apart, paint and rebuild them?
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LD3 Greg
Posted 2017-10-30 12:17 AM (#551310 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: RE: rear leaf springs


Expert

Posts: 1906
1000500100100100100
Location: Ontario, Canada
I've done this for at least 10, 57/58 Mopars. Disassemble the springs and check each leaf for breaks or cracks. If you heavily sand blast each leaf with 50 grit sand at full air line pressure of 165 psi (if you do it in the shade you should see sparks) it will "shot peen" the steel and restore the original "memory" to the leaf. No test needed. Works every time!

Big M can probably supply/replace any broken or cracked leaves.
You need to be able to replace/ restore the inter liners. That will likely be difficult.
Paint each leaf with aluminum paint. It is very slippery. This allows the leaves to move against each other with a minimum of friction. When you disassemble the springs you will see that the factory used aluminum paint. The fully assembled spring was later painted over with black or something similar.

Greg
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fireguyfire
Posted 2017-10-30 4:40 PM (#551352 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: Re: rear leaf springs


Veteran

Posts: 169
1002525
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Great info Greg; is there a source for inter liner purchase?
And so we are clear, the springs were over painted black at the factory? Want to get the final colour correct.
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LostDeere59
Posted 2017-10-31 8:19 AM (#551388 - in reply to #551352)
Subject: Re: rear leaf springs



Extreme Veteran

Posts: 406
100100100100
Location: Hilltown, PA
You should be able to source spring hardware locally, however if you can't find a vendor close to you this is a shop near me I have had some contact with:

http://www.autoandtrucksprings.com/

They should have, or be able to get, everything you need.


Gregg (other one)

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springsweptwing
Posted 2017-10-31 3:21 PM (#551412 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: RE: rear leaf springs



Elite Veteran

Posts: 1140
100010025
Location: Blackpool, United Kingdom.
I struggled to find interliners, so I bought a set of nos smaller ones just for the buttons, and used some old type machine drive belt cut to length on guilotine, and installed with the new buttons, the front ones on the least are rubber and are available, I could not find any black on mine just silver paint where they sat on axle perches, I managed to find nos absorbers for the axle perch, again you will have to make those if you cannot find any,

Paul.



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Greg P.
Posted 2017-10-31 3:23 PM (#551413 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: RE: rear leaf springs



Elite Veteran

Posts: 769
5001001002525
Location: Oley, PA
Also, ESPO Springs and Things has a pretty good reputation.

http://www.springsnthings.com/about.htm
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59 in Calif
Posted 2017-10-31 8:24 PM (#551425 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: Re: rear leaf springs


Elite Veteran

Posts: 1102
1000100
Location: Hayward, Calif
When I did the rear springs on wife's 59 dodge, I took them disassembled to a local Big truck ( Mack, KW, etc) spring shop and he tested them for me. Didn't cost much and he had those pads for the ends of the spring leafs, again wasn't very much. He also suggested not using that asbestos pad between the spring and the axel mount. They tend to deteriorate and let those big U bolts loosen up. But I have to admit, with all the 50's Chry Corp cars I owned and drove daily during the 60's I never had to retighten those U bolts. Guess it comes down to that 'grain of salt' thing. Jerry
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1958dodgecustom
Posted 2017-11-23 5:28 PM (#553000 - in reply to #551412)
Subject: RE: rear leaf springs


Member

Posts: 5

Hi your frame looks great, where did you get the pads or insulators that go between the springs and axle, they look just like factory ones, are they available somewhere?
Thanks Bob
I need a set for my car.
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springsweptwing
Posted 2017-12-08 7:57 AM (#553903 - in reply to #553000)
Subject: RE: rear leaf springs



Elite Veteran

Posts: 1140
100010025
Location: Blackpool, United Kingdom.
1958dodgecustom - 2017-11-23 10:28 PM

Hi your frame looks great, where did you get the pads or insulators that go between the springs and axle, they look just like factory ones, are they available somewhere?
Thanks Bob
I need a set for my car.


Hi Bob,

Yes the ones between axle are NOS, the interliners pads at front are rubber and can be found on eBay, the rears I made from NOS machine drive belt 2" wide cut to length and inserted NOS buttons in them to keep in place.
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kranbil
Posted 2017-12-27 2:17 PM (#555075 - in reply to #551289)
Subject: Re: rear leaf springs


New User

Posts: 3

Hi, where did you buy the front leaf spring bushings? I also struggle to locate the org.style lower control arm bumper. Thanks, Viggo
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