[FWDLK] Springy Thingies

["Joe Savard" <JLSAVARD@xxxxxxx>]

O.K., List,

Here is what we were told (and what the scuttlebut was) at Central
Engineering during the 1957/58 era.

The original torsion bars on the '57's had no grease shields or lubrication
points.  It was exposed metal-to-metal.  After one or two years on the road,
the salt ate away the bars at the rear and they broke at the slightest
provocation.  My '57 Belvedere coupe broke when I hit the slight bump at the
end of my driveway.

The fix was to shield the rear mounts with rubber and a grease shield.

The rear springs on the '57's were notoriously weak and needed an extra leaf
to help them, particularly since the rear overhang and trunk were so deep.
Scuttlebut at C.E.D. was that some designer (or detailer) mistakenly used the
unladen weight for the laden weight in his calculation of spring strength,
therefore making them sag when anybody got in the backseat.

Hope this is of interest.

Joe Savard
Lake Orion, Mi.