Recondition of leaf springs

swissranger · Post by **swissranger** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:13 am

I am searching for a good method to recondition the leaf springs. Do the springs need to be greased between the blades? If yes, what kind of lubricant do you use? Any good or bad experience?

Thanks
Roman

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:35 pm

You can just take them apart, put a little grease between them and re-assemble. Not sure what you've got for spring shops in Switzerland, but I can take a set of leaf springs in to a spring shop here, they will clean them, re-arch them to factory spec and coat them with some real nasty never-rust stuff for a pretty reasonable fee.

wt4speed#2 · Post by **wt4speed#2** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:42 pm

You really don't want to coat with a petroluim based product as the are"spring " steel and oil will take the tinsel strenght out of spring steel. I worked in a big truck frame and alignment shop ,we had our own spring shop. Most causes of front spring failure on big trucks the 5 yrs I was there , were due to the front springs being exposed to an engine oil leak . After they are subject to the oil leak you can rearch them but they really wont hold an arch long. Just my

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:39 pm

I didn't know that! Not sure what the spring shop I use coats springs with, but it's not grease. It's almost like real thin undercoat.

wt4speed#2 · Post by **wt4speed#2** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:03 pm

I know that the spring shop where I used to work bought it by the drum and thinned it some how . and yes when it dries it is almost plastic like or an undercoat .
But yea petroleum products such as oil and grease are a no no.
If you have a noise coming from a spring you've got leaves that are nort fitting properly or a broken tie bolt, or leaf.

SuperTruck · Post by **SuperTruck** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:35 am

Oil and grease has no effect on the strength of the steel. If anything it will help by preventing corrosion. However, it will tend to attract and hold dirt, which may have undesired results.

wt4speed#2 · Post by **wt4speed#2** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:59 am

Ok oil and grease have no effect on "Spring' steel I stand corrected.

averagef250 · Post by **averagef250** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:29 pm

Well I'll just forget I ever thought I learned that then. Ruin my day won't you.

swissranger · Post by **swissranger** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 12:17 pm

Thanks a lot for your advice.
I also made a search thru Google about this topic and found an interessting site from another Swiss who's restoring a Ford A

. He even transled his site from German to English. Unfortunately except the chapter regarding the leaf springs. He has used a product named "Slip Plate No.1" for lubrication of the leaf springs. Check out these links:
http://www.maurer-markus.ch/ford_a/index.en.html
http://www.maurer-markus.ch/ford_a/tipp ... edern.html
http://www.slipplate.com/

Roman

roachrider · Post by **roachrider** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:51 pm

I've got thin teflon sheet in between the leafs on my truck. As long as they're smooth it works great. If they're rusty and jagged it will tear up the teflon.

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Recondition of leaf springs

Recondition of leaf springs

re: Recondition of leaf springs

re: Recondition of leaf springs