|
Tech
Question - Reusing Old Leaves |
|
Q
- Mike;
I
have a pair of your 2" lowering coils for the front of my 65 Falcon Sedan
Delivery. Now after 3000 miles (Back to 50's & Iola) the rear passenger
side
is sagging 1 1/2 inches compared to the drivers side, and the passenger
front is 1/2" lower than the driver's.
When
putting the Granada rear end in I added 1 leaf from my original Sedan
Delivery to give is a little mort stiffness. This leaf was the original
leaf set next to the main. Last week I disassembled and rebuilt the
passenger side and added a mid leaf from a 64 Comet 4 door sedan, to get
even more stiffness and I thought a little more rake. Ditto for the
driver's side.
Reassembled
and set the car back down and it did not change in level at all! The
main leafs were intact, the shackles seem OK, and there were no broken
leaves.
I
believe the car sat outside in the elements as the roof rail was rusted
through as were the floor pans and the wheel houses but the 6 cyl rear axle
showed no indication of being water damaged, and it made no noise
upon driving it, brakes worked fine, etc. I built in a new
superstructure - torque tubes tied together, all set up level and the
body has never been damaged other than by rust.
The
QUESTION: Why is it sagging after the rebuild? Do I need entirely new
leafs. Did I use weak leaves? I would like a firmer ride and about a 3"
rake for carry extra weight. It drove/drives fine, just sits crooked.
What is wrong and how do I correct it. - Mike, Prescott, WI
|
|
A
- Mike,
Without
seeing the spring and the leaves you put into them I can not speak to
their condition, but if they looked anything like these, scrap the
spring.
|
 |
|
Now
if the frame was not damaged by rust
and the springs do not look as bad as the above pictures the springs may
still be the culprit.
The
springs may have been weak from the start. Even just being less rusted
then the right side picture can weaken a spring. The dark spots you see in
the picture is fatigue. When the leaf is shot blasted tiny little pits
will be revealed. Also lines, very much like those in the palm of your hand
may also be revealed. These pits and lines are signs of the leaf fatiguing, that is
the leaf is failing. It is a waste of time and effort to use any leaf
which looks like this. As
for the spring on the left, these make wonderful door stops and boat
anchors.
Then there is the adding the
extra leaf issue. There is nothing wrong with adding extra leaves
provided they are the proper size, thickness and length, and are fitted
into the proper location.
The
extra leaf cannot be thicker than the leaf above it and cannot be
thinner than the leaf below it.
The
distance between the end of each leaf is called "stepping". In
order for a spring to act like a spring, that is, hold weight and deflect under
load, this stepping must be maintained. Ideally the distance between the
each leaf is equal for each leaf. In reality it can vary somewhat. The
somewhat measurement is the trick.
If
you put a leaf under the main leaf, the one with the eyes, and the end
of the new leaf ended at the center line of the eyes, great. If the
extra leaf is put below the second leaf it should split the difference
between the ends of the leaf above it and the leaf below it. Do not add
2 extra leaves between the existing leaves. Do not add a leaf which is
equally as long as the one next to it.
If
it ain't stepped right, it ain't gonna work.
I
think new springs are the answer. As for the rake, if it is just to
carry extra weight you want to consider our Rod
Ride Plus Rubber Helper Springs. They are designed to carry extra
weight without allowing the vehicle to sag and provide the sweet ride
you like.
To
learn more about spring tech info, check out our Spring
Tech 101 booklet. -
Mike
PS.
wonderful question, t-shirts are on the way.
|
|