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In this Discussion
- Hudzilla February 4
- Kdancy February 4
- schillaz February 4
- Scott February 4
- ski4life65 February 4
- StillOutThere February 4
Rear leaf springs
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Looking for a supplier for rear leaf springs on a 49 club coupe, while doing the brakes on my car I notice a couple of broken leafs on the left side of car, any help is appreciated
Mike -
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While it's true that Detroit Eaton can make rear leaf springs for a stepdown, I was told not to buy them. Funny thing is ,it was from a guy at Detroit Eaton! The reason was not because DE makes a bad product but because of what has evolved in the steel business. Back in the day when stepdowns were new spring steel was available in multiple thicknesses and as a result multi leaved springs were not a problem to fabricate and gave a great ride. However, over the years steel manufacturers have dropped the thinner gauge raw product used to fab springs from numerous thicknesses down to a very few. Those that are left are heavier gauge. Thus you can get new rear stepdown springs made but the ride is stiffer as a result of thicker spring steel being used-fewer thicker leaves mean stiffer ride. If you have old decent stepdown springs-hold onto them. If stiffer springs are not a factor in your car-go for the new ones.
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I took my springs for my Terraplane and Step down to a spring shop that had been in business a long time. They had the specs for the springs and completely disassembled and cleaned them, re-arched with new straps. It was only a little over a $100. That's been several years ago, but they have stood the test of time and still look good.
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If Eaton Detroit Spring can't get the desired steel gauge for their own work, then no other company can get it either because EDS is probably the largest in the business and has the factory blueprints for hundreds of thousands of leaf springs. Sounds like a disgruntled employee story to me.
You can't take in broken leaves and have them rearched, but you could take the springs for another exact same year model and body style that are NOT cracked and have them rearched as suggested.
Bottom line there aren't very many spring shops left in this country. -
A friend of mine had some fiberglass springs made to replace the steel leaf springs in his Studebaker. Saved 30lbs a spring and hook up much better than the-original type. He is pretty stoked about them.
http://www.flex-form.com/
