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I have a 1931 model 43 with the original sheet metal leaf spring covers. They are in good condition, but if I try to remove them, I’m sure they won’t go back together in an acceptable manner. Shouldn’t the springs be lubricated in some way? Is there an acceptable method for lubricating them, or should I leave well enough alone? Considering drilling something like 1/8†holes in strategic spots and injecting something like heavy gear lube into the leaves. Any comments or suggestions from those who have faced this problem would be appreciated.
Tom Barrett
Tom, I have removed and replaced my original spring covers successfully. I pried the folded over sections one by one along the bottom with combinations of a putty knife and a wide blade vise grip. The metal is pretty soft and did not split when unfolded and refolded back.
Originally the springs were greased between all leaves and wrapped in canvas underneath the covers. The issue of greasing boils down to whether there is enough grease left that isn’t just all dried up. You might be able to assess this after removing some segments.
To completely grease I removed the axle u-bolts and the center bolt holding the leaves together and removed and cleaned all the leaves before re-greasing. (actually I removed the springs from the car but that shouldn’t be necessary of the leaves and shackle bearings are in good shape). Removing the leaves may not be necessary if you just slather in the grease at the edges of each leaf as you work the spring up and down with a jack. I replaced the canvas with new before reassembling the metal covers.
There are plastic strips available in lieu of the original grease, this would entail taking the leaves apart.
I will leave the question to others whether anyone has successfully lubed the springs without removing the covers.
When I did this several years ago I could not find new replacements for the metal covers (often referred to as “gators”, I call them crab legs), but I believe a year or so ago the subject came up here and there is somebody reproducing them now.
Good luck!
Jim
Tom: you missed a great tutorial ‘class’ held during our technical session at the Annual Meet in Rohnert Park this last summer.
Bob Koch demonstrated his methods and tools needed to make new ‘Gators’ for his ’37 Sedan. I think he might have written a service bulletin on the process. Or had a thread on this message board.
For lubricating between the leaves of the springs, you really need to pry the leaves apart, and inject graphite grease between the leaves. There were several after-market devices that made this job easier, but it still requires at least removing the clamp, u-bracket or bent retainer around the leaves, then pry open the gap between each pair of leaves, then inject a graphite-based grease into the gap. I use a large syringe, or a special Zerk-needle i brazed up. I took a zerk fitting, and an 1/8″ pipe coupler and a piece of soft steel tube that would fit into the pipe coupler.
I brazed the steel tube in one end of the coupler, threaded the Zerk fitting into the other end of the coupler. Then I gently crushed the soft steel tubing in a vice, I put two pieces of 1/16″ wire inside the tubing on opposite sides, so that the vice would not crush the tube so much as to close it shut. The resulting flat tube works great for injecting grease from a grease gun into the pried apart leaf springs.
Bob Koch also showed a great way to keep the leaf springs in a fairly flat shape if you are removing a spring shackle for cleaning and remaking the Fafnir ball bearings. Bob said he used a heavy-duty telescoping hood-prop. He expanded the tubular hood prop between the front and rear eyelet loop of the main leaf or top leaf of the spring. The hood-prop kept the spring from returning to a much more curved shape as the weight of the car came off the spring/axle.
I did not have a hood prop, but did have a hydraulic ‘ports-power’ used in body shops to push/pull body parts back to normal shape when repairing a damaged car body. Using the ports-power with a couple of extensions and feet at each end that would not slip off the round eyelets of the main-leaf, it works great !! Keeping the spring nearly flat makes removing the shackles much easier !!
Greg Long
If the car is jacked up with the axle hanging the leaves are easier to pry apart to lubricate.
There is a tool that was made at the time which resembles a oversize hypodermic needle which is inserted between the edges of each metal cover section to inject lubricant.
Greg,
A little clarification is in order. The tool I showed at the Annual Meet was a telescoping cargo spreader bar, used to secure loads in a pickup bed. They are inexpensive and available from Harbor Freight Co. I replaced the rubber feet with wooden wedges. Also, the brand name of the body shop tool you mention is “Porta Power””.”
Thanks Bob, i didn’t proof read my post. The %%$$#$% spell-checker auto-‘correction’ software changed the spelling. And did it again in the next sentence.
I like the porta-power because it allows using the hydraulic ram to adjust the distance between the spring-eyes.
Paul, the zerk-fitting device I made is a grease gun powered ‘syringe’ for grease. Grease it too thick to early be pushed out of a syringe. The grease gun ‘syringe’ can use the 1000# pressure from a grease gun.
I have a couple of the early grease injectors, I like how mine works better than the old ones.
Greg
The old spring-lube tools I have seen, have a wedge which is forced between the leaves from the side and which is drilled to allow injection of the lubricant.
I have considered cleaning and lubricating my cars’ springs, then wrapping them with canvas and wide Gorilla tape. It is black, flexible and should be reasonably durable considering the typical gentle use of a collector car. If it doesn’t work out, it is easily removable and on to Plan B.