Removing spring leaf for better ride

[roadmonster]

Spring is old, probably from Speedway for '28-'36. Eye-to-eye is 33 1/2". The shackles would sit better if the spring was lighter and flexed under load. The spring needs to flatten a little under the static load and spread the eyes out about 1/2".

 

[Youngster]

That spring isn't from Speedway. The mainleaf might be but the 2 shorter leaves are from a '35 or '36' Ford. The tapered and thinning end where called Ford's easyride spring. I doubt very much if anyone would do all that grinding on a early '30's spring. Those last 2 leaves don't need anything inbetween them. Thats the reason for the thinning at the ends. If it's 33 1/2 " long then the main leaf is a custom made unit. I believe the '35 and '36 where 36" long. The '28 to '34 mainleaf is 29" long.

Ron

 

[Youngster]

Looking at your axle, it looks like an old CE unit for a '35 or later Ford. Measure the distance where the spring perches go thru the axle. If it's a '28 to '36 it should be around 36". The '37 to '40 axle would be around 39" and antthing over that would be a '41 to '48 Ford or Mercury axle.

Ron

 

[roadmonster]

Thanks for the info, Ron. The perch-to-perch distance is 38", leaves are 2" wide. It's possible the tapered leaves are from an older car stacked on later spring. Why would they not need spring liner?

 

[Youngster]

The purpose of the spring liner is to let the leaves side on one another or reducing the friction between them. Your top 2 leaves ar rounded and thinned at the ends so they will flex somewhat and not dig into the underlying leaf. You can accomplish the same thing with leaves like your second one by rounding the ends and radiusing the bottom of the ends. The later springs had a higher spring rate also. That fact is more than likely why your spring is so "stiff". The 2" width woud point to the top 2 leaves being '35 or '36. The '37 and later are 2 1/4" wide. The '35 -6 spring was mounted in front of the axle, not on top. This is one more reason Ford went to a higher spring rate and a wider leaf. The stock spring hangers came off the front of the wishbone and would flex abit.

Ron