Leaf Spring Disassembly?

YubaGrey

YubaGrey

New member
So, this is my first post on here. Just researching the existing information has helped out imensly in my project. (78 Scout II SOA/rs/drivetrain build-up/restoration) I have a set of stock leaf springs that I would like to clean up since they will be the only remaining aged pieces of the suspension when the SOA is complete. I was thinking that I would dissasemble the leaves in order to fully clean/prep/paint them.

Question: can the clips around the leaves be removed without damage and be reused? If so, how? If not, are replacements readily available? Where? What cost? ..is there any more efficient way to go about it?

Thanks a ton.
 
If you can bend the little tabs back without breaking them then you should be able to undo one side of each clamp and slide it off the spring sideways(hope that makes sense). I have replacement spring wraps in stock at $12 per pair(they are not listed on the online store) if you end up needing new replacements.

Otherwise my only suggestion is to look up a special paint used particularly for leafsprings. Unfortunately the name of the product slips my mind but maybe someone who knows the product I'm thinking of will chime in.
 
Back in the old days...(which was just last week), we used a product similar to this:

power tools & metalworking > lubricants > penetrants-lubricants > dry film lubricant,slip plate #1,1 gal : grainger industrial supply

Slip plate.

A "dry film" lubricant, commonly used in industrial processes.

Here's a whole line of similar products on the grainger site, I'm not pimpin' grainger, but just showing a sample of the kinds of products that might be considered:

grainger industrial supply

No doubt swepco has a similar product???

My theory is (and this again goes back to the old days!), nothing will last on leaf springs for any length of time. Trailer queens powdercoat the pieces and then carefully assemble. But who gives a crap about how purdee the springs are after bashing 'em on everything in actual use?

But the leaf pack does need to be lubed before assembly, makes an amazing difference in ride quality and noise due to "stiction" increasing with age/corrosion. The newer-tek poly or teflon leaf insulators simply don't last very long in my experience except on street rigs, but they are better than nothing going in. Once they disappear over time, then stiction/ride quality suffers.

One solution that has been used for many years is a fabric (sometimes leather) wrap for the spring pack which contained a liberal dose of old-fashioned grease of some sort. This overjacket was actually stitched together and would last until it rotted off after several years of use.

On my stuff, the spring pack gets lubed when assembled (if I'm doing it "correctly") with a decent film of hi-moly general purpose grease, then gets some cheepazz walleyworld rattlecan blowed on as needed to keep the rust covered!
 
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