I'll add my 2 pence to the recent thread on lubrication of leaf springs:
On proper cars, like my TA, there are leaf springs at all four corners. In
the thirties, it was recommended that the leaves be pried apart and
lubricated periodically or that the springs be disassembled and cleaned and
lubed. Our fellow SOL'er Chip Old recommended this in his classic tome "The
T Series Handbook". Chip also made the point that on American cars, and this
would apply to larger LBC's, that it made little difference because the
springs were so long and well arched that the forces will overcome any rust
present. Not so with real LBC's!
The original way to keep the springs well oiled was to fit a leather gaiter
which incorporated an "oiling" fitting. You will see many pre-war Rolls and
Bentleys so equiped. These gaiters can be had in this country, custom made,
by the Imcado manuf. co. Umatilla, Fla. 904-669-3308. There is also a
company in the mother country, Wilcot, that also makes gaiters.
If you are replacing your springs, I highly recommend that before fitting,
you disassemble,then grind and smooth the ends of each leaf so that it
doesn't dig into its adjacent leaf. Springs these days seem to be lopped off
by a giant blanking tool which leaves a very sharp edge on their ends, they
are also not square. Eliminating the sharp edge is more important than
lubeing to spring life. Before reassembling the springs coat the leaves with
something like lubriplate. The ride quality improvement of these actions is
very noticeable especially on my little short stiff springs. We need all the
help we can get!!
SOP in the U.K. these days, instead of fitting leather gaithers, is to wrap
the freshly lubed springs with "Denso" tape. This is a tape available in
plumbing factors and is the stickest, gooiest stuff imaginable. They use it
for fixing rain gutters. I found it in a hardware store in downtown London.
It will waterproof your springs, hold the lube inside and still remain
flexible. The Brits allow it to acquire a nice patina as it picks up dirt
and gunk from the other leaks on the car. I wrapped mine with black frabric
tape to make them look a little better. I havent found any American
equivalent to "Denso" tape. If some knows of a domestic source, I'd like to
know it.
Another side of this story is that if your shockers arn't in very good shape,
some friction in the springs will compensate.....pay your money, take your
choice. I'm a Lube man..........
Cheers
TATerry
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