Hi Tony,
In my experience restoring MK IV and 1500 springs, this is what if find:
> The rear upright is bolted using a sleeved rubber bush to the lower leaf of
> the spring pack, and the bush seems quite secure:
That is good.
> The next leaf (going up
> the pack) curls round the bush with so much daylight showing that I am
> sure this is wrong
That daylight is correct.. That "curled around part" is the safety leaf. If
the main leaf, the one with the bushes in it breaks, the safety leaf keeps the
wheel virtually upright, at least fastened to the car. Don't pack it with
anything
> car on jacks I can lift the second spring up and down quite easily.
If you mean moving the whole spring unit, That is right too. That is the "swing
spring effect". If you mean moving the second leaf in relation to the main leaf
- that is possible too.
> third and fourth leaves are at least in contact with the 2nd leaf, but I
> cannot see anything separating the leaves (as mentioned on the archives on
> this thread). Nor can I see any plastic "buttons" in the dimpled spots on
> the leaves I can see.
As mentioned elsewhere, they are a rubbery material that gets squashed to hell.
Then the steel leaves rub together. Not good. I make nylon buttons on a lathe
and slip them into the dimples in place of the old rubber ones.
> Finally, the shackles rivetted to the 2nd and 3rd leaves have tons of
> daylight beneath them: should that gap be filled with some form of packing?
Again the gaps are correct. The leaves touch at the tips, on those rubber/nylon
buttons. No packing.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Fred
--
Fred & Wendy Griffiths,
Calgary, Canada
http://www.cadvision.com/griffco/index.htm
mailto: griffco@cadvision.com
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