On Fri, 14 Oct 1994, Dirk de Boer wrote:
> I did this on my MGB, and it made a world of difference. When I bought it in
> May 94 it had been standing for 7 or 8 years during which the leafs could
> nicely bond together. The car felt pretty harsh in the back at first. After
> applying some 10W30 oil with a paint brush it now feels great. I just
> brushed the oil onto the outside of the springs. Enough will seep in to
> lubricate the inside.
An even better method is to use a spray can of motorcycle chain
lubricant. This stuff typically has very low viscosity out of the can,
so it creeps between the spring leaves very easily. When the solvent
evaporates off, it leaves a fairly thick, sticky grease that stays put a
lot longer than motor oil.
No matter what kind of lubrican you use, for best results you should jack
the car up under the chassis to take the weight off the springs. This
allows the leaves to spread slightly, making it easier to get the
lubricant in between them where it is needed.
Some leaf springs have rubber inserts between the leaves. Depending on
what type of rubber is used, lubrication may cause the rubber to
deteriorate. If you have rubber inserts, check the owner's manual or
workshop manual to find out if lubrication is recommended, and if so,
what kind of lubricant.
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Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily transportation)
feold@umd5.umd.edu
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