SPRING RESTORATIONThe following techniques were designed for the contours show car owner mostly, although a nice “Sunday Driver” could be a candidatealso. We will be cosmetically repairing springs and as you well know they flex. Therefore you have to be careful when using fillers on a partthat flexes. The materials we will be using will hold up to easy driving and show car use but if you are going to take hard jumps like SteveMcQueen did in the movie Bullet and the Dukes of Hazard, then you may have problems. Unfortunately their just isn’t a large supply ofperfect original leaf springs nor many without rust pits which have the original grooves and indented shapes built into them, so you willhave to restore them by using primers and fillers if you want them to look presentable to the eye.

1. HERE IS A TYPICAL SET OF MUSCLE CAR LEAF SPRINGS. RUSTED AND DIRTY AS THEY COME OFF THE CAR. (LEAF SPRINGS VARY IN

PHYSICAL SHAPES. SOME HAVE INDENTATIONS IN THEM AND OTHERS ARE FLAT, OBVIOUSLY FLAT LEAFS CAN BE REPRODUCED BUT

TO DATE INDENTED LEAFS ARE NOT. DO NOT USE LEAF SPRINGS FROM A CAR THAT SAGS OR SITS UNEVENLY.)

2. TAKE YOUR TORCH AND FAN THE OUTSIDE EYELETS, HOT ENOUGH TO BURN THE BUSHING RUBBER OUT. THE OLD STEEL BUSHING

WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE SO RUSTED, SO YOU CANNOT USE A PRESS TO GET IT OUT. (IF THE LEAFS ARE NOT VERY RUSTY YOUCAN TRY A PRESS).

3. THE RUBBER SHOULD BE SMOLDERING.(DO THIS AWAY FROM ANY CLEAN AREASTO AVOID CONTAMINATING ANYTHING WITH THE RUBBER). LET IT SITUNTIL THERE IS NO MORE SMOLDERING.

4. TAKE AN AIR HAMMER WITH A CHISEL

ATTACHMENT. CHISEL DOWN THE LENGTH

OF THE METAL BUSHINGS, SLICING

LENGTHWISE.

5. LOCATE THE CENTERING STUD IN THECENTER OF THE LEAF SPRING. TAKE ATORCH AND HEAT THE NUT UP WITHOUT

MELTING, THIS EXPANDS THE METAL WHICH

RELEASES RUST AND LOOSENS THE NUT.

8. MAKE SURE WHEN YOU BEND THE CLAMPWITH THE CHISEL YOU PRY THE CLAMP ONLY

UNTIL IT IS STRAIGHT UP ENOUGH TOREMOVE OTHER LEAFS.

6. WHILE IT IS STILL SOMEWHAT HOT,WITH A 1/2 INCH SOCKET - REMOVE THENUT.

7. TAKE A WIDE BLADE CHISEL TO REMOVE

THE LEAF CLAMP. HEAT THE LEAF CLAMP

ON THE EDGE WHERE THEY WRAP OVER

THE LEAF SPRINGS. PRY OUT EVENLY DO

NOT TWIST IT. NOTE: IF YOU CAN LOCATE

NEW CLAMPS, NOS, OR REPRO FINE, BUT

MANY CLAMPS ARE RIVETED ON FROM THE

FACTORY AND MUST BE USED TO BE

CORRECT.

9. DO THE SAME TO THE OTHER SIDE OFTHE CLAMP. PRY BOTH SIDES STRAIGHT UPENOUGH TO GET THE LEAFS APART.

10. NOW TAKE THE CHISEL AND STARTING

FROM THE BOTTOM LEAF (SMALLEST)

SPREAD THEM APART AT THE CENTER BOLT

POINT.

11. TAKE A MEASUREMENT FROM THE

CENTER POINT OUT TO FRONT EYELET OF

SPRING, FROM THE BACK OF CAR TO FRONT.MAKE A NOTE OF DIMENSION FOR CORRECTREASSEMBLY PROCEDURES.

12. THIS SHOWS WHAT IS LEFT OF A NYLONSQUEAK PAD. YOU WILL NEED TO HAVENEW ONES PURCHASED AND READY.CONTACT (SAN ANTONIO BRAKE 210-226-0254 ; ACE SPRING 210-2279124).

13. MEASURE THE LENGTH OF THE CLAMP

AFTER IT IS PRIED UP. JOT DOWN WHICH

END OF THE SPRING IT CORRELATES TO.

ONE SIDE WILL USUALLY CLAMP MORE OF

THE LEAF AND BE LONGER.

14.THIS IS THE LEAFS IN THE ORDEROF HOW THEY GO ON THE VEHICLE.

NOTE: YOUR SPRING CLAMPS ARE RIVETEDFROM THE FACTORY. IF THEY ARE IN GOODCONDITION THEY WILL BE SAFE ENOUGH TOBEND OUT AND BACK AFTER LEAF RESTORA-TION. IF YOU NEED NEW ONES RIVETED COR-RECTLY CONTACT NUMBERS LISTED ABOVE.

15. PUT THE SPRINGS INTO A PARTSCLEANER AND CLEAN ANY REMNANTS OFRUBBER AND OIL OFF. CLEAN WITH NAPTHASOLVENT CLEANER.

SAND BLAST THEM UNTIL THEY ARE WHITEMETAL CLEAN.

16. SUSPEND THE PARTS FROM WIRE OR 3/16 INCH ROD CUSTOM BENT HANGING RODS

IN THE CENTER BOLT HOLE AND FROM THE EYELET OF THE MAIN LEAF SO YOU CAN

PRIME THEM EASILY.

17. TAKE 3M TAPE AND TAPE OFF THECLAMPS. YOU DO NOT WANT ANY PRIMER

BUILD UP BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED TO RE-CLAMP THEM AND THIS WOULD TAKE THE

PRIMER BEYOND ITS’ FLEXIBILITY.

USE A GOOD SPRAY GUN SUCH AS A

GRAVITY FEED GUN WITH A 2.0 NOZZLE. WE

WILL USE IT TO SPRAY DUPONT EUROPRIME. BUT NEVER GO OVER 2 COATS FIRSTAPPLICATION AND 1 ON THE LAST STAGE

FOR A TOTAL OF 3 COATS. THIS WILLASSURE YOU OF THE FLEX CHARACTERIS-TICS YOU WILL NEED.

20. EXAMINE YOUR LEAFS FOR GASHES

THAT CAME FROM HARD OBJECTS STRIKINGTHE LEAF SPRING.

18. THIS SHOWS THE LEAF SPRINGS LAYINGOUT AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN PRIMED.YOU CAN NOW SEE THE IMPERFECTIONSLEFT FROM WEAR AND TEAR. THIS INSPEC-TION TIME IS IMPORTANT, YOU DO NOTNEED TO FILL IMPERFECTION ON THE FLATSURFACES WHERE THE OTHER LEAF WILL BECOVERING, JUST THE AREAS THAT SHOW -SUCH AS THE FLAT ENDS OF EACH SPRINGAND THE SIDES OF ALL. DETERMINEDURING THIS INSPECTION TIME WHATAREAS NEED TO BE DONE AND MARK THEMWITH TAPE BOUNDARIES.

19. POINTING TO PITS LEFT OF THE METAL

AFTER SAND BLASTING. THESE COULD BE

LOCATED ANYWHERE ON THE SPRING THAT

WAS SUBJECTED TO MOISTURE FOR LONG

PERIODS OF TIME.

21. USE THIS EVERCOAT SPREADABLEPOLYESTER FINISHING PUTTY FOR SMALLIMPERFECTIONS SUCH AS THOSE LISTED.PART #417. MIX CREAM HARDNER TO ALIGHT COLOR. EXPERIMENT WITH SMALLAMOUNTS OF HARDNER TO FIND THERIGHT WORKING TIME FOR YOU.

22. SPREAD THIN COATS OF EVERCOAT ON

RUST PITS AND GASHES WITH A PLASTIC

SPREADER. BE SURE AND SCUFF ANY

IMPERFECTIONS WITH A 120-180 GRIT

SAND PAPER TO ASSURE ADHESION OF THE

GLAZE PRODUCT.

23. USE YOUR FINGER TO FILL IN SMALLIMPERFECTIONS WITH EVERCOAT. LETCURE FOR 15 MINUTES. CLEAN FINGERS

WITH THINNER BEFORE IT SETS UP.

24. TAKE 150 OR 120 GRIT SAND PAPER ANDSAND DOWN THE EVERCOAT WITH A SOFTHAND PAD AND USE FINGERS IN SMALL AR-EAS..

25. AFTER YOU PRIME AGAIN, SAND THE

IMPERFECTIONS AGAIN. REPEAT THIS

PROCESS UNTIL YOU HAVE WORKED DOWN

TO 320 GRIT PAPER AND ALL IMPERFEC-

TIONS ARE SMOOTHED AWAY.

26. HANG THEM BACK UP. TAKE A DRILL

WITH A FLAPPER WHEEL THAT IS MADE FORCLEANING STEEL. YOU WANT TO HONE THE

INSIDE OF EACH EYELET SO THE BUSHINGWILL PRESS BACK IN EASILY. THIS WILL

ALSO REMOVE ANY PRIMER THAT ENTEREDTHE EYELETS.

26B. NOW TAKE PREKLEENO AND WIPEDOWN WITH CLEAN TOWELS ALL SPRINGSURFACES. SPRAY THEM WITH BARE STEELPAINT AVAILABLE FROM SEYMOUR PAINTS.CHECK YOUR NEAREST HARDWAREDISTRIBUTOR. ONLY SPRAY 2 LIGHT COATSOVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE.

27. WHILE THE SPRINGS ARE DRYING YOU

WANT TO TAKE A DIE SET AND RUN THE

THREADS IN THE STUDS THAT HOLD THE

SPRINGS TOGETHER.

28. MARK OFF ALL THE EDGES ON THE

SPRINGS WHERE SQUEAK PADS WILL GO.

29. THESE ARE THE NEW NYLON ANTISQUEAK INSERTS. THEY WILL NEED TO BECUT TO FIT.

30. TAKE A SQUEAK PAD AND HOLD IT

DOWN WHERE IT BELONGS ON THE SPRING.

31. USE AN EXACTO KNIFE AND SCRIBE THESQUEAK PAD WHERE IT OVERLAPS.

32. MARK THE LEAF SPRING AND PAD SOYOU WILL REMEMBER WHERE THE SQUEAKPAD BELONGS.

33. USING THE EXACTO KNIFE, TRIM THE

SQUEAK PAD WHERE YOU SCRIBED IT.

34. TAKE A PIECE OF 180-GRIT SAND PAPERAND SMOOTH THE EDGES WHERE YOU

TRIMMED.

35. ON A STAINLESS STEEL BUFFER, TAKETHE NYLON INSERT OVER THE BUFFERLIGHTLY TO SMOOTH THE EDGES SO THEYLOOK AS IF THEY WERE NEVER TRIMMED.(COMPOUND BY HAND IF YOU HAVE NOBUFFER.)

36. HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED

TO REASSEMBLE: 2 POUND HAMMER. TAPE,

STEEL PLATE, TWO BODY FILLER SPREADERS

COVERED IN TWO INCH TAPE, SQUEAK

PADS.

PUT YOUR INSERTS IN PLACE AND AS-

SEMBLE THE SPRINGS WITHOUT SCRATCH-

ING. USE THE DRAWINGS OF THE DIMEN-

SIONS YOU MADE OF THE PROPER ASSEM-

BLY.

37. TAKE YOUR PLASTIC SPREADERS ANDPLACE THEM ON THE TOP EYELET SPRING

AND BOTTOM SHORT SPRING. CLAMP THEMWITH A SET OF VICE GRIPS. RUN THE STUD

UP THROUGH AND PUT NEW STAINLESSNUTS ON THEM. UNCLAMP NOW AND

PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP.

38. REMOVE TAPE FROM THE SPRING CLAMPS.LAY A PLASTIC SPREADER DOWN AND LAY THEBOTTOM OF THE CLAMP DOWN ON TOP OF IT.THEN CAREFULLY TAP DOWN THE EDGES.

39. IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE PLACE-

MENT OF THE CLAMP TAPE OFF THE NYLON

INSERT, FOR TOUCH-UP WHERE THEY MEET

CLAMPS.

40. TOUCH UP THE CLAMP WITH THE BARE

STEEL SPRAY.

42. TAKE THESE URETHANE CLEAR

COMPONENTS AND MIX THEM 3 OUNCES OF

RV86 CLEAR, 1.5 OUNCES OF RV 87

CATALYST AND 1.5 OUNCES OF DX 885

FLATTENING AGENT.

41. THIS CENTER BOLT IS CORRECTWITH THE ORIGINAL INSIGNIA.

43. IF SPRAYED PROPERLY YOU WILL NEVERKNOW IT HAS BEEN APPLIED. MIST THESPRING WITH THIS. IT WILL PROTECT THE

SPRING AND IS FLEXIBLE. SPRAY IT WITH

TWO COATS WITH 15 MINUTES FLASHDRYING TIME. (BE CAREFUL NOT TO SPRAYTHE COATS ON TOO WET OR THE CLEAR

WILL NOT FLATTEN CORRECTLY).

44. COMPLETED SPRINGS WITH NEWBUSHINGS TAPPED IN LAYING ON ABLANKET TO KEEP FROM SCRATCHING. YOUCAN USE A LARGE SOCKET TO TAP THEM ORUSE A PRESS. THEY ARE NOW READY TOMOUNT TO YOUR FLAWLESSLY RESTOREDOR BAD WHAM DRIVER.

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