I am re-furbishing a set of front springs for my '26 coupe. On the top of each spring leaf is a deep indentation where the leaf above it has dug into the leaf below it. Do you think it would be a good idea to bevel the underside end of each leaf so that it will glide across the underlying leaf instead of digging into it whenever spring action occurs? Jim Patrick
I just smooth them out with a 10" disc sander. I don't remove everything. I just clean them up a bit, and then spray slip plate on them. I've done dozens of them, and they seem to work ok.
I bevel them and put a generous amount of lubricating anti-sieze between each leaf. It makes a big difference on the ride.
Jim,
I have done just what you suggest and beveled the underside of each spring leaf as well as smoothed out the deep indentations that were dug in, and the springs have been very smooth and, well, "springy."
I think you will like the results.
Joe
It's lack of lube that caused it in the first place. Follow what they guys say above. Just keep the sanding "light". Don't try to remove the ridges in the lower leaves. Smooth them a bit. Beveling the underside of the uppers + lube is what will stop the wearing.
I had a short incomplete late set of rear springs for a Speedster and did that also with my 12 inch disk sander but then I turned mine into a tapered and rounded off set to make them look early like a pre 16. I ground the curves with my disk grinder and then took them to the disk sander for roughing them out. Then I used a draw file to finish them. Now I have the start of another Speedster but am busy with the steam boat.
Yes it has seven leaves and no it is not a Torpedo spring but it looks like one. It is a 1920 something modified to look older. You can see a slight indentation in the second to the top spring where I didn't get the groove out, but you don't see that one anyway when it is mounted on the axle and installed on the car. It will be at the Long Beach Model T Club Swap Meet July 20 and 21 with a lot of other go fast parts and a few stock items at Humble Howard's and Fast Frank's Traveling Emporium. .