My front axle has the 7 leaf spring set up.
The longest leaf on the bottom is bent about 2 inches off center away from the rest of them.
Can this one be heated up and bent back? Any safety issues? Pre mature tire wear? Car will go crooked down street? Can I replace just the bent 7th one?
I would hate to buy new leaf springs since I have them already.
not sure what your describing, but there used to be spring shops capable of rearcing leaves, and its possible that they could bend it back.
heating and bending it yourself would disturb the temper of the steel, resulting in a flat spring.
Take it apart and bend the leaf right yourself - cold in a large vice. Yes, you can do it if you use a large pipe like a piece of exhaust pipe from a modern car as an extension around the leaf when bending. Don't try to adjust it where the hole in the center is - it'll break & you'll have to search for another leaf.
It's possible that you have a leaf from a different spring. The earlier springs had more arch than the 26-27 springs. If you had replaced the long leaf with the earlier leaf and the other leafs from a later spring you would have that problem.
Norm
I established a new arch in my 1926 front spring without heat (Which is the best way) by taking it apart and placing each individual leaf on two blocks placed at each end of the leaf then I stepped on the center of the spring and gently applied pressure until it was bent to the arch I desired (I weigh 250 lbs.). You might also be able to move an off center arch to the center, by positioning the blocks. After all the leafs were done, I put it back together lubricating with slip paint and it has maintained the arch and provided good shock absorption since. Jim Patrick
PS. Prior to bending each leaf, I tightened a wood clamp at the center of each leaf over the hole, so the leaf would bend uniformly and not at the weak point to each side of the center hole. Jim Patrick