MTFCA Forum

There is an article in MTFCI's Technical Information section regarding lubricating springs. I will repeat some of it.

"Experience over many years of searching for a good method of lubricating the springs produced one that is very good and easy to apply. Use a can of 3-in-one oil. Start as close as possible to the cross members, squirt the oil on the sides of the spring. Be generous with the oil. Then work toward the end of the spring. The same application should be made to both the front and back of each spring. Drive one to three miles and apply the oil again. Repeat several times until the springs are flexible."

What do you think of this method?

Perhaps for springs on the car, but not the method for springs that are off the car and taken apart. Best lube during restoration is to coat with slip plate available from farm stores to the wear surfaces of the spring leafs, let dry, assemble the springs, then paint with black. Lasts for years. A bit too much lubrication for the first couple hours driving and rides like a bucking bronco at first, but settles down nice and smooth, and stays that way. Oil or grease however, stops working rather soon, then starts rusting and squeeking.

GOOGLE lubricating springs MTFCA
How to apply slip paint Nov 10, 2009 · http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/113943.html
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Lube & Paint March 03, 2018 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1520126052
Best Method ? April 01, 2017 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1491098908
After blasting December 28, 2008 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1230514391
Lube Routine November 16, 2014 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1416185748
Restoring Springs December 21, 2002http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/6/1156.html?1076039257
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Light oil is good for dry springs on the car. It wil not last long, espcially under wet or dusty conditions. It will tend to attract and hold dirt. I get good, but temporary, results with light lubricating oil or used crankcase oil. Using oil on springs will collect road dust and require that the springs be cleaned periodically with a pressure washer or strong stream of water. The graphite paint type lubricant is probably best. Some interleaf friction can improve the ride of a car with no shocks, but the springs need to flex. Oiling the springs will almost eliminate interleaf friction for a hundred miles or so, and more on pavement. The best solution is quality spring gaiters, a graphite or moly oil or grease, and some type of double-acting damper/shock absorber at each wheel. The worst thing is dry, rusty springs. Dry springs will ride hard, may be noisy, will wear rapidly, and look as bad or worse than a greasy spring. I have an old Dodge 4X4 with leaf springs all around. It has good HD shocks all around. It's used daily on dirt roads. After a week or so, it will begin to ride roughe on bad roads, with a pogo effect. Spraying the springs with Micromist makes an immediate and dramatic improvement in ride quality. A hard ride is hard on the car. Flexible springs spare the chassis and body of a portion of road shock and torsional wracking. I believe that dry, rusty, gritty leaf springs tend to have more stiffness due to the leaves being forced together when a wheel has to run up and over a bump, and when the wheel passes the bump, the spring leaves are not forced together and the spring rebounds with an extra kick. This makes for an unpleasant ride and stresses the car. Flexible springs are good. Flexible springs with double-acting dampers are very good.

Reading on the forum about UHMW tape I thought it sounded wonderful, and used it.

This was the disappointing result.


For the next spring I assembled I used Slip Plate graphite. No problems so far.

I've tried putting leather between the outer ends of spring leaves. I've never been able to get it to stay put.

I picked up an unusual tool at an estate sale 10 years ago. It's a small C-clamp with wedges attached. Turns out to be a leaf-spring spreader. What a great little tool it is! On a yearly basis, I put it to use on all 7 of my cars, and using bar-oil in a squirt can, lay a bead between the leaves. Oil pads lay on the axle for a week after to catch the drips. Smooth as can be. Messy... and I don't care.

Spring gaitors is the ultimate solution. Probably run about $400.00

I mixed graphite flakes and brush on primer 50/50 by volume and painted the contacting surfaces of each spring leaf with it. I know that will be temporary, but so is everything else in this world. jb

I have been using Mckay spray graphite on leaf undersides. It goes on like a flat spray paint. Its very dark grey to black. Build up several coats.
When spring is reassembled, a quick coat of semi gloss black finishes the job.

As to the original posting, 3-in-1 oil is garbage. I wouldn't use it for anything. Do a little test with it. Put a drop of it on a piece of glass, (or anything not pourous), and let it sit. After a while, it will be gone, leaving behind a waxy film. Evaporated.

I think 3in1 is like many light, penetrating lubricating oils. It's a base oil with a low volatility carrier-penetrant. It's good for lots of household and shop uses. It has penetrating, de-gumming, and lubricating qualities. 3in1, Oster oil, various gun oils, and others have their uses.

When oiling the suspension and steering points i just squirt some oil on the top side of the springs, it'll get where it has to go. Ever try to keep oil out of something? I generally oil everything about every three drives. Rebushing the front axle wasn't much fun. Trying to make it last.

If for any reason you grind or file on a spring leaf, it's a good idea to make sure that file marks or grinding marks run lengthwise on the spring leaf, not across it. Scratches or file marks running across a leaf may lead to breakage.

While there is some consensus on using a graphite paint by some, oiling has presented some issues. "Oil" has a tendency to wash away when exposed to water. I checked the 3 in 1 site and they have some interesting options to regular 3in1. https://3inone.com/product/

Right or wrong, I use Krown (the Canadian Rust-proofing company) Rust Protection and Lubricant Spray. I spray it on the the sides of the springs. It penetrates and stays liquid providing ongoing lubrication. Using it I don't see the rust stains on the top of the springs from them moving back and forth.

Not to change the subject but I've had my Jeep Renegade treated annually with Krown the last six years. I defy you to find any rust on or under it... that's saying a lot for any car driven in Michigan's winters.

One thing which will help is to grind a little off the bottom end of each leaf where it rests on the leaf below. Just a little bevel so that the end does not dig into the other leaf. Then lubricate as posted above before bolting the spring together.
Norm

When beveling the bottom ends of each leaf as Norman suggested, be sure to sand as smooth as possible, any file or rough grinding marks, as the file or grinder marks are sharp and can saw into the lower leafs as the spring flexes, just like the teeth of a saw. Jim Patrick