How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

With front spring shackles out of production and don't know when/if they will be available again, I suppose it is time to figure out how to effectively restore original ones. I'm trying to decide if I want to fixture them in a four-jaw chuck in the lathe and use a boring bar, --or whether to clamp them in the vise on the Bridgeport and use a boring head to machine the shank.

The next thought to ponder is do I want to weld up the worn areas and machine that down, -or fabricate an Oilite bushing and machine the shank down to accept the bushing??

Thoughts anyone??

.

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

I would vote welding the worn areas and machining that back to the standard size. I would be interested to hear once you figure out the way you want to do it, what you might charge to repair ones sent in? (provided you find the time available and the cost effectiveness to do this outside of your whole restorations).

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

Brent
A buddy of mine made an internal fly cutter and mounts them upright in a mill.
The internal fly cutter then goes down over them, machining in a circle
I ain't that good

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

If this becomes feasable enough to offer this as a service to others put me on the list for 2 sets of fronts and 2 sets of rears. Rod

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

I thought about this some.

I am not any guru on it, but I am thinking the chamfer at the base would be needed to prevent breaking. What would heat do to the metal? Does it even cut with normal tooling? How hard is it?

Way above my head. I know enough to know it is not trivial, but beyond that. Let us know what you figure out.

I spent the $$$ for NOS front and rear shackles just to be safe.

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

One more...
I would be concerned with matching them down to less than standard
Integrity if the standard and possible breakage?
I would weld up and turn down

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

Kevin/Bill, according to my prints of the Spring Hanger, it was actually started as a L.C. cold-rolled wire (0.565" diameter) and received a cyanide quench when it was finish machined, but I doubt the heat treating did anything for the overall strength, -but more for the wear surfaces. If I was concerned, I could do a quick Kansenit at the end.

Bill, I have a Bridgeport #2 boring head for my mill (which is what I think you are calling a flycutter), but the issue for me is trying to figure out how to fixture it rigidly. If someone has some ideas, I sure would like to listen! If I can get past that part, I think I can use a coaxial indicator to sweep it in but again, just not sure I can clamp it solidly enough. Ironically I have been playing with a shackle for the last hour or so, and I have kinda gravitated towards using the lathe and spin it between centers using the grease fitting hole and the pilot hole near the threaded end. My obstacle right now is I do not have a #3 MT dead center, and my live centers are all too big in diameter to get a cutter bar in there. I would like to find a dead center that was an extended length that could be ground down on the end to gain clearance. Then what I am thinking about is trying to make a 'L' shaped tool with a small insert that I can go in on the right side by the tail stock and miss the other side of the shackle as it spins. The finished distance between the two shafts is only .9375" (15/16), and so to have any rigidity, I probably need to make a .750" (3/4) tool bar, ...which ain't much room for error or weld! :D

Rod/Aaron, I'm sure you can already see how this likely won't be practical for the average hobbyist to afford. I suspect what you will see is the modern-style aftermarket type shackle (which is still available) being sold/used on most future restorations unless the original looking ones come back into production.

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

I'll check what he does and how he locks it in place.
I can visualize a jig that would lock down one side at a time while machining the other.
Plus something to hold the middle rigidly.

Re: How to restore Front Spring Hangers (Shackles)??
 

Brent, I thought I recalled this discussion and seeing someone doing this in the past. Maybe you recall Craig Lewis's post regarding restoring spring shackles? Anyway I found the links.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...331#post357331

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61087

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...027#post355027