[Kraton]

Hi guys,

It is 5 years later already I noticed. Time flies. I only recently got to dismantling my front spring and I would like to keep you informed.
I have done some measurements. All the measurements of the individual leaves were done with the spring disassembled on the bench. The measurements of the free height and the distance between the center of the eyes were done with the spring clamped tight in the vice at the place of the top bolt to simulate an assembled spring.
The thicknesses of the leafs are a bit odd. The leaves 1-4 that should be gauge 5 are 0.25 ; 0.21 ; 0.23 and 0.23 from 1-4. They should be all the same. Someone sometime ago probably used what he had at hand.
David mentioned the thickness of the first leave as 9/32 (0.28 inches). My measured thickness of 0.25 means the first leaf is thinner and the other leaves even thinner.
The leaves 5-12 are 0.22; 0.23; 0.23 ; 0.23; 0.17; 0.17; 0.17; 0.17 but they should all be 7 gauge.
The free height is 7 inches to the top of the spring and that is more than the book of David mentions so the mix of thinner and thicker leaves seems to cancel one another out.
The distance between the eyes is 30,75 inches.
As long as the free height and the distance between the eyes is correct I am planning to use the current mishmash of leaves. I have already cleaned off the rust of them. Most leaves have a little pitting but when I get to grinding the wear grooves out of them the pitting should be gone too.

I think I need to correct two faults in the pack.
Leave 4 is touching leave 3 only in the center when laying on the bench. Other leaves touch the lower leaf at the ends (see picture). I think I should give leave 4 a bit more curvature.
The top leaf is as wide as the other leaves and it should be narrower. I will grind it down a bit and give it a chamfer.
I have new shackles and new U bolts so I think I am going the right way.
What do you guys think of this approach?
Bottom line: my spring is certainly not perfect and I am only considering the minimally necessary steps because sourcing a better spring or a new spring within Europe is next to impossible and shipping one from the USA is going to cost me. I have thought about getting a new spring made at a local company but to do that the company needs the engineering drawings and I don’t have those.