View Single Post
Old 11-24-2013, 12:59 PM   #19
Lopez Mike
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Lopez Island, WA
Posts: 17
Default Re: Weird front spring

Thanks for all the notions and ideas. My current plans (highly mutable!) are to make a drawing, including tracings of the spring as it is and of each leaf after disassembly. Then electrolytically strip, smooth up, lube and reassemble.

Then swap out with the collapsed one see how the car sets for height.

If all is well, I can use my drawings and measurements to re arch the old one.

I've never seen one as collapsed as this old one on the car. The eyes are resting on the axle. Part of this is due to the worst shackles I've seen that haven't actually fallen off. The frame is resting on the spring out near the ends of the spring. You would have to drive it to truly appreciate how rough it can be.

The effects of this on the steering and handling are startling. I had to drive it home from the ferry landing ten miles in the dark. I once raced a 180 m.p.h. motorcycle at the Isle of Man in light rain and this was more frightening. Evil!

As a friend of mine once said just before the start of a race where he had to win, "Wish me luck! I love Gardenias!".
Lopez Mike is offline   Reply With Quote