Spring shackle welding & rebuilding photos #1

[Craig Lewis]

A few days ago there was some talk on Fordbarn about rebuilding original shackles.
I found these 35mm pix showing one way to possibly breath new life into worn original parts which are approaching extinction.

The site won't allow all the pics at once...so I'll use two consecutive posts.

The heavy support bar is a section of F150 axle. Go BIG here...you'll need it.
An end bar & nuts must be tightened onto the shackle before welding to maintain the shape against warpage.
The shackles shown were preheated before starting to mig weld, so as to get maximum penetration from the get-go.
Also...the welded shackle you see is just an example (rather poor) and I found the weld must completely encircle the journal to eliminate chatter on the final & most important cut.
To start, the piece of axle should be 10"-12" long & there's a fine cut taken off between centres to assure the shaft is straight, it's then chucked & dialed in, centre drilled & threaded in the lathe using a tailchuck to maintain a perfectly aligned thread.
The welded shackle is screwed into place on the bar.
(It helps to use a file or grinder & get the welds into a closer semblence of round before chucking things up).
The nipple hole is your live tail centre.

Everybody familiar with lathes can imagine the chatter which can occur with such long reaches, and it's important that all fasteners are singing tight!

Once the lugs are machined to size, redrill the grease passages, cut the grease groves with a mini Dremel disc & harden the shackles completely with Kasenit powder. After quenching, they're beadblasted and final polished in a bench vice with emery strips & then painted.
All 4 units in these pictures, are installed on a chassis.
It hasn't been driven or tested.
Would I worry about the strength of these refurbished shackles?...well yes, somewhat.
Do I worry about the strength & integrity of new offshore parts?..yes again.
Would I worry about safety with the rebuilt units? I'm going with NO.
I figure the end bar keeps the shackle extremely rigid and ads a degree of safety in keeping everything together in the event something cracks.
Also, while driving, it's unlikely that both sides would break at once on a single spring.

***Please understand I accept no responsibility whatsoever as to what any individual does with their Model A. Just the same as I'm not responsible for bucketfulls of unsafe modifications I see at show & shines across the nation each year.
Please use due diligence and be aware that rash behaviour may lead to a fuller but shorter life.

[Craig Lewis]

Unfortunately I had to make 2 posts for all these pics, so you have to hunt for:
Spring shackle welding & rebuilding photos #2

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Craig Lewis

Unfortunately I had to make 2 posts for all these pics, so you have to hunt for:
Spring shackle welding & rebuilding photos #2

Well then, lets just move the pics from POST #2 onto this one...

[1931 flamingo]

NICE!!
Paul in CT

[zzlegend]

I see 5 red x's

[Mike V. Florida]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by zzlegend

I see 5 red x's

Me too. Did this work?

[zzlegend]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Me too. Did this work?

YEP, Thanks Mike.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Nice work.
I think Craig could have a full time job restoring shackles.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Nice work.
I think Craig could have a full time job restoring shackles.

While this post is over 4 years old, I can tell you based on my experience restoring shackles that is would be a money losing proposition. Too much time involved.

[Terry, NJ]

Very Nice! I was wondering about the time too. And what about the Kasenite? This could eat a lot of time.
Terry

[Terry, NJ]

Craig, Nice Job! The original shackle was formed from a lump of steel and I believe it will retain it's strength no matter what is done to it. Shackles are pretty strong, I've never seen a broken one.
Terry

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

Craig, Nice Job! The original shackle was formed from a lump of steel and I believe it will retain it's strength no matter what is done to it. Shackles are pretty strong, I've never seen a broken one.
Terry

I have. One on the back of my Phaeton broke at the solid end, It was only the plate and nut that held it together.

[wrndln]

Synchro909,
Was the shackle that broke an original or repro. Original shackles are tough. I think breaking one would be hard to do, as I have never seen a broken original and I have seen some with significant wear, but still together.
Rusty Nelson

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Original Spring Hangers (Shackles) started out as a steel rod that is bent into a 'U' shape. This is all shown on the original ring. If you find one that has broken, it definitely is not an original one.

[Terry, NJ]

There's always a flawed one out there someplace! I can't say what Henry's guys put into those presses. When I was a young apprentice machinist, I worked for a company in Denville, NJ, (Components Inc.)where one of our jobs was to stamp small parts for NASA (Yes, That NASA) and they worked with a ratio of 50,000 to one. In other words, if they wanted one part, they made and tested 50,000 and with no failures, it was deemed OK. Kinda expensive I thought, but what the hell, it's only money! Just think, If Henry had worked to that level of precision and endurance he might have made 49,999 and then he came to your's , And... and.... He would had to shut the line down, stop production and go back over the last 49,999 looking for flaws. I am joking of course.But now and then, something get's through!
Terry

Originally Posted by Synchro909

I have. One on the back of my Phaeton broke at the solid end, It was only the plate and nut that held it together.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

While this post is over 4 years old, I can tell you based on my experience restoring shackles that is would be a money losing proposition. Too much time involved.

Brent, you are thinking like a businessman. A retired guy with nothing but time on his hands might find it rewarding to do the work for the sake of the challenge with any monies made to just go to supplies.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Brent, you are thinking like a businessman. A retired guy with nothing but time on his hands might find it rewarding to do the work for the sake of the challenge with any monies made to just go to supplies.

Point taken, ...and to counter your thought, most retired people have less free time now than when they were working full-time.

[wrndln]

Brent,
I think the reason retired people have less free time now than when they were working full-time, is they take two or three times longer to do everything!
Rusty Nelson

[old31]

That's funny.

My wife and I were talking about that just yesterday. We were saying how did we get those things done before both working 10 hours a day, 2 young kids, a new house, etc.

Now we are both retired, don't seem to have the hours in a day to do things. I guessed it to be that we are not as efficient as we use to be, nor do we have to be.

Not sure, but I would not want to go back and repeat the process.