Spring Safety

[Stretch Cab]

I need to restore a set of springs (non-Ford) on the front of a car I am finishing. I think they are mid teens Chevy. I think they are held together by a bolt through the stack of springs. There are a couple of smaller brackets that go around the springs too. You know my question, are the springs under pressure and will they come apart and do me great bodily harm when I loosen the bolts?

Is it better to paint the springs apart or as a unit?

Also, I have read some of teflon spring liners. Are these worthwhile and where would I get them? Thanks..........................

[Ol' Ron]

Put the spring in a big vice, verticaly with the bolt in ront of you begin to loosen it after it open a quater inch releas vice. Keep dping this untill all the pressure is released

[Flop]

a few large c clamp and the spring wrapped in a length of chain and bolted together will also do the trick .

[Stretch Cab]

Ok great advice. What about using liners between the leaf's and painting individual springs or as a unit?

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Stretch Cab

Ok great advice. What about using liners between the leaf's and painting individual springs or as a unit?

We have been using UHMW or Teflon spring liners for many years on race car springs. UHMW is quite a bit cheaper than Teflon and works as good.
Get it at any industrial plastic supply. Comes in rolls. We use 1/16 x 2.
Paint is NOT a good option for a bearing surface. You want things slippery. We glass bead the leaves and then Parkerize them. Most plating companies can do this.
Oil lightly on assembly.

[columbiA]

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The 490 Chev used 1/4 elliptic springs,so it should be OK to use a C-clamp when you take them apart.