31 rear spring free length measurement for a roadster

[CWPASADENA]

Brent,

I am having a bit of a problem following your logic. You say there are inaccuracies in the Judging standards which I agree there are but their discussion of the Roadster Rear spring is correct. It follows exactly what Ford has published in three different places that I can find in the original Ford material I have. I am sure Ford also used the same reference to the Roadster Rear Spring in other publications and may be even production drawings.

In the July-Aug (1931) Service Bulletin, page 580, they show a drawing of a rear spring that is labeled "A-5560-C REAR SPRING ASS'Y (7 LEAVES)"

In the January (1931) Service Bulletin, page 533, there is a chart with the title "Springs Used Under Model A Cars and Trucks". Under the heading "MODEL "A" REAR SPRING" are 4 columns labeled "Sym. No. of Spring", "No. of Leaves", "Model No." and "Used under following Bodies". The third entry is " A-5560-C 7 40-A&B Roadster".
The "7" relates to the "No. of Leaves". It appears to me that this same exact chart was used in the Judging Standards.

This same Service Bulletin also shows an illustration of 3 rear springs. The first has below it the following caption "A-5560-D 10 LEAF REAR SPRING", The second illustration caption "A-5560-D 10 LEAF REAR SPRING" and the third illustration caption "AA-5560-D 13 LEAF REAR SPRING".

One can clearly see where Ford not only identified their different rear springs by part number with a notation of the number of leaves and also identified their rear springs using the part number and the number of leaves in combination.

In the 1928 -1948 Parts Book published by Ford, the P/N A-5560-C Rear Spring is referred to as having 7 leaves.

After reviewing the Ford published information I have referred to, it would would be very difficult to conclude that one would be correct to refer to a Model A Roadster rear spring as having 8 leaves.

Now, in conclusion, you can refer to the Model A rear spring for a Roadster in any manner you wish to but I will refer to it as Ford did, as having 7 leaves.

Chris W.

[alexiskai]

I feel like we're edging into angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin territory. If Ford did describe the roadster rear spring assembly as 7-leaf, despite it having 8 pieces, my guess is they did so because the number of leaves in a spring is a common proxy for its load-bearing capacity. The 8-leaf coupe spring and the "7-leaf" roadster spring are different designs, and you wouldn't want an employee to mix them up due to similar nomenclature. People still refer to half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks despite that naming scheme no longer corresponding to actual cargo capacity. It's just a useful way to distinguish two similar designs.

I would probably say there were 7 "load-bearing" rather than "active" leaves.

[CWPASADENA]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

I feel like we're edging into angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin territory. If Ford did describe the roadster rear spring assembly as 7-leaf, despite it having 8 pieces, my guess is they did so because the number of leaves in a spring is a common proxy for its load-bearing capacity. The 8-leaf coupe spring and the "7-leaf" roadster spring are different designs, and you wouldn't want an employee to mix them up due to similar nomenclature. People still refer to half-ton and 3/4-ton trucks despite that naming scheme no longer corresponding to actual cargo capacity. It's just a useful way to distinguish two similar designs.

I would probably say there were 7 "load-bearing" rather than "active" leaves.

I agree, "Load bearing" is probably a better term.

Chris W.