Rear springs

[garyp]

Last thing to come off on my 39 dodge frame off is the rear leaf springs and one spring has a metal cover on it and the other does not the cover is in bad shape so I took the cover off and the spring looks great but does not have the small brackets that stop the spring from shifting side to side like the other spring has. My question is what are they called and are they available?  Thanks

[Plymouthy Adams]

leaf spring clamp     or     leaf spring alignment clip    

finding them the very same style as original is probably a bit difficult but they are available for dressing your springs.  making them is not a hard job to do....easily measured, cut drilled and bent then attached.  You should use a channel rubber if possible, this stuff was stocked by the rolls in various widths in the electrical hanger shop look for leaf spring clamp rubber liner set...

e-bay has both..Simon says...Go Fish

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by Plymouthy Adams

[desoto1939]

Could also find a spring company that does springs for cars and see if they might have some of these clamps in stock or even a newer pair and replace on all of the leaf springs. If you have them both down then make them all the same and no one will know the difference.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[dale]

Might want to use neversieze in between the leafs while you have them apart.

[garyp]

Thanks guys they are called spring clips and I got them from a spring company for 1.99 each and good tip about the never seize between the leaf springs.

[DrDoctor]

Plymouthy,

   You’ve always got good info, so, related to this – our ’46 Plymouth has those metal covers on both rear springs. Questions: 1) why are they there; 2) don’t they hold in dirt/rain/mud/crud/etc; and 3) is it better to just remove them, and leave them off?  Thx.

[Plymouthy Adams]

that call to remove is all your own....have never seen a bad set of wrapped springs when removing the protective cover...there is a lot more to this than just a steel jacket....if you unwrap them you will quickly see.....removal and installation of these covers is outlined in the repair manual.  If you think it is a quick and easy process...think again...if not removed properly is going to be destruct method for certain...I am not sure if you have the book but if you plan to work on your car...you will need to purchase one...protects you and your car/components.  

[DrDoctor]

Plymouthy,

   Yes, I agree with you about having a repair manual. I purchased one right after another fellow I know near by had such a bad time with his brakes that he finally just sold the car to get rid of the problem (which I mentioned in the string about the brake tool . . .). I’veave read the entire book, and I review pertinent sections as I work on various areas of the car. The part concerning the rear springs left me somewhat cold, and I was going to just move on, citing the oft-cited rationale: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. And, after reading your comments, I think that old sage is still sound in this case.

   Thx.

[rb1949]

My '49 springs looks like they are wrapped in some kind of rubber(?) Never checked close.

[DJ194950]

In my 1946-52 Plymouth repair manual in the lubrication section it covers lubing the rear springs with metal covers and how to with a tool #c-408 Mopar tool through a hole the tool punches through the metal and a canvas cover that is under the metal. Also talks about ways to drill a hole in the cover and canvas and again with the tool lube and then put a plug in the hole.

Maybe someone on this forum? has one you could use if you might want to?

In the suspension section of the book  under springs it also tells how to remove the metal covers if damaged and replace.

The metal leaf spring covers were at least used back to '36 models and probably further back. Early models had leaf springs on front also. My old 37 Ply. bus. cpe had leaf springs front and rear, really drove great and smooth on all roads even freeways. I did not have bias ply tires though.

Most likely this info is in your repair manual also.

DJ

[meadowbrook]

My dad has a Jaguar with leather covers on the springs.