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Leaf Springs care off.


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Hi All,

 

My 3a mini restoration is going well, front suspension all sorted, engine bay repainted, loom going back in. :rolleyes:

 

Awaiting a Marx oil seal from TRF.

 

So i have switched my attention to the rear of the car, namely the axle. Its off the car being cleaned up and repainted.

The shafts are out, and i have retained the shims for each side safely.

 

I have removed the leaf springs, fortunately for me the front eye bolt came out with ease. :rolleyes:

 

So i have the springs out, they seem in good condition with only surface rust, comes off with a wire brush.

 

My query is, as they are off the car is there anything that i should or should not do with them with regard to

maintenaance.?

 

I was just going to give them a wire brush, and a coat of paint.

 

I think i read somewhere that you should take them apart and apply graphite liquid or gease? that sounds a lot of work.

 

 

Your advise appreciated

 

Cheers

Guy

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Guy,

 

Can't recall if you have driven your 3A yet, but nevertheless I would replace the leaf springs as a matter of course as you don't want to phaff around with them again if they're not right.

 

I fitted Revington leafs springs on TuRK with poly bushes and their rear spring locating kit.

 

Cheers

Andrew

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Guy,

 

Can't recall if you have driven your 3A yet, but nevertheless I would replace the leaf springs as a matter of course as you don't want to phaff around with them again if they're not right.

 

I fitted Revington leafs springs on TuRK with poly bushes and their rear spring locating kit.

 

Cheers

Andrew

 

Hi Andrew,

 

I believe these springs were new in 1991, car has covered 10k mile since,

i dont feel they need replacement, but i will post a picture tomorrow, for confirmation to be sure.

 

I am fitting superpro to the rear, together with stainless steel pin, and the Revington washer mod.

 

No i havent driven it as yet, :angry: so have now idea how she will be, which springs did you go for, and did you find

the Revington Pin Kit made a difference

 

Cheers

Guy

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As per manual:

2. MAINTENANCE.

The only lubrication required is that for the leaf springs, on no account must the rubber or silentbloc bushes be lubricated. Over lubrication of the leaf springs should be avoided. After the springs have been cleaned, brush the blades at their edges with engine oil, this will allow sufficient oil to penetrate between the leaves and provide inter-leaf lubrication.

Lubrication of the spring blades is chiefly required at the end of the leaves where one presses on the next and where the maximum relative motion occurs.

The clips should be inspected and any looseness corrected by pinching the "ears" closer to the spring. Failure to keep these clips tight often causes "knocks" at the rear of the car.

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As per manual:

2. MAINTENANCE.

The only lubrication required is that for the leaf springs, on no account must the rubber or silentbloc bushes be lubricated. Over lubrication of the leaf springs should be avoided. After the springs have been cleaned, brush the blades at their edges with engine oil, this will allow sufficient oil to penetrate between the leaves and provide inter-leaf lubrication.

Lubrication of the spring blades is chiefly required at the end of the leaves where one presses on the next and where the maximum relative motion occurs.

The clips should be inspected and any looseness corrected by pinching the "ears" closer to the spring. Failure to keep these clips tight often causes "knocks" at the rear of the car.

 

 

Excellent Roy,

 

I totaly missed that info.

Thanks very Much

 

Cheers

GUY

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Guy your springs should be OK as they were purchased before the spate of **** ones around about five years ago that went soft if you just looked at them. Poly bushes and the locating kit should be just fine. The locating kit stops the front of the springs squirming around., read the fitting instructions carefully. ;)

Stuart.

Edited by stuart
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Make your mind up time Guy left or right hand drive? <_<

 

Neil,

Going to see how i get on as LHD, good for me for trips to Frogland, being so close.

First trip planned will be Classic Le Mans.

 

If i dont get on with it being a left hooker, will convert to RHD, which will me swapping the springs over etc.

 

Cheers

Guy

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Neil,

Going to see how i get on as LHD, good for me for trips to Frogland, being so close.

First trip planned will be Classic Le Mans.

 

If i dont get on with it being a left hooker, will convert to RHD, which will me swapping the springs over etc.

 

Cheers

Guy

 

 

The rear springs are handed ?.

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Neil,

Going to see how i get on as LHD, good for me for trips to Frogland, being so close.

First trip planned will be Classic Le Mans.

 

If i dont get on with it being a left hooker, will convert to RHD, which will me swapping the springs over etc.

 

Cheers

Guy

 

 

Good call imho

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The rear springs are handed ?.

 

Hi Stan,

 

Indeed they are, with reference to the photos of my leaf springs above, the top photo shows the spring with an additional two pieces on the top.

This spring on my car (being Lhd) goes on the right, and the other spring which is without goes on the drivers side (Lhd).

 

The extra springs are always on the opposite side to the driver.

So the axle sits ontop of the springs, the side with the extra ones is therefore lower, so when the driver sits in the car is levelled out.

 

Possibly done for the American market.

 

Am sure some one will have more info etc.

Cheers

Guy

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The rear springs are handed ?.

 

If you notice in Guys picture the top one has a couple of small extra leaves on top this is to equal up the ride height when only the driver is in it. The passenger side has the extra leaves.

Stuart.

 

Edit "Must be and echo on here" :D Beat me to it Guy ;)

Edited by stuart
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I have read somewhere that it was only LHD vehicles that had teh 'handed' rear springs. RHD vehicles were identical on each side.

 

My car was a LHD import and looked similar to Guy's but I'm pretty sure it only had one mini leaf on the passenger side.

 

Rgds Ian

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I have read somewhere that it was only LHD vehicles that had teh 'handed' rear springs. RHD vehicles were identical on each side.

 

My car was a LHD import and looked similar to Guy's but I'm pretty sure it only had one mini leaf on the passenger side.

 

Rgds Ian

 

 

Ian,

 

I think my motor must have been ordered by an oversize American then. :D

 

My apologies in advance to our American friends, no offence intended.

 

Cheers

Guy

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Lots of advice here, but I think wood and trees applies here, leaf springs were never designed to have ANY lubrication between the leaves.

 

They operate by friction between the leaves which maintains correct road height, just imagine a 30 ton Lorry on leaf springs, having oil placed between the leaves, it would be on its Ar-e, same applies for cars, a decent coat of paint is all thats needed.

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.Hi Andrew..........No i havent driven it as yet, :angry: so have now idea how she will be, which springs did you go for, and did you find the Revington Pin Kit made a difference

Hi Guy,

 

These are the babies: http://www.revington...oductID=RTR3070 (not cheap) which I fitted in 2008 just prior to CLM (as the previous ones lasted 10 months and 3,000 miles!!) and they are excellent and give good ride height, but they do make the rear end bounce over rough surfaces a 'tad'. On the plus side, I went to CLM 2008 (and back) with shed loads gear and the rear suspension took all the additional weight (including Baldrick!! :D ) without complaining. Last year I went to CLM 2010 with the 'Long Haired Colonel' - more gear and more weight, but best not go there.............. :lol::lol:

 

Can't say I notice much difference with the Rev spacers though (haven't fitted the Rev pin kit), maybe if I did track days in TuRK there would be a benefit?

 

Cheers

Andrew

Edited by Andrew Smith
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Ian, RHD vehicles, or at least those shipped to Oz, were fitted with the passenger's side "lowering block" consisting of two short pieces of spring.

 

It's been suggested that this meant that one leaf spring was stiffer than the other, but that's not the case as both had identical 128 inch/lb spring rates. The "lowering block" was contained entirely between the bottom spring mounting plate and the pad on the axle housing, so it had no influence on spring action.

 

Pete, I too don't think TR leaf springs should be oiled. However, it's not ideal for the leaves to bind together with rust, as the increased friction makes for a harsher ride and has been attributed to main leaf breakages. At each annual service while the drums are off to blow out brake dust and the springs are under least load with the rubber stops sitting on the chassis, I give both sides of each spring a squirt of PTFE lubricant. This tends to penetrate between the leaves and minimise rust. PTFE spray works better than products like WD40 because it is longer lasting against water washing it off. Also, it is not prone to gathering road grit and dust like oil based lubricants.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

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I wasn't joking when I suggested Wefco.

 

Any spring maker will tell you that unless a spring is wrapped in gaiters like Wefco or equivalent, lubricating it will accelerate wear. However if you fit gaiters and pack the springs with grease, not only will they last longer, but they'll also ride better because the friction between leaves is less.

 

Rolls-Royce always wrapped their springs, as did many other luxury car makers and Bugatti wound string round theirs, so you have a choice, albeit an expensive one!

 

Ash

Edited by Ashley James
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These are the babies: http://www.revington...oductID=RTR3070 (not cheap) which I fitted in 2008 just prior to CLM (as the previous ones lasted 10 months and 3,000 miles!!) and they are excellent and give good ride height, but they do make the rear end bounce over rough surfaces a 'tad'.

 

That makes me feel a lot better. :)

 

I just had a look at photos of my rebuild and the springs are stamped JNR77 (i.e.RTR3070). Although I originally suggested using Revington suspension, I left it to TRGB to use what they thought would work for me - good ground clearance and country roads rather than track. The invoices said NSI (Non-stock item), so I was not sure what they had used at the rear.

 

I can confirm that the whole setup works very well and ride is not at all harsh (although this is a very subjective area) and they didn't cost anywhere near the current price then. :D

Edited by BrianC
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