mazfg Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 My rather cruddy leaf spring is now removed from the car after taking out the diff and half shafts. Wondered what the best thing to do with it as it's cruddy, got bits of underseal on it and general mud n a bit of rust.I don;t want to dismantle it but have a friend who shot blasts n red oxides stuff. Is it worth giving it to him to do that? then pushing grease in where I can?Or maybe just a wire brush to dislodge loose stuff and then a spray of Dinitrol? I though as it waxy it shouldn't impair the spring movement?Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herald948 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 I can't imagine blasting it with any media would be a good thing unless it was disassembled and each leaf blasted individually (you'd never get all the media out from in between the leaves, and I can't imagine that being good for spring action). I would go with your last suggestion of simply cleaning off the loose stuff and then, as the manuals recommend during regular servicing, "painting" it with used engine oil or gear oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daver clasper Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 HiHave heard that grease and oil (prob to a lesser extent) will attract grid and maybe increase wear.Have heard of Hydraulic fluid used, though wouldn't last long I imagine unless car not used much.Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Dismantling is just a few bolts?I would do that and wire brush it up.If you want to lubricate the spring, you can wrap it is denso tape after http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/d20/Plumbing+Consumables/sd2711/Petro+Tape+10m/p57185but I have never bothered.If you want to coat it with a protective wax, the hard dinitrol underbody stuff may work.It feels like underseal, but is definitely just a wax. Flexible enough I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 Quoted from cliftyhanger Dismantling is just a few bolts?I would do that and wire brush it up. Thought it was under a bit of tension? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 easy process, have a read of my blog[Sorry, link no longer available]a little bit of tension held by the central clamp but nothing that a g clamp would not hold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 Thanks for the info. I think the difficulty lies in the central bolt removal..I've heard it can be a pig to remove an often needs cutting out if rusted in!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgeman Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 When I rebuilt the 13/60 I took the Leaf Spring apart cleaned each leaf gave each one a treatment of cure rust followed by a coat of paint each leaf was then coated with grease new buttons and bushes and then replaced.As I recall only one of the leaves state direction of fit so before I took it apart I ran the angle grinder disk down the front edge to aid reassembly.Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgeman Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 And another photo showing marks made by angle grinder disk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 Quoted from midgeman When I rebuilt the 13/60 I took the Leaf Spring apart cleaned each leaf gave each one a treatment of cure rust followed by a coat of paint each leaf was then coated with grease new buttons and bushes and then replaced. Thanks for that..looks awesome!Not sure what "grease buttons" are? I've still got the poly bushes in mine from when they were changed 4 years ago so all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgeman Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Quoted from mazfg Thanks for that..looks awesome!Not sure what "grease buttons" are? I've still got the poly bushes in mine from when they were changed 4 years ago so all good. Not sure what "grease buttons" are? Sorry for my lack of punctuation.The Buttons I refer to are the Rubber Buttons that go between the Leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 Ahh..I see..just found them on mine. Where can I get new rubber buttons n bushes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Ok, found the rubber buttons: 114006 at the usual places. Paddocks do them 60p each and you'll need 8 altogether.Just cleaned the top plate after having disassembled the spring to find it is stamped with "Front"..also did what midgeman did and ground a line for re-assembly. My only thought was that the spring has at some point been put back in the opposite way round as the "front" marker was on towards the back...? I shall put it back as intended when all is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 No-one knows why the springs were ever marked FRONT.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny-Jimbo Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Mmm, nice stress raiser there in the middle of the spring.I wonder how long until it goes 'creak-groan-creak-groan-creak-POTHOLE-BANG-TWANG'.It may not happen super-quickly, but it must be a consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 Just back from my friends brother who shot blasted and gave them a coat of red-oxide Probably spray the struts in satin black but will leave the leaf in the red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsbody47uk Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Suggest you smear all the spring parts with graphite grease before reassembly. Cheers, Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 23, 2016 Author Share Posted November 23, 2016 Quoted from Dogsbody47uk Suggest you smear all the spring parts with graphite grease before reassembly. Cheers, Dave. Whats the advantage using graphite over normal lithium grease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Quoted from mazfg Whats the advantage using graphite over normal lithium grease? I'm not sure if it's what Dave was thinking but I guess "normal" grease tends to dry out to a soapy texture whereas graphite grease dries to a dry lubricant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted November 23, 2016 Author Share Posted November 23, 2016 I've got some old LBM-10 grease which is grey in colour. Does this contain graphite or molybdenum disulphide do you know? Would this be ok? Is this like Moly grease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 I got a tub of graphite grease to do my rear spring - just because the manual said so!If it hadn't specified I'd have used a marine white grease (it tends to stick and last better than a moly grease) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsbody47uk Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 I've done mine with graphite grease because that's what my workshop manual recommends. Cheers, Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted December 2, 2016 Author Share Posted December 2, 2016 All assembled, new nuts n bolts, spacers and thrust buttons and plenty of moly grease Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammy Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Just stripped my replacement swing spring for a herald 13/60 can you tell me where you bought the new bolts nuts and spacers etc to renovate thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazfg Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Quoted from Hammy Just stripped my replacement swing spring for a herald 13/60 can you tell me where you bought the new bolts nuts and spacers etc to renovate thanks Bought the bolts from ebay:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3711.....e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AITNew thrust buttons and nylocs nuts from James Paddock:http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/parts.aspx?searchtext=114006http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/parts.aspx?searchtext=GHF221I made up my own spacers from some brass tubing I found at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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