Bigj66 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 As per title, what have you found that works best when refurbishing leaf springs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romahomepete Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 grease for me, bare metal will rust and the springs will become solid. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wytze Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 They are parabolic, are they not? Then just paint them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 19 minutes ago, Wytze said: They are parabolic, are they not? Then just paint them Yes but the leaves still make contact in a couple of places at the ends. My thoughts are to just paint them too as that’s how they come as standard and I’ve never heard of parabolics being greased but thought I’d ask anyway before I reassemble them. That said, the paint won’t last long either 🤷♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Our Parabolics (TIC) have been on for 20 + years and no rust etc. Just some grease from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Paint, and once dry, heavy grease between contact points. You can apply that with a screwdriver to lever the leafs apart and an old paint brush. For elliptical leafs, you’d need to strip the pack, so I just brush on old engine oil every few hours spread over a couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Painted now so will apply some grease before fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Are they the 2 plus helper? Turned out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Gazzar said: Are they the 2 plus helper? Turned out well. Yes. I was thinking that the ends that I trimmed may be cranked to provide more curve to the spring so it will be interesting to see how it looks when they’re fitted particularly the ride height. If it doesn’t look right then they’ll go in the skip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Don't do that! I'll have them! I need one for my 109, the curl for the bush isn't straight. Cheap carp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigj66 Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 22 minutes ago, Gazzar said: Don't do that! I'll have them! I need one for my 109, the curl for the bush isn't straight. Cheap carp. Ok if they don’t work out for me then they’re yours👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrover17H Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 (edited) Lubrication vs a set of Parabollox: This is the perennial argument, if left dry (and un-driven) stock springs start to seize or partial-seize, very quickly. Left a month in winter and it'll take 400 miles to get them supple. If you don't do 400 miles, they never ease off. A bad case can take 1500 miles to fully ease off, and get supple. That's my experience anyway. Parabollox solve this issue. Parabollox are better if that's how you use your leafer. For stock springs, I used to favour motorcycle chain-grease, 'cos it goes in like WD40 and then sets thick, and comes cheaper than the TIC alternative. Then again grease traps the grit & crud in a paste. I drive some 6-7000 miles a year, so now favour dry. The key is to drive, then they stay soft. This comes cheaper than Parabollox, and provided they're run most days, in my experience, the 'ride' is much the same. Many report a big improvement, yet careful, with PBs, often they're comparing to the partial or fully-seized stock item. The best way has to be leather-boots, loaded with grease, as seen on your actual 1927 6-Litre Bentley, which whilst a very good idea, won't happen around here! Edited May 15, 2020 by Landrover17H 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petesrover Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 What a great & simple idea, chain grease, my mates used to laugh at me because I used to lubricate my rear chain with a paint brush & gear oil because the chain grease was expensive ( I'm not tight, just carefull ) but think I will get a can ot two now for my L rover springs, they are seized solid & I am awaiting new leaf springs from paddocks, I favour running springs dry but as the L rover is only going to do a couple of hundred miles a year, I was going to strip the springs down & grease them, but I think now I will put what grease I can in with them on there side & give them a good spraying with chain oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrover17H Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) Yes, in short if you drive the thing, you'll not need to do much. 1500 miles and a chiropractor's bill will sort all but the very worst. Springs stay decent, because they're moving. But, if we're pretending the rust finds you out. You'll spot a LR poseur a mile off, the springs are still seized 3-4 inches from the U-bolts, or there's talk of 'faker' snot.... you know the kind of thing, parabollox/ stickers/ snorkels / gay-plate blah... Lest we forget the angle-grinder boots w/ cnut-hat Have fun. Edited October 2, 2020 by Landrover17H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 If you use motorcycle chain grease (nice idea), it pays to warm it first. It's designed to penetrate very well when warm, then set firm and sticky (the things you write on a Land Rover forum!), which sounds perfect. One of my old Rover P5s still had wrapped springs from new. Greased in the factory and then wrapped in something durable (can't remember what), those springs gave a ride pretty much as supple as coils do. The downside is if the covering tears and allows moisture in, which could happen with an off road vehicle. If the moisture can't escape... P5. Sigh. Loved those cars. Who said nostalgia's not what it used to be? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrover17H Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) I'm talking about the spray-can stuff. When it's labelled as white-grease it comes cheaper. Would be far better, but I'm unsure how you'd get the old-skool boil-in-a-bath chain-lube into springs in-situ? Don't rebuild 'em, staart with WD40, spray as much as you can and hit the speed-bumps at 35-40mph. Rinse and repeat. They'll shift. 3-400 miles should improve them lots, and by 1500 they'll be dandy. Then white-grease etc. But for chrissakes, raise your backside as you do this, or you're set to impact a vertebrate. Edited October 2, 2020 by Landrover17H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 10 hours ago, deep said: If you use motorcycle chain grease (nice idea), it pays to warm it first. It's designed to penetrate very well when warm, then set firm and sticky (the things you write on a Land Rover forum!), which sounds perfect. One of my old Rover P5s still had wrapped springs from new. Greased in the factory and then wrapped in something durable (can't remember what), those springs gave a ride pretty much as supple as coils do. The downside is if the covering tears and allows moisture in, which could happen with an off road vehicle. If the moisture can't escape... P5. Sigh. Loved those cars. Who said nostalgia's not what it used to be? The wrap is often called Denso Tape, I think (unless I’m confusing it with something else🤔). It was common on road cars with leaf springs, but not Land Rovers. I don’t know if that’s a cost saving or to prevent water or mud that got in off reading from being trapped inside the wrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romahomepete Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 part of most pre second world war mechanics tool kits included a device for separating leafs on springs to allow lubrication. It was basically a G clamp with the pad on the end of the screw missing and the end of the screw being pointed. Peter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrover17H Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Sounds great. Never seen nor heard of one of those, must be able to find a used one? I shall look-see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landrover17H Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Well, had a look, and if your poison is a Model T, you're not wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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