Technical Rear buggy spring - gaps when compressed

The way I see it is you have two options:

1. Buy a new spring that isn't all ****ed up.

2. Spend some quality time in the garage with a press and make each leaf fit the leaf below it, with some grinder/flap disc time to put a nice edge on the ends to keep it from digging into the leafs (leaves?) next to it.

 

I too agree with Clem. I had a similar problem with a Posies spring although not as severe. I found that I had them flipped around randomly and thought that it didn't matter but that was the issue. When I re***embled the stack I paid close attention to how the springs nested to each other and that made a big difference.

 

Quick update - blew apart the leaves and chamfered the edges and applied some more grease. Took very careful note of how the leaves wanted to sit together and re***embled. It was better, but still had some gaps. So-cal responded back to my concern and said the gaps will settle once weight was applied, but I’m going with my gut and moving on from this spring.

I decided to order up a Posies from Speedway (part #58029312) which will arrive next week.

With the main leaf out I could measure the eye-to-eye and came up with 38.25”….seems short for my 46” perch center-to-center measurement. I saw a neat chart from Posies with the unsprung model A rear spring measurements and the measurements of height and eye-to-eye as weight was applied. I was going to reference it, but I can’t find it.

Fingers crossed this next spring will work for me.

 

I tend to agree with what speedway said, - that it will settle, and I think what you have now will work, but most thing’s that I have read about Posies suggest that it is a far better product.
And I believe that you should always go with your gut feeling - and it’s easier to swap it now, than when the car is finished.
So I am guessing/***uming that the speedway one is made in China.
What about the Posies, is that made in the USA ?
Looking forward to see any differences……

 

So I’m not sure where the current So-Cal spring (which they may have sourced from Posies?) is made, but if they don’t advertise as “USA”, I have to ***ume it is offshore. Another thing that bugged me about this spring was the incorrect spring eye size (around 0.77” instead of a perfect 0.75”). So-Cal folks did offer a refund for this defect.
The Posies spring I just ordered from Speedway is claimed to be made in Central PA using American steel per the Posies online catalog. I am not sure which spring is of higher quality, but the So-Cal speed shop spring is certainly a higher price.
I’ll report back with my findings.

 

That looks more like the arch in the middle of a T spring rather than an A spring. I usually run T springs because they clear a quick change well and are already the right width for the later V8 rear spring perch. I hunt down and collect old springs and nearly every T spring has a broken leaf or two high in the stack. Leaf 2,3, or 4 from the top. To soften up a spring remove the shorter leaves. The T spring is also not as wide across each leaf. 2-1/4" vs 2-1/2"

 

You can reshape the leafs by hitting them with a heavy hammer between two railroad ties. Also flip them around end for end to see if that helps, once its in the car not much of it will show.
Put it together with the spring mounting U bolt ***emblys, let the car down with the weight on it and I bet you don't see any problems. JW

 

Apologies if this has been said: Even a stock spring could have gaps if/when leaves are removed. I wouldn't blame SoCal/Posies, especially if there weren't gaps when the spring was complete.

There has been some good advice in this thread, some of which I've used with a couple of my own stock springs that I removed leaves from.

I wouldn't give up and restart from scratch. I had a T spring that was giving me a fight in all sorts of configurations. Eventually, I cleaned up each leaf and hand sanded the ends (like the last 3" or so) and then lubed up the spring and installed it. I was ready to give up if it didn't work but it did the trick as soon as there was weight on the spring.

 

Final update to put this thing to rest…. The Posies spring (Speedway part 58029312. Posies part 29-31R-C) did the trick. Minimal gaps, much easier to fully compress the leaves together. Feels like it has the correct spring tension. My conclusion is that the SoCal spring was just not the right part for my axle with 46.25” perch center-to-center width. The SoCal spring was just too narrow when measured eye-to-eye. Happy to finally be moving on. Slowly but surely….

 

Glad to see it looks like your on the right path.

When I ordered my front spring I was confused as #ell trying to dig through online measurements from various websites carrying posies or generic Speedway products, and just said F-it and picked up the phone and called Posies direct. I don't recall who answered but he was super helpful after I told him what I was doing and said if I had questions or issues down the road to just call back and they would do their best to make things right or get me pointed in the right direction.

Long story short . . . . I try to actually call suppliers (insert shameless plug for Posies and Rjays speed shop) if I have even what I would think of as "stupid rookie" questions and so far have been very surprised with suppliers helpfulness.