Technical Reverse eye spring install

I went to my local spring shop and gave them the measurements of the width, a rough guess on unsprung weight, and sprung weight as well as that I wanted reversed eye. They made a new bundle that you can't tell from an original spring. Works great. It does have to be built in the car because of the reversed eye. Best $250.00 I spent
Walter

 

I have a question along the same lines. I had an A spring shortened and re-rolled to a reverse eye spring by St. Louis Spring a few months ago. I can't for the life of me remember if I had them cut it 1" or 2" shorter per side before they re-rolled the eyes. Just the main leaf by itself, lying on the floor, is 39 1/2" wide at the eye centers and I can't remember how wide the spring eyes were before I had it cut and the eyes reversed. Anyone have a Model A main leaf to measure or happen to know the stock eye to eye width?

I had the spring narrowed to use it on a later rearend, then considered other suspension options, but now I'm back to using the narrowed A spring. Stock perch width on an A rearend is 49" to 49 1/2". If I had the spring shortened 1" per side (2" total), with 2" narrower perches installed at 47", added two 1.5" center-to-center shackles, that would leave a 44" spread for the spring. I'd have to spread the eyes 4 1/2" to install them. That seems like a LOT. Maybe the spring was narrowed 2" per side.....I don't remember. If that's the case though, perches installed at 45" wide on the rearend would reduced the initial spring spread to about 2 1/2" to install the shackles. Is a 2 1/2" spread about right for initial spring "pre-loading" on a Model A?

Thanks

Lynn

 

Lynn, I will get you dimensions in the a m.

 

Actually, after I posted I did some more searching. Post #10 of this thread ( https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/model-a-rear-spring-mounts-to-ford-8.423935/ ) cleared a lot up for me. It will be interesting to see if what you have is in concert with it.

Thanks.

Lynn

 

One more time, it is not a Posies spring, they do not make a 2” rear spring, but Speedway Motors does.
Part number 910-43105 above.

 

That's the spring I bought. I don't see how it will work.

 

It won’t unless you fabricate new spring hangers for the shackles with a narrower center to center dimension.
Go to this website-
posiesrodsandcustoms.com, click on the image of the catalog and then scroll down to ‘28-‘34 rear springs on page 19. Posies should have what you need.

 

Lynn,
Model a spring is about 44'' eye to eye center.

 

Thanks. That's about 2" wider than I would have expected. I thought mine was about 42 before it's re-work, but that was months ago. But, then again I understand the correct way to measure leaf springs (the fellow at St. Louis Spring told me this) is measuring along the curve of the spring.....the actual length of the leaf as it would lay flat. I might measure my re-worked spring that way today and post that measurement for comparison. I guess that makes sense since "settling" of a spring can change the straight-across eye to eye dimension and I guess isn't a true indicator of how spring perches can/should be installed? It almost seems there's some black magic in leaf springs.

Lynn

 

I measured flat on the floor eye to eye,not around the spring

 

Jim, now that you have posted a pic of your spring along with the rear axle, I would agree, you have the wrong spring . No way is that spring gonna spread that far. Wish you had posted that pic before you cut the straps on the spring to dis***emble it.

 

Here is what I just did to get my reverse eye transverse spring in.

Used farm jack against spring loop and used a tie down around frame to holes below lifting point of jack and cranked it till it went into place. LOTS of tension but it worked. My 40 inch eye 2 eye spring has its perches 44 inch on axle.. So me thinking you have to short of spring. On the Posie site there is PDF for springs with how wide to set perches. I know your stock hangers but you can find how wide your spring you need is going to be.