Technical reverse rear spring on Mod A ---How that possible?

I did a search--nothing. I look at my spring and say--How?

 

Spring shop?

 

pay to have it reversed or buy one already done

 

http://www.a-springs.com/6b.html
I just did my car. Made a 7 leaf roadster pack from a schematic I found on ford barn. Then removed one leaf and changed out top leaf for the beveled leaf from the 10 leaf spring pack. Don't forget to shorten your second leaf by a inch each side so it wont hit the reverse eyes. I made the dummy from the original main leaf and ordered roadster spring clamps from brattons. I would probably remove one more leaf if I was to do it again. Which I will.

 

Take yer stock spring, to a spring shop,, tell them you want one like it, except you want the vehicle to set_______ inches lower.. OR tell them to make it exactly like the stock one with the ends curled opposite... used to be less than $50.00 bucks. !!!

Ready? GO!!!!!!!

p.s. If you go to the reversed eyes route, you are gonna have to use your hi school " smarts" to figure out how to re install.. it can be done !!! one spring at a time...

 

There was some posts awhile back about re arching the spring with a press or a bottle jack. You traced the arch on the floor of the stock spring, marked the spring every one inch and slowly bent it until the arch matched your pattern.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-reverse-spring-eyes.749789/

 

I paid about $25AU to have my Model A rear spring done at a blacksmith spring shop. Came back absolutely perfect.

 

I just know in my gut, NOT A ONE OF THESE people are referring to reversing the spring eyes on a MODEL A REAR spring,, fronts yeah EZ, Chalk around , hammer, repeat,, Now show me on a high arched Model A rear spring,, take it to a spring shop..

YEA NICK !!!!My hot rod hero fer today !!!!

 

Here is a T spring that I had, it was done back in the 50's, I dont know where or who did it but they did a nice job. The A spring would be easier than the T, but I still wouldn't want to do one.

 

What's that you say, how is it possible?

Well, it is.. and here's proof. Reversed A rear spring, spring over setup on a '48 Mercury rear end. Obviously the square head bolt in the spring pack did get cut short.

 

It's just as doable as any other. But a good man knows his limitations so weather you think you can or you can't your right.
How's your gut now.

 

+1 to 31Vicky.. i'd never try resetting them myself when i can pay per the hour to get them done and if it takes 15 mins then i only get charged for that.. why bother doing it myself. Let someone who knows what their doing do it.

 

well I don't know what I'm doing but I tried to reverse a rear model A main leaf and allmost got it finished and it broke. Then I ordered one from SoCal speed shop I think it was $125 + shipping. I did have good luck reversing my front spring.

 

I did not say it can't be done, I am stating it can't be done with the drawing on the ground and hammer and blocks method. for 25.00 bucks have a spring shop do it. When your almost done and it breaks..... well, SHIT !!!

 

I am betting that reverse eye spring was done at spring shop, BTW, looks like second spring is digging into spring eye, restricting ride. NO ?

 

I think where the OP is confused is that he is thinking reversed spring as in the arch pointing down instead of up.

A reversed eye spring is a spring with the spring eyes pointing up instead of down, they can be manufactured that way from the start or you can de-arch the spring until it is flat then keep going until you have the arch pointing in the opposite direction. it can be done at home with about a 4 pound hammer and a couple of pieces of 3" heavy angle iron spaced about 3" apart ( the old school way). or you can go to a spring shop and have them do it for you. Sometimes instead of reversing your old spring that will just build you a new one.

The entire spring is not de-arched and reversed just the main leaf.

 

Nick, still my Hot Rod Hero for the day !!!

 

Wouldn't you have to heat the whole spring to soften it so it will de-arch and then heat treat it again to put the springiness back into it when you are through?

 

Cost and not necessary are the only two reasons I can think of.

To properly heat treat a spring that has been annealed you would need to own a furnace and be a pretty good metallurgist to boot.

It is not that big a deal to reverse a spring, or to de-arch one either. it is work if you do it the hard way but not that big a deal, and it is way easier if you have a helper who is willing the hold the leaf while you beat on it.

I have seen some guys do it with a hydraulic press and I am sure that is how it gets done in a spring shop but I still prefer the old hammer and anvil way if I am not paying to have it done.

 

The cost I was quoted in Jersey 2 years ago was about $100 for the main leaf. There was an article recently in Street Rodder or Rod and Custom on reversed eye main leafs and the main caution was that by reversing the eyes you are lengthing the spring centerline to centerline and thus the spring will not function as it should, (the shackles should be @ approx. 45 degrees I believe when under load) also as noted above the second leaf May contact a properly reversed main leaf.

 

A model T spring is a bit lower than a model A spring right? Use one of those I think they have a little more style anyways.

 

Definitely done at a spring shop. Yeah the next one is a bit long.. i'm going to trim the next one up about an inch or two at most so it stops it from being so close. It doesn't dig in, its just super tight. I just put it together to get it under the car and get the car rolling. Mostly a mock up at this stage will shorten them when its all apart to get painted.

 

as stated earlier in this post, you do it yourself with a press. trace the image on the floor with chalk, mark the spring every inch with chalk, and start pressing. a little on each inch untill you get the shape you want. front is nothing, rear takes some time. just do a little at a time until its straight, then bend to match your pattern on the floor. do it cold, just pressing and it will be done faster than buying the hundred dollar job in the catalog.

 

I reversed the eyes in a model a rear spring using a press to press it flat then reshape it back to the stock shape. Very possible, it is just time consuming, and you must pay close attention to what you are doing.

Forgot to add that I later switched to a T spring which I will again most likely reverse the eyes and re arch it myself in the future...

 

My Hot Rod Hero of the day !!!