Thread: re-setting springs

Originally Posted by dennisS1

The press or pipe bender is a lot easier than a hammer.

No arguments there!

I just mentioned it as an option for those who don't have a press.

A friend of mine did all his 80" springs with a hammer. I tried a 4.2 mm series front leaf and that went fine, but then I did the main leaf of a military/HD rear - 7.1 mm thick leaf - that was enough to convince me to pay Bayside springs to do it.

I reset the rear springs on Tristan the Tickford with a small sledge and a tree stump with a hollow in it. Keeping each lower leaf with slightly more camber. Greased them with moly grease on assembly. Sat the two packs sid.e by side and put the one with most camber on the drivers side.
Its a heavy little truck and that bought it up level fore and aft but still needs a little more camber on the RHS. the difference was only 1/2" free camber. Perhaps 1" would have been better.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Funny you should mention hey-zoos - the biggest conman in human history...

<<<snip>>> <<<<snip>>>But you are free to believe whatever you want - including that some buy who lived a long time ago was the son of a deity and not some random schizophrenic.

really? does a throw away comment like "since Jesus was a boy" really have to be stretched out like this? I believe there is a thread to play with this on the soapbox, I think its poor form really in a non soapbox thread to start this kind of stuff... and yes people are free to believe whatever they like ....except obviously when you feel like baiting a bit... rant over =sorry for the thread hijack! - it is a good and useful thread..mostly.

I agree with Digger, let us stick to the subject of Land Rovers please

Originally Posted by chazza

I agree with Digger, let us stick to the subject of Land Rovers please

-except in the Soap Box and General Chat and the Janome Sewing Machine Forum.

I did my Series III front springs about 25 years ago with the sledge hammer method on individual leaves. I only aimed for a small improvement. It did the job.

Originally Posted by digger

really? does a throw away comment like "since Jesus was a boy" really have to be stretched out like this? I believe there is a thread to play with this on the soapbox, I think its poor form really in a non soapbox thread to start this kind of stuff... and yes people are free to believe whatever they like ....except obviously when you feel like baiting a bit... rant over =sorry for the thread hijack! - it is a good and useful thread..mostly.

I was trying to use the analogy that just because something (company/belief) has been around a long time, doesn't mean it is true/correct/the right way to do things.

e.g. Ansett was around for a VERY long time before their poor fleet purchasing/management caused them to go under.

Apologies if it caused offence.

Btw - I don't believe the spring works in question would actually reset springs as a pack without dismantling. Unless they do both (a) cheap and nasty resets and (b) proper resets.

Go for it! Dont waste money where you can save it by a few hours work.

I was let in on this method by a guy who owned a 4wd shop on the Gold Coast. He reckoned it was the same as if a spring shop did it and I agree!

I have done this many times and it works a treat! The only problem with doing it to a rover is that there is so many darn leaves...
1. Stand each spring pack up and measure the height first so you can compare them to the finished product.
2. I separate the packs into individual leaves and reset each pair (one from each side) after each other, comparing them as I go to get them as close as possible.(aside from the obvious difference required for each side)
3. Put a mark on the side of the bender so you jack it up to the same spot each time. Take care not to go too far or the leaf could end up kinked. Also, the time the leaf is left in tension is important. If it is left longer, the finished bend is more pronounced and probably would last longer due to its memory being retained. each leaf should not be bent in one go but in 3 or more stages across the length of the leaf.
4. When you assemble the packs, grease them liberally between the leaves so they dont bind up making the spring unnecessarily stiff.

I did this on an old series 3 SWB years ago and it ended up having the softest, smoothest ride I have ever had in a series truck. Lots of body roll though. It felt like an old range rover!

I used a pipe bender too with a ten ton hydraulic jack for power.

Hi All
After seeing many times, how easy springs can break, particularly breaking during severe frost's, including on a vehicle sitting in a shed overnight during the frost.
I would, as a matter of safety, only have work done to my springs by a reputable company, that have the correct equipment and knowledge to complete the job.
The striking of cold, tempered steel causes stresses within the material and that is where the breaks occur.
Cheers Arthur