Thread: Oiling leafs

G'day Lou,
After a wash and scrub with a wire bristle brush, and using my best & most expensive paintbrush I splashed a 50:50 mix of diesel and used engine oil over my leaf springs. Using a high quality brush is critical for this sort of job, partners/housemates/siblings/parents toothbrushes are okay too. Don't forget to put the brush back afterwards.
Even if its not the best thing, it'll at least halt corrosion and penetrate between the leaves so will make later jobs easier.

thats kind of what I figured I was hoping people wouldn't go "oh no they must be parted and soak individually in only the best unused vavoline"

Oiling leaf springs has had a mixed press. On the positive side, it is something that has been done since before motor vehicles to improve the ride, and it does! On the negative, there is a school of thought that it will result in dust being held between the leaves and accelerate wear. This may be so, but the absence of lubrication means water will get in and the resulting rust will in many cases be worse than the dust. My overall conclusion is marginally in favour.

The optimum system is that used in up market cars in the pre-coil days - a fitted leather gaiter, which is automatically given a shot of oil, either by pressing a pedal, or using vacuum or oil pressure every time the engine is started.

Next down the list is the fitted gaiters, but no automatic oiling. This, I consider, is not a good idea, as unless regularly disassembled and re-oiled, they will get water and mud or dust in them. (same problem with gaiters to protect the front swivels)

Then you can do what I have done. Remove and disassemble the springs, clean each leaf and reassemble, coating the mating surfaces with a suitable grease that is resistant to being washed out - I used anti-seize compound, but next time might use MoS2 grease.

The advantage of this method is that you do not have to use a lubricant with penetrating ability, so it will stay there (better).

As a last resort, painting the springs with oil. The type of oil is not very important, as it won't be there for very long, but I would think used engine oil would work, although there are better choices - better penetration, less mess and more water repellant - don't forget engine oil has detergent in it, which will help the water you drive through to wash the oil out. If you are doing this, help the oil to penetrate by taking the load off the springs. I have seen devices described to spread the leaves to help the oil to penetrate - a sort of clamp with wedge shaped jaws.

John

A 'Proper' restoration would involve tenderly seperating the leaves, caressing the sensitive metal fillets with a nail file till warm and shiny, then lovingly smearing Johnson's Baby Oil upon each and every surface with an exfoliating sponge before reassembling in a sacred ritual involving more baby oil and lighted candles.

For everyone else there is old sump oil.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Oiling leaf springs has had a mixed press. On the positive side, it is something that has been done since before motor vehicles to improve the ride, and it does! On the negative, there is a school of thought that it will result in dust being held between the leaves and accelerate wear. This may be so, but the absence of lubrication means water will get in and the resulting rust will in many cases be worse than the dust. My overall conclusion is marginally in favour.

The optimum system is that used in up market cars in the pre-coil days - a fitted leather gaiter, which is automatically given a shot of oil, either by pressing a pedal, or using vacuum or oil pressure every time the engine is started.

Next down the list is the fitted gaiters, but no automatic oiling. This, I consider, is not a good idea, as unless regularly disassembled and re-oiled, they will get water and mud or dust in them. (same problem with gaiters to protect the front swivels)

Then you can do what I have done. Remove and disassemble the springs, clean each leaf and reassemble, coating the mating surfaces with a suitable grease that is resistant to being washed out - I used anti-seize compound, but next time might use MoS2 grease.

The advantage of this method is that you do not have to use a lubricant with penetrating ability, so it will stay there (better).

As a last resort, painting the springs with oil. The type of oil is not very important, as it won't be there for very long, but I would think used engine oil would work, although there are better choices - better penetration, less mess and more water repellant - don't forget engine oil has detergent in it, which will help the water you drive through to wash the oil out. If you are doing this, help the oil to penetrate by taking the load off the springs. I have seen devices described to spread the leaves to help the oil to penetrate - a sort of clamp with wedge shaped jaws.

John

hi john what do you mean by clean, take an angle grinder or something with a wire wheel or something...to it or just a wire brush?

our springs have a fair bit of surface rust....could the springs be coated with something that is not on the mating sides like paint perhaps? or could we just do the anti freeze thing and then once back together give it a lick of sump oil?

Originally Posted by dullbird

hi john what do you mean by clean take an angle grinder or something with it with a wire wheel or something...

our springs have a fair bit of surface rust....could the springs be coated with something that is not on the mating sides? or could we just do the anti freeze things and then once back together give it a lick of sump oil?

What I actually did was to remove all (or nearly all) the rust with a wire brush in an angle grinder. I then looked at where there is in many cases a step worn in the leaf where the next leaf usually sits under load - this step will make the ride harder as the leaf has to left over it when you hit a bump. So I smoothed these down using a belt sander (less likely to take too much than an angle grinder). With this preparation I wiped them down with thinners and painted them (black) with a pressure pack and allowed them to dry before assembling - this is to paint the edges and to protect the metal where there is no grease. They were then painted with antiseize before assembling.

I did one spring at a time to make sure I did not mix the leaves. Landrover springs are, I think, all symmetrical, but it is probably best to keep the leaves all facing the way they were.

Bout time I did mine again, I think!

John

I agree with all of the above, but it is a pain to disassemble the spring packs which are held together with the flat spring clamps. I have done this a few times in the past and use moly grease between the leaves after cleaning using a flap disc in the angle grinder.

Lanolin spray works well on assembled springs and shackle bushes too.

What about if you oil them then wrap them in self amalgamating tape?
That would keep the lubricant in and the dirt and water out. Then you would wrap race tape over the self amalgamating tape to protect it.