Evening all
I am about to replace the rear (and after that front) springs on my RP.
I would be grateful for a check that I have both everything I need before I finish up in the drive unable to move forwards or back, and that my logic is correct on what I need to do. So, rear springs first.

I have the springs from Ian Dunford with new bushes fitted and reamed. I also have replacement packing, U bolts, main bolt and rear spring pin with associated nuts washers etc.

I have drilled through the floor to find the head of the main bolt.

From what I have learnt/gleaned/understood, I need to jack up the car and support the rear axle at a point where there is little ‘stress’ on the spring.

Then remove the main bolt through the car body
Then comes my first question:
In getting the spring out, is it easier to leave the pin attached to the car and remove the spring from the pin, or leave the pin in the spring and detach the pin from the car?
Dropping the rear axle a little, I then assume that the spring should slide out of the chassis rail.

Is it really as straihtforward as this?
Any tricks or things to avoid (or things I have missed) from those who have probably done this a hundred times?

Any thoughts much appreciated as I would prefer to learn here rather than expensively on the car.
Thanks for any help

Location: Norf Essex

Andy , it is my experience that you will also need a bloody great hammer and a solid drift as my spring did not slide out at any time. try to get some Plus gas or WD40 into the retaining area ASAP this may help

Location: Oakley, Hants

Doing it now, thanks Derek

Location: Norf Essex

Loose off the u bolts and the main pin and go for a decent drive down a bumpy lane. They''l come out fine then.

Personally Id take the axle off first. You can angle grind the pins out using a 1mm disk easily through the bronze bush if you like. You.can then remove the remnants on the bench

A good method for loosening the springs in the chassis channels allowing easy removal, is the loosen the u bolts and spring bolt on both springs. then go for a short drive. Come back and the springs should slip out.

Location: Farnham

Thanks everyone.
I also had the go for a drive suggestion last night so think that will be my plan.

It has also been suggested I cover in denso tape to protect them.

It looks sensible, However, I am cautious of some protection actually trapping the problem in rather than keeping it out.
Appreciate any thoughts
Andy

Location: Norf Essex

Andy,
Open the leaves of the springs with some sort of wedge, or the proper tool if you can lay your hands on one. Get some good quality grease in there, really grease the end to be inserted, then wrap with Denso tape after fitted. If you wipe your inevitable greasy hands over the surface a nice smooth finish with be achieved, totally keeping contaminates out. Well worth doing

Location: Oakley, Hants

When fitting new springs I always coat the end that goes inside the chassis with a large amount of Waxoyl.

One good reason for not wrapping Seven rear springs is that it enables occasional inspection of the main leaf. Because it provides location fracture of can be very serious. Cracks usually progress for some time and are readily visible. Maybe on todays roads springs never fail.

Bob Culver

Location: Auckland, NZ

When I had to change a broken spring, all of the "easy" methods of spring removal were to no avail so we had to be brutal! With weight off the spring, all fastenings out and the front number plate removed, an eight foot length of solid 1" bar was threaded though on to the front end of the spring.
Enough length of bar protruded at the front to allow mighty swings with a sledge hammer! At lease half a dozen swipes were needed to take it out. The pin holding the leaves together was sheared off inside several of the leaves in the process, so you can imagine how hard it had been hit!
Ron

This thread may be of interest Andy: http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=2099944454&frmid=5&msgid=889842&cmd=show

I can report that the large heat-shrink method I used is proving to be more that durable.

Thanks again. I also found an earlier thread regarding gaiters that has helped.
Cheers
Andy

Location: Norf Essex

In the interests of rounding off the story, today I bit the bullet and went for the rear springs.
I followed the lubricate and loosen advice before driving around the roads.
It worked perfectly.
The springs virtually fell out. It was somewhat more difficult to get the new ones back in, specifically aligning the new pins through the hubs and spring ends. I added chamfers to the ends of the pins and that helped guide them through.
I also wrapped the springs in Denso tape and 'filled'the chassis rails with underseal as suggested.
The result is that Mildred now rides 2 inches higher than she did at 9 o'clock this morning. I still have to do the front but that at least looks more straightforward.
So thanks again for all the advice, it was extremely useful.
Andy B

Location: Norf Essex

I am fitting new Ian Dunford rear springs. These are fractionally thicker than those I removed and I am having trouble fitting the packing piece on top. My question is, as the through bolt and U bolt pull down, is the packing needed at all as there is no connection between the top of the top hat section and the through bolt and U bolt.

Iv'e never ever used a packing piece

There is definitely a 'top bar' to the entrance to the chassis slot where the spring feeds through and I took it that the packing piece was there to provide a tight fit here, before the bolt then clamped the spring down. Given the length of the spring I assume this top bar 'push fit' prevents all the leverage from sudden jolts etc being placed only on the bolt.
It was difficult to fit the packing. I planed down the packing just far enough so that I could put the packing in first and then needed to use a club hammer to gently get the spring home.
I am far from knowledgeable here but to my engineering mind it did all make sense to avoid placing all the strain on the bolt.
Andy B

Location: Norf Essex

Thanks for the replies. I have driven one spring home with 'gentle' hammering a block of wood but the 'top bar' that you mention was missing when I bought the car. I had it welded but the clearance is less than the other side. I will have to find a suitable spacer to fit.
Interesting to see someone has never used spacers. I think the through bolt takes fore and aft loads whilst the U bolts take vertical loads.

The red fibre packing is intended to go under the rear spring (and above the front spring) and is to prevent fretting between the spring and the chassis. When I fitted new springs many years ago I covered them in grease and wrapped them in Denso tape thinking that will keep the elements out. Some years later at the MOT station I wondered what was the lump in the Denso tape, said nothing got the MOT and went home. I removed the Denso tape to find a broken leaf amid a mass of rust, I promptly removed the Denso tape from the the other 2 springs to find a similar mass of rust and no grease. Since when I leave my springs naked and coat them in old back axle oil.

"Interesting to see someone has never used spacers. I think the through bolt takes fore and aft loads whilst the U bolts take vertical loads."

That sounds right. I don't think the chassis section would be strong enough to hold the spring without a tight "U' bolt. The early chassis with extensions over the spring apparently cracked as the spring flexed.

I have not seen the spring packings, front or rear, on the few pre 1930 cars I have worked on - the saloon may have them - not checked.

"The red fibre packing is intended to go under the rear spring (and above the front spring) and is to prevent fretting between the spring and the chassis"

The red fibre rear spring packers are not listed in the Spare Parts before 1928. The front spring always had a packer (possibly originally wood).
The rear spring packers would have to go under the spring, if on top the through bolt and 'U' bolt could not be properly tightened and would most likely cut through the packer.

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne, Australia.

I have always run with my springs naked as I don't like the idea of the leaves not being visible for occasional inspection. I am an advocate of lobbering the springs with old grease or oil and massaging it into the gaps between the leaves.
I have made packing pieces in the past out of Foamex plastic or oak. When using the wooden packers I covered them liberally with grease as this makes them easier to insert and protects them from decay.
After fitting new springs, it is prudent to check the tightness of the u-bolts and main through bolt as things settle down after a few miles of road use.