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reverse eye springs

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 49anglia, May 14, 2008.

  1. 49anglia
    Joined: May 10, 2008
    Posts: 160

    49anglia
    Member

    I read the tech on doing this at home. Was going to do mine, seems easy enough. Some folks have brought up the safety issue though. Anyone run a 'home reversed' spring?

    Is it really safe to do with a jig and a jack, forcing the leaf past its 'spring' or does it weaken.

    Just wondered if i should get it re rolled and re tempered profesionaly.
     
  2. Most likely the pros will do it just like you.
     
  3. 49anglia
    Joined: May 10, 2008
    Posts: 160

    49anglia
    Member

    Would they not roll it to reverse it though? Would it not be retempered after?

    If not, ill do it myself.
     
  4. I don't think you can do it by forcing it past center and not have it just come back. Spring steel doesn't work that way as far as I know. I think if you forced it far enough to take a set it the other direction it would lose all tesion.
    What I did was watch a local spring shop reverse one and then did it at home. Basically I slowly heated the current eye until it was a Cherry Red. I then Uncurled the eye and rolled it back the opposite direction until it was reversed. I had clamped the end of the spring around a piece of thick wall tubing the diameter I wanted the eye and just wrapped it around. Then did the other one and just let them cool naturally. Some kats said I should have quenched them but I don't know about that and mine worked fine, so take it for what it's worth. Ran the spring for 4 years that way, no problems. It was a Model A rear spring.
     

  5. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    I of course did not roll the eye around. I did re-arch the spring without heat. Worked for me but I didn't drive the car on the street. Drags and El Mirage and salt only. El Mirage can get pretty bumpy. This was a '32 Ford front spring with a 302 GMC sitting on it.
     
  6. 49willard
    Joined: Nov 2, 2006
    Posts: 93

    49willard
    Member
    from Maine

    The normal method to reverse the eyes on a main leaf is to just reverse the arch in the spring. Spring shops and individuals have done it like that for years.
     
  7. 2-TONED
    Joined: Jan 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,683

    2-TONED
    Member

    so you heated the end of the spring while it was clamped to something then unrolled the eye by moving the whole spring around --
    then reclamped it to a pipe, heated it while you rolled the whole spring back around reversing the eye? sounds good im going to try it some time. - was it hard to keep it even, any cracks?

    i reversed a 34 spring in the press, spent 20 minutes going a little at a time. we then put it on the floor & bounced around on it awhile bottoming it out & then we put it under the tire of a 1/2 ton chev 4x4 pickup that happened to be jacked up here & it flattened the spring right out for about 5 minutes & when released it went right back into shape maybe took 1/8 in out of the arch.
     
  8. No problems with cracking or fatigue. I was thinking more of a high arch spring like a Model A rear, as that's what I had done. I think the title "Reversed Eye" made me think of reversing the eyes versus re arching. You are all absolutely correct about being able to Re Arch a relatively flat main leaf. I had a friend from New Zealand who was an Indy Car mechanic who used to do it with a hammer! Said it was better to "Shock" the spring to re arch it. Not sure if that makes sense but his stuff never seemed to sag out afterwords so what the heck.
     
  9. 2-TONED
    Joined: Jan 31, 2005
    Posts: 1,683

    2-TONED
    Member

    ive also heard of doing it with a hammer & its maybe better but its got to be loud i dont like loud.

    yes a model a spring id think would need the ends rerolled.
     
  10. Wildfire
    Joined: Apr 23, 2006
    Posts: 831

    Wildfire
    Member

    The jig and jack works fine - did mine over a year ago - no issues. I've also had an A rear spring heated and unrolled.

    Two methods, both work apparently.
     
  11. 39 Ford
    Joined: Jan 22, 2006
    Posts: 1,558

    39 Ford
    Member

    Spend the money and buy a Posies spring,they are also made with less arch to further lower the car. I am cheep but do not fool around with things that can hurt me.
     
  12. 49anglia
    Joined: May 10, 2008
    Posts: 160

    49anglia
    Member

    Cool, thanks folks. Ill get a spare spring and give it a go.
     

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