Projects A Rear Spring Question- which rides the best?

Got a T spring on the back of my A right now and stance is pretty good but ride is bouncy as shlt. Anyone tried a few different springs (A with leaves removed, roadster, coupe or speedway high or medium arch, etc) and found one that rode better than the other? What's your favorite? Really trying to keep this traditional so don't want to go the coil over route so looking for best riding rear banjo spring if anyone can help. Thanks.

 

Do you have shocks and what type?Correct for weight?

 

Show us a good picture or a few, of the rear suspension and shocks. Then we can probably help. Gary

 

Bouncy harsh or bouncy trampoline? Harsh is too stiff a spring, trampoline is ineffective shocks.

 

I have a stock A spring in my roadster reverse eye with leaves remove and a set of shocks......very stiff ride.
Took the shocks off....rode a little better but not much. About a month of riding around sans shocks I decided to put some softer shocks on....I discovered the car had settled about 2".....got a set of shorter shocks to fit the new ride height and still a bit stiff......I added 160lbs of weight in the rumble seat area a little better but not great.
I just live with it now.
Interesting I do not hear a lot of complaining about this with other AV8 owners.

 

They are speedway shocks- didn't look for a number on them yet but will. It's a T spring with 3 leaves removed- not sure which in the pack.

 

Guess I would describe it as a bounce after the bump. Like it wants to put my head in the ceiling. Not bouncy though as like a typical shock.

 

I have a speedway medium arch spring I was going to try and see how that worked but am kind of thinking it may still be about the same. That's why I figured I would ask you all.

 

2" is a huge settlement. May try a sandbag but think I will bottom out.

 

Yeah, I was very surprised at that as well. But it was pretty high in the rear so 2" was a nice unexpected drop.
I have not z'd the rear frame as I wanted to maintain the rumble seat.

 

I would suggest that the spring is not really working correctly as it is almost bottoming out on the spring hangers. The shackles are hanging almost straight down instead of at a 45 degree angle which allows the spring to flex and give a softer ride. Shocks should act to damping the vibrations not make the ride "stiff"

 

Any multiple leaf spring has a great deal of friction between the leaves, I drove a screwdriver between each leaf end about an inch from the end and the next longer one and stuck a shortened( to spring width) six penny nail in perpendicular to the spring and created basically roller bearings in the springs in several of my trucks......softens the ride considerably......

 

In your pictures your shackles are almost bottomed out just sitting there, so you need a stronger spring or a shorter one. Also I like to have the shocks straighter up and down and as close to the outside as you can. Gary

 

If the nails fall out does that cause a flat?

 

Here is a spring ahead design using an A cross member and a T spring with the third leaf down removed due to it being broken. It also has two leaves added in the middle of the stack. It looks like it will ride ok with the body on but unloaded it is stiff.

 

My input:
As said, spring is too long, shackles are almost vertical. Appears to have rust in between leaves. Shocks may be too stiff.
Now, having said that, you will NEVER get a short wheel base car to ride real well, no matter what you do, especially a vehicle with both springs directly over the axles.
If your spring didn't appear to be too long, I'd suggest you remove it, blast each leaf and then coat each leaf with a graphite based paint. This will allow the spring to be much more compliant.

 

Indeed

That sounds like bottoming out.

 

Ok, but why are the u-bolts upside down?

 

Jimmy2car: "Now, having said that, you will NEVER get a short wheel base car to ride real well, no matter what you do, especially a vehicle with both springs directly over the axles."

Amen to that.......!
Pretty sure that's why Ford went to the spring ahead/behind method.......a much softer ride.

 

All makes sense to me. I will measure the perches tonight and see if the speedway spring looks like it will work.

Thanks fellas.

 

So they don't hit the differential housing

 

Stock A spring perch width is 49 1/2", 35-40 perch width is 48", T spring perch width is 48". Check your spring perch width. Is your spring bottoming out on the perch where it comes off the rear end?

 

Probably not much help in your situation, but I am using an early 40s Ford front spring located behind the axle along with the same speedway shocks and long ladder bars (p&j style canted inwards). The ride is supple and forgiving and does not bottom out. Also, as others have mentioned, getting the correct shackle angle is crucial from noT only a ride but also a safety standpoint.

 

I like the feel of a coil sprung suspension, not coil overs but coil springs and shocks. Like was done in the'60s.

We are using a 40 spring in the T roadster and it is not bouncy, I prefer spring behind which means moving the rear cross member in an A but it is worth it for me. I'll probably either run coils or a 40 behind the axle in my A sedan.

 

St. Louis Spring built me an A spring with a T curve, and reversed eyes. I ran with seven leaves, and had to make a spacer to sit on top so the U bolts would hold it tight. This with friction shocks. They are adjusted 1/2 turn tighter until you reach the ride you want. I have a really screwed up back, and this rode well for a T roadster.

 

Again if you reverse the eyes of a stock spring main leaf the center to center dimension will be long than a stock main leaf so you need to adjust the length (make a new leaf) that will give you the flex you are looking for along with softer rebounding shocks. Clean the leaves, grease them up (IF you are "traditional") and wrap with friction tape/laced up canvas covers to keep them clean and functional