reversed eye model a spring

Is there anyone out that that knows the procedure for reversing the on a model a spring with a press, if so could you walk me through it. Or do I just buy new vern tardel stuff

 

I can't help with the how too, but keep in mind that if you flatten it out as well ( to get you lower again ) the eyes will be further apart, putting you shakels at the wrong angle, when they make a new reversed eye spring it is a bit shorter.

 

Buy the proper item and keep your old spring for another project.

 

I saved thos pic for future reference should be enough to get you where you need to go.

 

Check in tech section. There is a thread on this subject.

 

There are several how to threads on the HAMB that describe reversing the spring in detail. I would put up some links but I'm on this damn IPad. Learn to use the search function, all the basics have already been covered many times and you won't have to deal with all the "experts"...

 

Here you go.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90824&highlight=reverse

 

Thanks everyone! dirtyjoe that is what I was looking for. Still a novice to this site but I'm finding my way around better everyday

 

That thread is really helpful!
I made a press and did a spring a few weeks ago.
It'll only take a half hour at most after you build the press.

 

I have opened up a vice and laid the spring in the opening and hit it with a hammer back and forth the whole length until I bent it the opposite way, Draw the arch on a peice of cardboard before you start so you get the same arch. I heard this is the old way they use to do it, I don't know if that is a correct statement but it works.

 

Take two pieces of 3"x14 angle iron and a 4 pound hammer.

You can attach the angle iron to a couple of pieces of 4x4 ( wood) or to your floor back to back with about 3" between the flanges.

Take you main leaf and lay it on the floor and draw a chalk line along the arch for reference, now lay the spring across the angle iron arch up and working back and forth begin smaking it with the hammer as you smak it and slide it you will notic that the arch is flattening out, eventually it will begin to arch on the opposite direction, Once you begine to build an arch in the opposite direction you will notice that the sprin eyes have been reversed, now it is time to start checking every little bit against your chalk line on the floor, you can leave a little less arch in it if you want it reversed and dearched or get it back to original or even ad a little arch if you want.

Anyway that is how it is done the old tried and proven way. It is work but what isn't.

Or you could contact Vern Tardel he produces an excellent product, probably as good if not better than anyone else in the industry.

 

I see in the link that the second spring leaf had to be shortened.
Could this leaf have safely been removed?

 

U

I hammered mine. Wear ear protection and gloves, possibly padded. It works.

 

It really is suprisingly easy with a press set up.

Heres what I did,
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=694680&page=7

 

Are you talking about a front or a rear? The front is fairly straightforward as explained in the various replies and links: You reverse the arch in the main leaf so the eyes end up reversed. Doing that to a rear with its "humpback" sounds like a completely different ball game. Trying to reverse the arch and recreate the hump sounds nearly impossible and certainly not worth the effort. Try your local springshop and see if they can build a new mainleaf with reversed eyes.

 

When I was 15 an old guy told me how to do it. I said well that won't work, so he took me to his garage and showed me, after the first couple of whacks he handed me the hammer. That was 43 years ago give or take a year, I am still doing it that way. I am just dumb I guess.

 

no porknbeaner you are not dumb, that is the same way we used to do them down south, the ones we worked on were for a dirt track car and everybody thought they had to be stiff, stack a couple of packs of leafs together and the car would be way too high in the back, take them apart and flatten, with just a small arch, this was on 55 chevrolets

 

I want to do this with my rear A spring. All I can think is DAMN THATS ALOT OF WORK but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end

 

The guy that showed me started out building souped up model Ts & As in the '30s.

I have done it on a spring press when I worked in a spring shop for a while, I have done it more the hard way. I look at it this way, not everyone has a press or room to keep one, almost anyone can get their hands on a piece of angle iron and a beater. And you can put it away when you are done with a minumum of storage space.

Hillbilly,
It is work, makes my shoulders hurt just to think about it. It is easier if you can find a friend to help, I usually end up with the missus holding the spring while I work it. We used to trade off but her shoulders are gone now, and she never was real good at the hammer part when her shoulders were good.

 

Go down to the railroad track and find where two tracks come togather. Select your spacing, lay the spring down and start beating. This way you don't make too much noise at the house with all that hammering. Thats what an old times said they did. Yes, I have seen it done like this and I might even be gulity. Never seen a rear done by the hammer method. You go first Mikeeee.

 

When you tell your buddy you need help reversing the spring, grab the hammer before he does, and hand him the gloves to hold the spring! Sure vibrates the hands.

 

I've watched the hammer method tried and seen the spring end up in two pieces when you get to the middle by the center bolt hole!

 

Must have been a rusted/bad spring that would have broken with even normal use.