Enhanced rear springs buttons

[daverclasper]

Thanks for all your info on this Cliff. Very useful

[Jon J 1250]

Hi all,

I have my 55k mile spring apart, but I have to say I am not convinced by the alternative thrust buttons available on eBay.

They look much too thick to me, maybe they’re just intended to fix sagging springs, but mine gives slight positive camber even with the original buttons, see photos, I don’t want to encourage the old swing axle party trick!

Also I’m fairly sure the buttons are intended to shear rather than slide much on the spring as evidenced by the ring wear mark the have left on the top of the next leaf. Surely a button made of a hard material will slide and over time risk wearing into the leaf below. 

I have seen the trouble Steve’s Project Car Garage had with putting his Spitfire spring back together with the Delrin buttons (@£30/set). He eventually admitted removing them as the rear suspension wouldn’t go back together properly with them fitted….I’m really not convinced about this, I suspect some good quality rubber buttons will be best here.

Regards 

Jon 

[68vitesse]

I just cut some buttons from polyurethane sheet with a wad punch when rebuilding my Vitesse rear spring. Had to use a hydraulic bearing splitter to cut them, I don't have a hydraulic press, with a piece of steel over the bearing splitter.

Tried with my biggest hammer, waste of time.

Regards

Paul.

[Colin Lindsay]

I had no problems with the white ones on my Herald, neither stance nor handling; if any problems were encountered at all it was due to me refurbishing the original spring, then afterwards refurbishing another - which I thought was a nicer job since I'd located new spacer tubes - and so used that one. It's actually 'wobblier' if that's an official term, not as precise or sharp, I feel that the Herald is slightly boatier, and if it wasn't so much bother I'd go back to the original again.

  

[Jon J 1250]

Thanks Colin, I appreciate you sharing your experience with these, but I think your last photo illustrates my concern.
The gaps between the leaves are pretty large and so it looks a though you’re having to squeeze the spring in a vice so that you can get the shackle spacer tube and bolt in, I am no expert but suspect this is not how they were intended to work.

This appears to be stressing the leaves, making a pinch point at the shackle and may wear excessively on the hard contact surfaces, plus I can’t see how this won’t produce too much positive camber unless you’re using a spring that has already sagged quite a bit.

I have looked at photos of new and nos springs and they don’t look like this.

I’ll keep an open mind but think it’ll go with cutting some out of a sheet of good quality rubber for now.

Regards

Jon

Edited December 31, 2023 by Jon J 1250

[alan.gilbert_6384]

42 minutes ago, Jon J 1250 said:

Thanks Colin, I appreciate you sharing your experience with these, but I think your last photo illustrates my concern.
The gaps between the leaves are pretty large and so it looks a though you’re having to squeeze the spring in a vice so that you can get the shackle spacer tube and bolt in, I am no expert but suspect this is not how they were intended to work.

This appears to be stressing the leaves, making a pinch point at the shackle and may wear excessively on the hard contact surfaces, plus I can’t see how this won’t produce too much positive camber unless you’re using a spring that has already sagged quite a bit.

I have looked at photos of new and nos springs and they don’t look like this.

I’ll keep an open mind but think it’ll go with cutting some out of a sheet of good quality rubber for now.

Regards

Jon

This is worth a read, it explains the difference between swing and fixed springs as well.  I think Steve has a fixed spring?

http://auskellian.com/paul/links_files/performance_enhancements.htm#Achieve_Better_Suspension

[Stratton Jimmer]

That's a very good article so thanks for the link Alan.

[68vitesse]

I bought some stainless steel tube, to cut new spacers, and stainless nuts and bolts for the clamps.

Regards

Paul.