It could make the springs more bouncy by reducing friction so good strong shocks would the be necessary. The Standards were not good riding cars even by 1935 standards.
I'm at the spring restoration stage of my 38 coupe. I plan on having a spring shop disassemble and test/compare/arch the springs on each axle so they are a match left to right.
I then plan on blasting each leaf, epoxy priming them and then "maybe" line them with a stick on friction product like the link below or one of the liner products available from the regular suppliers.
I may then put a light coat of grease on the exterior of the assembled leaves and then plan on getting some of the spring covers made out of metal as my car originally came with them.
The early leaf springs were apparently intended to provide some dampening action (like a shock) by the individual leaves rubbing together as they move. If you add the liners or lube it may change this aspect but if your shocks are working correctly it could soften the ride. It may not be dramatic though. In your case rebuilding the shocks would have the largest impact.
1938 Canadian Pontiac Business Coupe (aka a 1938 Chevy Coupe with Pontiac shaped front sheet metal - almost all Chevy!) 1975 4-speed L82 Vette
I have used a graphite-based grease called "slip-plate" when assembling leaf springs after they are cleaned up. Buy it at a John Deere farm equipment shop. Shocks should be rebuild regardless of spring condition- they affect the ride considerably.
I've had my 1935 Standard coupe since 1973. I never thought about it riding rough. Maybe it's because I was 25 years old at the time and was so thrilled to have it, that I did not notice. Maybe it's because my previous collector vehicles included a Model T Ford, Model A Fords and a 1938 Chevy 1/2 ton. I have been blissfully ignorant for all these years on the subject of ride quality. I'm about to bring the car out of semi-retirement with new tires and brakes so we will see if my perception has changed. The problem is, my primary comparison vehicle will be my 1936 1-1/2 ton Chevy truck. I'm thinking the '35 is still going to ride pretty nice. I think the solution to your ride problem is to get a second (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) vehicle such as a truck, tractor, or skid loader. Whenever you are going to take your '35 out for a drive, first take a spin in said other vehicle. I think you will have a greater appreciation for the ride characteristics of your '35 Standard.
Great comments here about ride quality in these older vehicles.
Mike's perspective really matches mine. What are your expectations of ride quality in an 80+ year old vehicle? Yesterday was a fairly decent late winter day here so I took off in the Miata rather than the '37. Wanted to put the top down and enjoy the weather. Many people think the ride quality for that car is terrible. I was never impressed with the ride quality and noise in my standard suspension '72 Corvette.
Overall I am extremely please with he ride quality of my "37 Master coupe. I was surprised how well it rides and steers with that solid front axle. And I quickly learned that good shocks are critical! Even the single acting lever arm shocks make a big difference.
The question of spring liners or other methods to reduce inter-leaf friction is interesting. I worked with a machinery designer who talked about jacking up his Model A to let the axles drop so he could put oil between the leaves. He said it was like riding a Pogo stick for the first 50 miles until the oil got worn away!
Tim will remember that the transverse rear spring Corvettes had liners in that spring assembly. They would wear away at the ends so you would have metal on metal just like an unlined spring. I replaced mine hoping it would "soften" the ride. It did not change the ride noticeably but did reduce some noise.
If you are going to install liners where there are none today I expect you will encounter 2 issues to consider. One is the possible need for longer u-bolts because the assembly will be taller due to the thickness of the liners. The other is that it could impact ride height. That effect will depend upon whether the spring mounts above or below the axle and if the long leaf with the eyes is at the top or bottom of the assembly.
Last edited by Rusty 37 Master; 03/05/2002:52 PM. Reason: Spelling
You need to compare the ride of the 1938 and prior Chevrolet cars with knee-action VS straight axle. If you get accustomed to the knee-action ride the straight axle cars do not come close. Same for steering and handling. In those years Chevrolet had the best riding low priced cars if equipped with knee-action the poorest ride with straight axle.....from my memories.
