VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 POLY-RIDE SPRING LINER

This item looks like it goes over the leaf springs? I've never seen that on a car. What is it for? I saw it in the AAA catalog. It comes in 20 ft, rools either of 3 different widths.

Are you talking about the material that goes between the springs???
Denny G

I don't know. If it goes bewteen the leaf springs how could you install it without taking everything apart?

Where did you find this POLY-RIDE SPRING LINER that might help us find out what it is used for.

To use the Poly spring liner, the leaf springs have to be taken apart. I used this stuff once and I will never use it again!

Why? Because it's a lot of trouble. What was the purpose.

Yes, it is a lot of trouble. Every time the leaf springs flexed the liner would slide out from between the leaf springs because it was so slick.

The liner is supposed to take the place of a lubricant between the leaf springs because it is extremely slippery. It is also supposed to eliminate any noise when the leaf springs rub together as well.

Amazing..I learn more every day. I had never heard of something like this. I did see a photo of a dust cover type bag that was laced over the leaf springs of a 1908 Rolls Royce. I never did fully undestand the purpose.

I have it on the front springs on my 37 p/u and no problems so far,the stuff I got is made so it wont slide out.

About that spring lubricant. According to the shop manuals the springs are meant to "operate without lubricant between the leaves. Lubricant other than provided at the time of assembly will cause too lively spring action resulting in short spring life".
Because of this the poly liners never seemed like a good idea. As far as lubricating the leaves with anything at all, I'd like to hear what someone like Eaton Detroit Spring has to say on the subject.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have used it on several sets of springs, never had a problem.
I have one vehicle that has had it installed for 20+ years.

DD

Well I’ve been dancing all around this one for the last couple of days because I’ve got my front springs off and will have them apart for cleaning.
Mike at Eaton-Detroit Spring in his tech tips advocates the use of the poly liners or buttons as long as they are Delrin and not just a cheap plastic knockoff. No petroleum grease on leaf springs made after 1950 (roughly) this can cause failure if the spring material is SAE 5160, which was used in the later springs.
I’ve been reading about Daimler-Chrysler using synthetic damping grease in their leaf springs but I haven’t found a source for the product. Supposedly it stays in place, keeps moisture and dirt out. I'd prefer to use something like this rather than Poly liners.

It's only common sense next, but you don’t want anything between the leafs that will compress like paint or plastic which will allow the tension on the center bolt to loosen up.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Also, on the earlier springs like the 1929-32 springs for example, when the Poly liner is installed it is very difficult to rebend the "U" shaped spring clamps back around the leaf springs after they have been apart due to the extra thickness of the Poly liner between each spring.

That occured to me earlier JYD. I've got to replace a couple of clips that were broken and I've been thinking of just replacing them all on the front springs while I'm at it.
Like I said, I'd like to try the Damping Grease rather than liners.
DG

You can get the chrome clips if you like that kind of thing.

Some vehicles used a nylon button at the end of each lower leaf that were held in place by a depression or hole in the shorter leaf but even this idea seems to have been deleted in the later models.
Tony

Same here. I put it on my '33 3 window coupe and it was a mess and wouldn't stay straight.
I bought a big roll and still have some of the stuff.

I don’t know if this would interest anyone, this is just a simple afternoon project for all the old timers here. But I finally got the chance to finish the restoration work on my ’50 pick-um-up front springs this week. Some of the new guys here might get some ideas if you’re thinking of using the original style spring clips. Maybe I didn't look hard enough but I couldn't find that type so I made my own.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/3604_suspension&page=4
Now all I have to do is wait for the paint to dry.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, i love your work, and the photos you share with us.
Those new spring clips look absolutley original.!!

If you bend a piece of sheet steel around the folder or bender blade first, it increases the inside radius of the clips and helps to stop the outside edge of the bend splitting.

Did you form the springs aswell?

I figured that that one picture would draw a comment from someone, but you haven’t heard the whole story. No need to worry about bend radius with 1010, 1015 or 1018 annealed low carbon stock Jack. You should be able to bend any of that material back on itself with out it fracturing. I posted that for the benefit of the McMaster Carr rep I was discussing the problem with. I’d ordered a length of 1018 from them planning to make up two sets of clips. The first batch of clips I made up I did all of the work on them and when I went to bend them they would begin to fracture at about 45°.
I’ve worked in and owned machine and welding fabrication shops all of my 67 years. I’ve built two aerobatic airplanes and used to supply many suspension parts for midget and sprint cars and ran them on our cars. We never had a problem with forming cold rolled 1018 before. McMaster sent me out a second batch and this time I made a bend in the bar before doing any machine work on it, and that 1018 snapped also. Come to find out that their material is B72-B86 Rockwell, I should have read the small print. The is well into the full hard condition for 1018. They do not stock annealed cold rolled, that’s handy thing to know if you need to form it. I bought stock from Metals Superstore in the city just the other day and asked about the condition that their cold rolled 1018. The rep said their’s was full annealed and I’ve had no problem forming it.
Bend radius generally only becomes important when you get into the alloys like 4130 or Aluminum alloys. Cold worked 1018 or 1025 that is in the quarter or half hard condition also needs bend radius consideration and in the full hard condition will only take a small amount of bending before failing.
I annealed a piece of that material from McMaster and you can bend it up at a sharp 90° just fine without fracturing.
As a final material I switched to 1015 Hot Rolled since this application really doesn’t demand any more strength than that.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Good explaination Denny,
I am very used to working with 4130 chrome moly and 2024-t3 and 7075-T6 aluminium alloys.

You didn't mention about the springs themselves, did you change any of the leaves, particularly the main and second one.
I went through disassembly and reassembly of my 1939 springs in the 80's , but now have a couple of broken leaves which i need to replace. The 1939 has tapered leaves and so are a bit more work than most spring shops care about.

No, I didn't feel there was any need to replace any leaves. There was very little wear and as you can see they only needed a little wire brushing to remove some surface rust. Part of the yellow part number was still on the main leaf after I wiped off the mud and grease.
DG