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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 154
Shade Tree Mechanic
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OP
Shade Tree Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 154 |
Hi,
I have a 1956 Bel air 4 door.
I think the rear springs are original to the car, and they are sagging.
What springs would you recommend for this application?
The springs in there now are 4 leaf springs. Was that original to the car?
Would 5 leaf springs be a better and safer bet?
Thanks.
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Willwood Engineering
Wilwood Engineering designs and manufactures high-performance disc brake systems.
Wilwood Engineering, Inc. - 4700 Calle Bolero - Camarillo, CA 93012 - (805) 388-1188
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,701 Likes: 141
ChatMaster - 25,000
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ChatMaster - 25,000
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,701 Likes: 141 |
The five leaf replacements will make for a stiffer ride and set the rear end up higher.
If it were mine I would stay with the four leaf as the newer replacements do not tend to sag as much.
Gene Schneider
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 154
Shade Tree Mechanic
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OP
Shade Tree Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 154 |
Ok, thanks.
Just curious, are the 5 leaf springs a dangerously stiff ride? I don't want the 5 leaf springs to make the rear look ridiculously high....is that the case in your opinion?
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,024 Likes: 99
ChatMaster - 4,000
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ChatMaster - 4,000
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,024 Likes: 99 |
Spring rate (stiffness) is different that load capacity and height.
If everything else (spring length, leaf width and thickness) is the same a 5 leaf spring will be about 20 to 25% stiffer than a 4 leaf. The 5 leaf spring can be designed and built to give the same unloaded ride height as the 4 leaf. Under the same load the 5 leaf will not settle as much.
Rusty
VCCA #44680
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Joined: Nov 2003
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ChatMaster - 2,000
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ChatMaster - 2,000
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see if there is a spring shop in your locale that can re-arch your original springs. there is a shop in Frostburg, Md that I've used in the past, successfully. mike mccagh
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,701 Likes: 141
ChatMaster - 25,000
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ChatMaster - 25,000
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,701 Likes: 141 |
I had the springs on my '57 Nomad rearched,,,,lasated one year and I replaced them with new and 12 years later still good.
Gene Schneider
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,472 Likes: 26
ChatMaster - 7,000
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ChatMaster - 7,000
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I had the springs from my 32 re-arched 22 years ago and after 12 thousand miles they are still fine. I think much depends on the ability of the shop doing the work and the condition of the springs to start with.
Steve D
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 12
Grease Monkey
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Grease Monkey
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 12 |
The 55/56 Chevy rear springs were a tongue and groove design as I find on my '56. The service manual illustrates the same. Eaton-Detroit Spring says that tongue and groove spring material is no longer produced or available from their material suppliers. Was there that big a problem with spring leaf alignment in the 50's that they had to use that alignment technique or was that another one of those "engineering dreams" that got sold to management?
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,701 Likes: 141
ChatMaster - 25,000
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ChatMaster - 25,000
Joined: Jan 2002
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It was not tounge and grove but had only the grove on the bottom of the leaf and did not keep leaves aligned.
The only problem was the springs tended to sag under heavy use. was a little better in 1957 when the put more arch into the springs so when they saged the rear end did not sag as much.
Gene Schneider
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