DIYbanter - View Single Post - De-arching leaf springs ?

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wrote in article
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Anyone know the mystery art of getting some of the arch out of some
used leaf springs ?

I thought it had to do with heating and cooling, but an old timer said
that the spring guys would just beat on them appropriately in the
right spots and they would straighten out. I would assume the
appropriate spots would be on the inside of the curve in order to
stretch it, but not sure.

I have an older truck with some broken and mismatched leaves up front.
The main leaves are fine... I just need to take some newer leaves I
have laying here and flatten them out a bit if possible.

thanks

Grummy

The spring shop I used to work in now has a huge press, and they
arch/de-arch leaves cold.

When I worked there 35 years ago, we used a four-pound hammer and a large
anvil......cold.

And, I have re-set the arches on dozens of spring leaves over the years.

Hit the side you want the spring to go to......more arch, hit the inside of
the curve - less arch, hit the outside of the curve.

When you hit the spring and everything isn't square with the anvil, you
will get what is known in the business as a "....hand full of bees."

Just thought you should know.