Thread: Model A rear spring hangers

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Originally Posted by 452 Hemi

Hi

Just last night I found that Posies sell a shortened super slide rear spring for the Model A.
It is designed for a spring perch C/L to C/L distance of 62 ½ inch
Vegard

Looks like you're doing well on your project, just one thing though.

Not to pick nits on you, but sometimes these threads are used for future reference by others. That figure of 62 1/2" for the hangers seems to be a typo. Looking at the way your tires fit to the body and eye-balling the wheel offset, I'd bet your whole rear axle assembly from mounting flange to mounting flange isn't over 57". Could you verify what you ultimately did?

I've got the Posie 29-31 R-C spring and my hangers are 44 3/4" hanger center to hanger center. Sorry I didn't answer your question when you first did the thread, but I was in Vegas and the car is here in Washington.

Hi again

CL-CL on my spring hangers are 46 1/2".

Sorry for the mixup...................

Vegard

I spent a fair amount of time around a Model A repair and restoration shop and the one thing I remember about those springs is they wouldn't even attempt to install one without the spreader tool.

Originally Posted by willowbilly3

I spent a fair amount of time around a Model A repair and restoration shop and the one thing I remember about those springs is they wouldn't even attempt to install one without the spreader tool.

I have found the easiest and safest way to mount a transverse spring is to unpack the spring, put a couple big "C" clamps on either side of the center bolt, than remove the center bolt and replace it with a length of "All Thread rod" and some big fender washers and tighten down, Remove the clamps and slowly run the nut off the all thread, watch closely to make sure none of the leafs in the pack are walking out to the side,.... as you loosen the nuts the pack will relax and the tension will come off the spring,...... mount the main leaf, which now can be done by hand,.... (than basically you just reverse the procedure) and using all thread rod, big flat fender washers, an being careful, you just tighten up the nuts,.. ( again make sure the pack leafs are going together straight and none are walking on you ) when the pack is compressed, take two big "C" clamps and put one on either side of the center bolt,..... take out the all thread and replace it with the center bolt,..

I started doing it this way when my spring spreader folder up under pressure with a 32 - 34 Ford curved rear spring on it and whizzed past my head 32 years ago.,..... B.T.W. the spring in the picture is a curved 1934 Ford spring. this process has never failed me.

That's exactly the way I do my springs Highboy. I'm like you, I have a lot of respect for all that stored up energy in a spring. I had a coil spring come out on me one time when I was installing it and it just missed taking my head off. The clamp/all thread routine you describe works great and is the safest IMO.

Don

I did many a spring that way - back in the old days when I did mechanics for a living (sort of).

Good tip, thanks. I have never messed with those rear springs but have had to improvise on many coil installations.

Does the 32 frame relocate the rear spring behind the axle? My 29 has the spring over the axle?

The short answer is yes. I wouldn't call it "relocate", it's the normal design difference between the two models. There's probably more to this story?

I tried to make a spring with different springs that we had,I ended up buying one from speedway and it worked well, My mount for the spring are way wider then what they were stock, we used a spring spreader. The car has a Pontiac rear end, but I have a franklin 10 inch quick change to put in.