I am the third owner of this 165c Canadian car with 29000 miles on it ,that I bought in 1970. It was sold by a local Ford dealer when new in 1930 .I am now doing a body off restoration and discovered that it has a 12 leaf front spring .Would this be an option .and would it make the car ride rougher ?
A 12 leaf front spring in my Fordor
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Joe K
Well-known member
Yes and yes on both questions. You may take some benefit from the heavier capacity spring to a potentially heavier body style.
Original 10 leaf front springs are known to take a "set" in time. They can be "re-arced" which involves bending the spring material past it's yield (and a potential to initiate a crack) but is commonly done.
And even re-done given the propensity of the front springs.
I would leave a 12 spring under your car. The difference is more than made up for in the shock setting.
Heh. I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my 29CC pickup truck of a 12 leaf front. But this a personal "affectation" and attempt to duplicate in period accessory a "macho" manly thought as many do with lift kits for their modern trucks. (The difference in height or even ride between the 10 and 12 leaf spring are actually quite small when put on the Model A ford. Given the 10 leaf rear done up for load carrying my truck rides like a truck already. So much for macho.)
Go with what you gots and be happy?
Joe K
Original 10 leaf front springs are known to take a "set" in time. They can be "re-arced" which involves bending the spring material past it's yield (and a potential to initiate a crack) but is commonly done.
And even re-done given the propensity of the front springs.
I would leave a 12 spring under your car. The difference is more than made up for in the shock setting.
Heh. I wouldn't mind an upgrade to my 29CC pickup truck of a 12 leaf front. But this a personal "affectation" and attempt to duplicate in period accessory a "macho" manly thought as many do with lift kits for their modern trucks. (The difference in height or even ride between the 10 and 12 leaf spring are actually quite small when put on the Model A ford. Given the 10 leaf rear done up for load carrying my truck rides like a truck already. So much for macho.)
Go with what you gots and be happy?
Joe K
Thank's Joe .I live close to Mile 0 of the Alaska hi-way and don't know of another 30 ForDor to look at so am getting a lot of information from this site and the Judging Standards book . When something is different than normal It is hard to find if it was done original ,I am the second owner of a 28 AR that has a honeycomb rad that came with the car from new . .And both of my cars have single plate glass in the windshields ?? They were bought locally at the Ford dealer when new . I bought the 28 from his mechanic in 1955 and the other in 1970 .They are great cars .