Front spring advice- A-V8

Karl Wolf

Karl Wolf

Well-known member
I'm looking for advice- my A-V8 Roadster has very stiff front suspension. I am looking for a softer ride.
It's got an original 1930 frame with a 33-36 axle and a 1932 spring, with six leaves. I am thinking of going to a new aftermarket spring but open to dropping a leaf. Not so open to a mono leaf. Or?
I am seeking other's experiences...
Thanks in advance, Karl

Yes- it's the car in the photo
 
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The car in the photo?

Whats leading you to think its wrong?

Try unhooking the shocks and see if the spring feels different then.

Also look at the end of the leaves and make sure they are not digging into the leaf below them, if they can't float they will bind and make things feel stiff.

Its not a big job to remove a leaf and give it a try though anyways.

Good luck!
Zach
 
I'd vote for pulling a leaf or two. I pulled half of them out of my jalopy and the front now rides like a Cadillac. Plus its free!
 
A 32 spring would have 12 leaves and have 7/8 eyes on the main leaf. They had a spring rate of about 150 lb/in. The aftermarket springs typically have a rate of 250 lb/in.and 6 or7 leaves. The mono springs are about 500. I woud try to find a stock A spring and work from there.
 
I had a spring made for my 34 but removed about 3 leaves ,greased them then added some light shocks from a small jap car rides good .
 
If you have only six leaves in your spring and you are experiencing a stiff ride then something is wrong. As suggested above, remove the shocks and check the leaves at the ends for gouging into the leaf below.

If this were mine I would be removing the spring and taking it apart to check each leaf.
 
For a soft street ride, you need to be around 100 lb. per inch on the rate.
You will have to play with the amount and year of leaves to get this.
Get some old iron (heads manifolds etc) and hang it on your chain hoist.
Let the weight down easy on a bathroom scale. Adjust the amount of iron till you get 200 lb.
Roll the front of the car under the hoist and let the weight down while measuring the chassis deflection. 200 should push it down 2 inches.
Do all this with the shocks disconnected.
 
I just hope you know how to take a spring apart otherwise you could be needing to see Dentist Or Doctor speaking from experience on a rear spring but fortunately was out of the way or it would have VERY Seriously hurt me it hit the ceiling in the garage
 
Karl,
In the AV8 I am building, I used the stock "A" spring with a new reversed eye main leaf from Chassis Engineering. I have all the leaves in it with hydraulic shocks. The car hasn't had it's maiden voyage yet, but by bouncing on the front end it doesn't seem that it will be a hard ride. Sometimes the old springs get the arch knocked out of them from years of use, and this will also give you a hard ride.

Bob
 
My AV8 has a beautiful ride in front with five leaves. Got five in the rear too, from memory, plus teflon strips between each leaf. No teflon strips needed in the front spring.
 
Getting nice action with a leaf spring requires that the leaves be free to slide one on the other. Old springs got rusted up and it would have the same as no spring at all. Having everything nice and smooth with spring liners between the leaves or a nice spray on dry lube such as Slip Plate (I got mine from NAPA) or frequent shooting grease between the leaves should make whatever you have work better.
 
I had the same problem with my AV8 coupe.I used model A springs with new reverse eye springs with 3 springs removed front and rear.I found it very stiff ,every little bump in the road rattled my teeth.I changed to new posie springs , which made a difference.
But the change that made the biggest difference was the shocks.I was not getting enough shock travel on the front and had to much angle on the shocks.Changing those to things made the ride a lot better.
That may be something to look at.
 
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