lubeing leaf spring

Of course all this discussion is mute with a new reproduction springs as lubing is not recommended. Different type of spring steel.
 
jb-ob said:
Of course all this discussion is mute with a new reproduction springs as lubing is not recommended. Different type of spring steel.
Click to expand...


Fake news. No basis for this claim by Eaton Detroit Spring. Even they can’t cite any evidence for it.
 
Interesting Alex, because all Eaton's literature says not to lube their springs.

Same went for the company that produced the springs for A & T from Conn
(now closed).

You own it, do as you please.
 
jb-ob said:
Interesting Alex, because all Eaton's literature says not to lube their springs.

Same went for the company that produced the springs for A & T from Conn
(now closed).

You own it, do as you please.
Click to expand...


I’m willing to believe them but the level of explanation required is pretty high, since this rule contradicts everything else we know about the relevant metallurgy. I called them up and the guy was like “Yeah, I do remember we said not to do that, but I have no idea why.”
 
I guess they want to hedge on warranty. If the temper of the spring steel is questionable then the steel on steel friction will slow the tendency to sag but not by much. That does contradict the companies that put Teflon strips between leaves. A person would think they would have more confidence in the quality of their products than that. Graphite is a dry lube so crud won't be attracted to stick on there. Teflon adds thickness to the pack so it would require compensation to keep the pack in a dimension that will fit the U-bolts.
 
The best explanation we came up with on another FB thread is that grease attracts dust, and dust between the leaves abrades the spring. But that's a very different reason from "petroleum products react with SAE 5160 steel," which is what the website says. If they want people not to grease the spring for grit-accumulation reasons, they should just say that, not try to impress customers with a faux-scientific rationale.
 
I greased up my springs and installed spring covers (gaiters) last week as suggested in posts 5 and 11. I installed them as suggested in post 12 and they fit great. I used Lucas Red & Tacky Grease. What an improvment in the ride. I actually had to adjust my shocks so they were stiffer.
 
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There's a lot of sales pitches used in bearings nowadays I find many where they say lubricated for life in a sealed roller bearing On typical riding lawn mowers the spindle bearings at least on mine I only get 2-3 years of life out of them and I gotta replace them So when they say lubricated for life you tend to think life is a long time but In reality it could be just a year or 2.
 
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