Radiator frame mount spring?
- Thread starter 56sedandelivery
- Start date
KULTULZ
Well-known member
... hmmph ...
Can you show a photo of your pad?
I would think it would have to be secured in some fashion so as not to possibly pop out.
Dave?
GAW
Junior Member
No 52 F1, sorry for the confusion. I thought it might be similar enough to help or even possibly use same spring.
56sedandelivery
Well-known member
Okay here are some pics. First pic is the pad where I shuck some sandpaper to show the slots in the pad. 2nd pic shows the pad with nuts and bolts holding it on. 3rd pic is of the frames itself. 4th pic is with springs on top of the frames and the pad just hangs there. 5th pic is with the springs below and it is resting on the nuts which are spreading the slot out. Neither one of these ways looks correct to me.
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Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
You have the wrong pad. All full-size car and wagon models had a rectangular shaped pad, about 1/4" thick with two little holes in it. The two little holes are used for poking a piece of baling wire through and attaching the pad to the bottom of the U-shaped radiator support bracket. Your springs, washers and castle-nuts go on below the front crossmember center bracket (as in the last picture). All you need is the right pad. It is available at most of your favorite repo parts suppliers.
KULTULZ
Well-known member
!!! AHA !!!
That's what I see on the below photo -
NOTE - The wire only. The photo shows the springs installed incorrectly.
This assembly sequence is correct other than the pad (and springs) itself -
NOTE - The springs go under that metal center mount.
CORE SUPPORT - Insulator - AD 8125-B - .62in THICK - 2.80in LONG
Last edited:
56sedandelivery
Well-known member
Will check and measure tomorrow but that is part number on the pad. So bailing wire not nuts and bolts to hold it to core support?
KULTULZ
Well-known member
That sounds correct to me per Dave's suggestion. The cap screws definitely didn't work and I was just guessing on that per the wrong ILL I posted.
One ILL I posted showed something that looked as wire but I had no idea regarding that and the ILL also had the springs installed incorrectly. My mistake again for not noticing detail.
This has been a learning thread.
56sedandelivery
Well-known member
Checked the pad and looks to be the right one other then it has the slots. Number on it is AD 8125 B. It measures 2.75" long, 1.26" wide and .790" tall/thick. The process moves on. I have some good bailing wire ( never throw anything away lol) so will try that and see. Got the pad from Concours
56sedandelivery
Well-known member
Been too cold here in the shop to to anything with it.
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
I just looked at catalogs from 3 different repo parts vendors and they all show the same oversized (thick) radiator support rubber pad. I'm pretty sure each of these outfits gets their rubber parts from Dennis Carpenter.
I fear that by using this thick pad, the studs at the bottom of the radiator support might not be long enough to permit installation of the springs and nuts below the frame crossmember center bracket.
I lost my old Metro Moulded parts catalog, but I would bet that they offer the correct pad thickness. The factory pad couldn't have been more than 1/4" thick. I've seen enough of the original pads to know. Both of my '55 cars have replacement pads on them and they are a little bit thicker than the factory pad, but do allow for the springs to go on with a little bit of play between the coils. However, those were installed decades ago, so apparently, the repro parts mfrs are using a different mold.
My suggestion: Call Metro Moulded Parts and ask them to measure the thickness of the pad they offer. If they tell you it is 3/8" thick or less, BUY IT.
Alternative: Obtain a flat 1/8" thick rubber pad and cut 2 pieces to size and punch holes in them for wiring them to the bottom of the radiator support bracket.
Note: The factory original "baling wire" that was used to attach the rubber pad to the bottom of the radiator support was actually a 12 gage piece of COPPER wire (single strand, as in bare household electrical ground conductor). You got a piece of that laying around, just cut a piece long enough.
Here is how the factory attached the rubber pad to the radiator support:
Bend the wire to a U-shape to align with the two little holes at the bottom of the radiator support. From the top, poke the ends of of the wire thru the holes in the radiator support, then poke the rubber pad thru the wires sticking down from below. Pull the copper wire tight so that it is flat at the top, then bend over the two wires to meet in the middle of the rubber pad at the bottom. Twist the wires together one time and bend over flat against the pad. The wire needs to be real tight so that the bent over wire at the bottom of the pad sinks into the rubber pad. That way, the rubber pad will sit on the front crossmember without the wire rubbing against it (theoretically). It appears to me that the factory installations may NOT have INITIALLY been good enough to have the wires completely sunken into the rubber, BUT, after a year or so of heat from the radiator transmitting to the rubber, the wires would eventually sink into the rubber and seal the rubber pad good to the top of the crossmember. And it wouldn't hurt anything, since the two little springs would simply be allowed to expand a little bit after the pad had settled.
Over and out.
I fear that by using this thick pad, the studs at the bottom of the radiator support might not be long enough to permit installation of the springs and nuts below the frame crossmember center bracket.
I lost my old Metro Moulded parts catalog, but I would bet that they offer the correct pad thickness. The factory pad couldn't have been more than 1/4" thick. I've seen enough of the original pads to know. Both of my '55 cars have replacement pads on them and they are a little bit thicker than the factory pad, but do allow for the springs to go on with a little bit of play between the coils. However, those were installed decades ago, so apparently, the repro parts mfrs are using a different mold.
My suggestion: Call Metro Moulded Parts and ask them to measure the thickness of the pad they offer. If they tell you it is 3/8" thick or less, BUY IT.
Alternative: Obtain a flat 1/8" thick rubber pad and cut 2 pieces to size and punch holes in them for wiring them to the bottom of the radiator support bracket.
Note: The factory original "baling wire" that was used to attach the rubber pad to the bottom of the radiator support was actually a 12 gage piece of COPPER wire (single strand, as in bare household electrical ground conductor). You got a piece of that laying around, just cut a piece long enough.
Here is how the factory attached the rubber pad to the radiator support:
Bend the wire to a U-shape to align with the two little holes at the bottom of the radiator support. From the top, poke the ends of of the wire thru the holes in the radiator support, then poke the rubber pad thru the wires sticking down from below. Pull the copper wire tight so that it is flat at the top, then bend over the two wires to meet in the middle of the rubber pad at the bottom. Twist the wires together one time and bend over flat against the pad. The wire needs to be real tight so that the bent over wire at the bottom of the pad sinks into the rubber pad. That way, the rubber pad will sit on the front crossmember without the wire rubbing against it (theoretically). It appears to me that the factory installations may NOT have INITIALLY been good enough to have the wires completely sunken into the rubber, BUT, after a year or so of heat from the radiator transmitting to the rubber, the wires would eventually sink into the rubber and seal the rubber pad good to the top of the crossmember. And it wouldn't hurt anything, since the two little springs would simply be allowed to expand a little bit after the pad had settled.
Over and out.
KULTULZ
Well-known member
56sedandelivery
Well-known member
okay lets see if this is correct. Took the rubber that is .79 thick and used the belt sander to get it down to .62. Next got a piece of number 12 wire to hold it to the support. Threaded the wire from the top of the support thru the holes in the support, thru the rubber pad (top center). Next twisted the wire over each other tightly holding the pad to support (lower left pic). Installed the springs from the bottom of frame with washers and nuts (lower center/right pic). A piece of wire to hold it on seems mickey mouse but if that is how it is done so be it.
