Rear spring
- Thread starter tinkirk
- Start date
SSsssteamer
Well-known member
For over fifty years I have been removing and replacing old Ford springs quite regularly . I have a very reliable home made spring spreader that I have been using all of these years. Yesterday I had my first accident. I had model A truck's rear axle out with the torque tube standing straight in the air. The leaf spring was on the ground with the spring shackle nuts off and I was driving the rusted in shackles out using a drift punch. After I got the first shackle loose on one end, I noticed because of my persistent hammering that my spring spreader had slipped half way off of the spring. I should have clamped the spreader immediately where it was. Instead I tapped the spreader with my hammer to center the spreader on the spring eye. Things happened so quickly that I couldn't see what happened next. My spring spreader was launched like a horse's kick against my right ankle and I guess that it was also the spreader that tore the flesh from my right forearm. The lightening fast moving spreader almost broke my ankle. I will heal up this time and I hope that there will never be another accident with any axle spring again. Please be careful.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
SSsssteamer, glad it wasn't any worse for you.
I thought the wedge plates had tabs on the outer edge to hold the spreader in the spring eye. I made my own spreader and used steel plates that were about 1/2" wider than the spring, so it would have these tabs to lock it into position.
BTW, my stupid move with the burning plastic on my hand has mostly healed and most of the skin damage has repaired itself. Too bad our Model A's can't repair themselves the way the human body can.
I thought the wedge plates had tabs on the outer edge to hold the spreader in the spring eye. I made my own spreader and used steel plates that were about 1/2" wider than the spring, so it would have these tabs to lock it into position.
BTW, my stupid move with the burning plastic on my hand has mostly healed and most of the skin damage has repaired itself. Too bad our Model A's can't repair themselves the way the human body can.
SSsssteamer
Well-known member
SSsssteamer, glad it wasn't any worse for you.
I thought the wedge plates had tabs on the outer edge to hold the spreader in the spring eye. I made my own spreader and used steel plates that were about 1/2" wider than the spring, so it would have these tabs to lock it into position.
BTW, my stupid move with the burning plastic on my hand has mostly healed and most of the skin damage has repaired itself. Too bad our Model A's can't repair themselves the way the human body can.
I don't have the tabs on the outer side of my wedge plates. I should have put them on, but I didn't. Another round tuit.
SSsssteamer