I've been trying to contact Travis M Cook of "A" Springs in CT. His website is down and his phone number (860-233-3557) no longer works. Does anyone know what happened to him and possibly have current contact info? He has always been the "go to" guy for Model "A" springs and shackle bushings.
Travis Cook "A" Springs
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Joe K
Well-known member
I may be among the last to actually talk to Travis before he "threw in the track shoes." (Literally his words)
He indicated he's running down his stock, didn't have the spring I wanted, and was having difficulty getting the "thicknesses" required anyway.
"If you want a spring with the eyes turned 'up' I might have one of those left."
Also that he wasn't getting any younger and Covid seemed like a good time to "wind down the business."
I did leave him with my number in case he had a change of heart, or found enough to scrape together "one more front spring."
In time and a little gamble, I ended up getting a front spring from Macs - but this before their own more recent "consolidation." (OBTW, the Macs spring was torn down and I found the leaf thicknesses/dimensions to be consistent with the Ford drawing - so there is some chance of it not being yet another "trailer spring" as has been sold by others in the past.)
I still marvel at the "Model A front springs" being advertised on Ebay - a front spring with FIVE leaves. (It should be 10 or possibly 12 for an AA-Early Truck.)
Joe K
He indicated he's running down his stock, didn't have the spring I wanted, and was having difficulty getting the "thicknesses" required anyway.
"If you want a spring with the eyes turned 'up' I might have one of those left."
Also that he wasn't getting any younger and Covid seemed like a good time to "wind down the business."
I did leave him with my number in case he had a change of heart, or found enough to scrape together "one more front spring."
In time and a little gamble, I ended up getting a front spring from Macs - but this before their own more recent "consolidation." (OBTW, the Macs spring was torn down and I found the leaf thicknesses/dimensions to be consistent with the Ford drawing - so there is some chance of it not being yet another "trailer spring" as has been sold by others in the past.)
I still marvel at the "Model A front springs" being advertised on Ebay - a front spring with FIVE leaves. (It should be 10 or possibly 12 for an AA-Early Truck.)
Joe K
I needed a front spring a couple of years ago. Eaton Detroit supplies springs that appear to have the proper spring rate, but eight leaves substituting for the original ten. I ended up accumulating three old springs, salvaged the best leaves from each, cold re-arching them, and hopefully ended up with a good one. I have lots of leaves (duplicates) left over for anyone who would like them, free to get them out of my hair.
Joe K
Well-known member
The trouble with "old" springs (front) is that the "pre-load" is frequently "lost." You can tell how much or all has been lost by removing the center assembly bolt (carefully) and seeing how much the spring "jumps" as it disassembles itself. (a clamp is recommended for safety)
The spring leaves as they were originally formed were bent to a "caul" which makes each leaf not sit "flat" upon the leaf below it. Hence the requirement for a longer center bolt and "taking up" the spring on assembly as each leaf compresses to the next. (and a care required on disassembly you don't get hit as the spring "unloads.")
In age the pre-loading is relieved incrementally as a natural thing. This pre-loading SHOULD be restored in preparing a used spring to be re-used.
The spring drawing has been referenced here - it shows not only the compressed state of each leaf but also the "caul radius" each leaf was bent to.
Hence my interest in not using a choice of at least two old springs and instead seeking a "modern replacement" that gets close to the original.
There are those here on this board who routinely "tune" springs back by restoring that caul radius/pre-load.
Perhaps one of these will see this and reply?
Joe K
The spring leaves as they were originally formed were bent to a "caul" which makes each leaf not sit "flat" upon the leaf below it. Hence the requirement for a longer center bolt and "taking up" the spring on assembly as each leaf compresses to the next. (and a care required on disassembly you don't get hit as the spring "unloads.")
In age the pre-loading is relieved incrementally as a natural thing. This pre-loading SHOULD be restored in preparing a used spring to be re-used.
The spring drawing has been referenced here - it shows not only the compressed state of each leaf but also the "caul radius" each leaf was bent to.
Hence my interest in not using a choice of at least two old springs and instead seeking a "modern replacement" that gets close to the original.
There are those here on this board who routinely "tune" springs back by restoring that caul radius/pre-load.
Perhaps one of these will see this and reply?
Joe K
In a perfect world, with good quality new parts built to original specs, a new spring is the ideal way to go. In an imperfect world, ya do what ya gotta do to get as close as you can. Yes, you can hot re-arch old leaves to original, but I've only seen a fuzzy copy of the original specs that I could not read, so I could not go that way.
If anyone has the original spring arch specs in a form that can be read, I think we all could benefit from having those posted. I've only seen a small, highly pixelated and fuzzy copy of the original print, and could not read it.
If anyone has the original spring arch specs in a form that can be read, I think we all could benefit from having those posted. I've only seen a small, highly pixelated and fuzzy copy of the original print, and could not read it.
Joe K
Well-known member
We're reinventing a thread from about a year ago.
Including the difficult to read spring print from Brentwood Bob.
Not to critique - the Internet is what it is.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315098&highlight=front+spring
This - again - one of those cases where an online access to original Ford Model A drawings would be a help. As it is, you have to see the database at MAFFI https://www.maffi.org/WSContent/Parts.html, use that and apply to the HenryFord.org - and pay the research confirmation (does the print exist?) AND pay per sheet duplicated.
The Internet is what it is - but it beats "archival storage" which is where Henryford.org is at.
And as all HF prints are on microfilm, you can never be sure of "readability" even from that source.
The days of drawing done in ink on linen are long gone. I've done it. Perhaps this is for the best.
Joe K
Including the difficult to read spring print from Brentwood Bob.
Not to critique - the Internet is what it is.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=315098&highlight=front+spring
This - again - one of those cases where an online access to original Ford Model A drawings would be a help. As it is, you have to see the database at MAFFI https://www.maffi.org/WSContent/Parts.html, use that and apply to the HenryFord.org - and pay the research confirmation (does the print exist?) AND pay per sheet duplicated.
The Internet is what it is - but it beats "archival storage" which is where Henryford.org is at.
And as all HF prints are on microfilm, you can never be sure of "readability" even from that source.
The days of drawing done in ink on linen are long gone. I've done it. Perhaps this is for the best.
Joe K
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Bob Bidonde
Well-known member
Spring leaves eventually fail by brittle fracture because they work harden with use (flexing). Spring steel is heat treated to make the leaves durable and efficient springs. The good news is that springs do not decay with calendar time, they decay by their amount of deflection and their number of deflection cycles.
Elliptical & semi-elliptical springs will loose their arc due to the freedom of motion enabled by spring hangars (perches) and the deflections due to their loading.
Given that original springs have excellent metallurgy, excellent load carrying ability and the mileage (deflection cycles) of Model A springs is relatively low, restoring original spring leaves is a reasonably good practice in my opinion. However, AA's are a different story because of their rugged / abusive service lives.
Elliptical & semi-elliptical springs will loose their arc due to the freedom of motion enabled by spring hangars (perches) and the deflections due to their loading.
Given that original springs have excellent metallurgy, excellent load carrying ability and the mileage (deflection cycles) of Model A springs is relatively low, restoring original spring leaves is a reasonably good practice in my opinion. However, AA's are a different story because of their rugged / abusive service lives.