RUSTED SPRINGS. TEFLON ANYONE?

[seabug]

With a question mark over the reliability of singe galvanized springs for boat trailers,and the black multi-leaf springs rusting into a solid block,I was wondering if Teflon could be placed between the leaf springs to keep them from locking together.

Has anyone tried it?

I do not think that it could go full length as it would compress and loosen the axle U bolts.

Could a spacer of metal be placed in centre of spring where the U bolts go?

And get track machined out of the teflon spacer(say 2mm deep and as wide as the spring in a 4mm x70mmx300mm piece of teflon material.

These could be held in place by a lengthened clip that holds the ends of the leaves together.

It should maintain the soft ride of the new springs

So
Is it practical ?
Is it worth the effort?
Is it a stupid idea?
Is it legal?

Comments welcome.

Regards
Seabug

[finga64]

Good idea #:)
HR and I'm sure other earlier holdens had a teflon type disc that sat in a hole in a leaf and worked on the other leaf. They were easy to change when needed and made the springs 'work' a lot easier.
Changing just ment bashing a screwdriver or similar in to open the leafs, dig the old one out, bung in a new one, pull the screwdriver out and hay-presdo job done.
So it must be practical
It's worth the effort if you so desire
Not a stupd idea as a HOLDEN had them. :)
Must be legal has HOLDEN had them.
Maybe I'm a bit biased ;)

[Dignity]

not sure I am reading either thread right - always thought that the mechanics behind how a slipper spring worked was based on the friction between the leaves - a teflon insert as seabug is suggesting would make it one hell of a slippery little bugger - the trailer would be up and down like a ............ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! yo yo

haven't seen what finga is suggesting but it doesn't sound like a full length insert, haapy to learn all about it though


Sam

[coasty]

seven years ago i put lanoline on my springs and heated it with a heat gun. the lanoline spread through the springs and there is very little rust on them.
cheaper than most other ideas

[rowanda]

I just put new springs on my trailer (old ones just fell apart one night in the garage - should have changed them before this I know), anyway I got a different kind of slipper spring that instead of being 5 or 6 etc leaves joined together it is actually 1 thick leaf , came in 3 sizes and they are fantastic. Had them on my last trailer too, good because it doesn't trap the water inbetween the leaves and weren't any dearer. I have a single axle trailer with a haines 530F, 115 suzuki and all up springs,bolts, shackles etc was around $100
(the guy that sold them to me said to rub black paint off and coat in cold gal to make last even longer)
not saying they are the best but works for me and seems to last well
trailer also doesn't handle any differently and I have taken on highway quite a few times

[finga64]

not sure I am reading either thread right - always thought that the mechanics behind how a slipper spring worked was based on the friction between the leaves - a teflon insert as seabug is suggesting would make it one hell of a slippery little bugger - the trailer would be up and down like a ............ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! yo yo

haven't seen what finga is suggesting but it doesn't sound like a full length insert, haapy to learn all about it though


Sam

Close, the mechanics is the how the spring bends and returns to the original 'set'. The slipperyer the surfaces the better the spring would be able to firstly bend (because of little friction with the ajoining leaf) and secondly return to the original 'set'. The disc that I'm talking about are only about 1 1/2 inch in diameter and sat in a hole that was towards the ends of the spring leaf. ie if your finger was a spring leaf the disc would be about where your fingernail is. There was no need for packers of any description where the centre pin or u-bolts are.
Hope my description isn't clear as mud??

:)
You can also get the "super singles" that Rowanda is talking about in gal. as well
P.S. Coasty's lanolin idea will probably work just as good without the hassles. Lanolin's pretty slippery stuff :)

[cooky]

You can also get the "super singles" that Rowanda is talking about in gal. as well


I'm pretty sure I need to get new springs for my trailer (5 yr old Dunbier) - single axle with a 5.4m glass.

Don't know how bad they are, just look really really rusty. I'm worried about any highway work at the moment because I don't like the idea of them snapping at 100 - has anyone had this happen?

Interested in this thread and the options. What is the best solution? what's the best place to get them from? (bias, bcf or a specialist spring place?). Should I just go for these 'super singles'? are they as strong and good?

[finga64]

Good advice and good price from Active Fabrications at Beenleigh
Ph 3807 6666
They'll sell some real quick.
If your happy with the setup you have now stick with it. It's proven. :)
Leaf springs also available in gal.
Are you happy to change them cooky??
Where are situated??

[Eagle]

I have written about this subject before, If you do a search on springs you should be able to find lots of info. Search the other forums as well for this info. (I read them all and reply to everybody).
My trailer has leaf springs, 4 leaves in each spring, and one of the leaves at the very bottom has broken into three pieces. I have still to take it off and change it. The springs are galvanized and I will be giving both of them the big toss. I hate galvanized springs in any form and will be replacing them with a 3 or 4 leaf type made from normal black spring steel. The idea of spraying, dipping with lanoline is a super idea. Yes, springs work by flexing and the less friction involved, the better. Painting with cold gal is a great way to go but the paint will eventually wear, smear away. However, anything that will protect the steel is much to be prefered to hot galvanizing. I like the idea of having only one leaf as there is no crevises to rust and imobilise the spring. However, if the leaf does snap, you are in a real mess. My broken spring still alowed me to travel 300k and its still being towed down to the ramp which is only 15k down the road. Actually, I think it works better with just the 3 leaves. I have no idea when the leaf actually broke into 3 parts. It will be fixed before I do another long trip. I am still deciding what load rated springs I should use. One thing for sure is, It will not be a hot dipped galvanized spring.
Eagle

[finga64]

I hate galvanized springs in any form and will be replacing them with a 3 or 4 leaf type made from normal black spring steel. Eagle

Why??

[Thunderbird]

There was a guy that made springs from a composite material out the back of boltking at capalaba you might want to call the boltking for his contact details.
I'd never thaught of it until i got a boat, but it makes sence now and this would of been 3 year ago that i'd seen them.
Cheers birdy. ;)

[Eagle]

Why do I hate galvanized springs?
Hot dipped galvanized springs are subject to sudden failure and follow murphys law. ie, they break at the worst possible moment causing the greatest amount of damage. This has not happened to me but it has to my friends. IMO they are very risky units to use on any vehicle. The problem is that the zinc melts at a higher temperature than the temperature that the springs were tempered. The steel is reheated to a temperature that will soften the spring resulting in a weak spring. OK, not all spring steels are subject to this softening up but many of them are badly affected by the extra heat. You dont know what the chemical make-up is of any spring that you buy. "Oils aint oils Sol and steel aint steel" Many of you reading this will say that their gal. springs have lasted for years without any misshap. likewise, many of you will also complain that the gal. springs on their trailer only lasted 12 months or less. Metalurgy was my favorite subject at college and I did a lot of work with springs in the laboratory. The final result of all this is that galvanizing will greatly affect the life of the spring. I have never had an "all black" leaf spring break on me but the galvanized ones certainly have snapped. I would like to experiment with a set of torsion bar springs but I have not had the time to do it. Did you know that a coil spring is actually a torsion bar form of spring? The torsion bars on the VW's were one of the most perfect spring designs ever made. These were a straight bar style and the VW suspension speaks for itself. Just one last note. If you ever pull a leaf spring apart to clean the rust off it, dont ever grind it off with an angle grinder so that you leave grinding marks that run across the width of the spring leaf. The best way to grind off the rust is to use a belt type of grinder/sander and run up and down the leaf lengthwise. NEVER go across the leaf when removing the rust and scale. The crosswise scratches (CUTS) will create high stress points and the spring will snap from fatigue much quicker that you thought possible.
Eagle

[staino]

I read your threads with great interest, Eagle. I am about to change the single leafers on my new trailer primarily because of the hard ride (re: thread alko suspension). I can see now how disastrous it would be if one of them snapped as there is nothing to keep the axle LOCATED in it's correct position. I was going to put gal 3 leafs on but not now. On my old savage snipe/brooker trailer (bought new 19 years ago) I painted them with 2 coats of killrust metal primer followed by 3 coats of black enamel (cleaned thoroughly with turps 1st to make sure there was no oil or grease) and gave them a quick spray with inox every 2nd or 3rd trip. The paint did not peel or crack & when one spring finally gave up the ghost last month it certainly wasn't due to rust. Even though one leaf snapped allowing the guard to drop to the point where the nyloc nut holding the guard on carved it's own groove in the tyre (lucky I'd cut the excess bolt sticking out ) making plenty of smoke in the process, I was still able to limp home after removing the guard. cheers staino

[blaze]

ok
a set of 4 slipper springs @ around $100
spend $10 000 + on a boat
if they need replacing just replace them, whats a $100 every few years.
I dont look after my spring apart from a quick wash with the hose, boat gets a scub every few trips so a bit of detergent might drip on them then.
never had a trailer spring break (snapped a shackle once)
when they are too rusty just replace them.
cheers
blaze

[staino]

Alright, whats a $100 every few yrs? Spend $3000 on a boat, motor & trailer. After 18yrs cost equals $600. A bit of paint plus 4 cans of inox, about $50. Saving, 4 daiwa lagunas & the best part, I don't get under the trailer for 18yrs. cheers staino.

[Bosunsmate]

Hi Cooky,

Go to Tyrepower next door to Pickerings, they have the lot at reasonable prices as well.....I recently redid my trailer and got everything from there.....PM me for further info :exclamation