Painting Springs?

[Hedd_Jones]

Its worth noting that leaf springs are still relativley common on new modern vehicles. Particularly japanese 4x4s. None of the manufacturers lubricate or wrap them.

[David Cochrane]

I wrapped my Cup's springs (well-greased) in Denso tape - lovely sticky stuff - what could go wrong?
However, I had to reset the rear springs about 1500 miles later and found to my surprise & dismay that underneath the tape the springs were rusting badly. They are now bare, but greased from time using a Terry's spring leaf greasing tool.

[JonE]

It's interesting to see the handbooks are advocating oiling? I thought that oiling/greasing was affecting the tension of the spring in the same but opposite way as binding them; i.e. if they were too taut, then it may help them move more. But with the issue that you are also introducing cutting compound qualities (sticky and gritty) to an uncovered spring.

[Bob Olive]

+1 for using Terry's spring greasing tool/

[Barry Townsend]

Since replacing my RN rear springs I've sprayed them with Duck Oil rather than painting them, thus far they still look like new two years on.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

One thing to be wary of when greasing springs, and leaving them uncovered, is that grit and dust from the road sticks to it, this then acts as a grinding paste and eventually the leaves wear into each other. This manifests in what appears to be a machined shape on the top of the leaves that matched the shape of the leaf above.

As a direct comparison our Chummy came with gaiters and I grease those. The RK has uncovered springs that are over 30 years old and have never seen a drop of grease - both cars ride the road very well indeed.

[Nick Mayne]

If you think about the geometry of the springs you will realise that the leaves have to slide over one another a very small amount. That plus Ruairidh's comment about grit etc leads to the wear of the imprint of the end of one leaf into the leaf above. Because of the movement I believe the leaves should be lubricated. Indeed when my mother had her Morris serviced in the 50's the garage always sprayed the springs . My old A7 rear springs had the remains of a very thin zinc sheet between each leaf which was perhaps original (1932?). That would have provided some dry lubrication and helped with wear so might be the ideal solution. As we cannot go that way I have greased the front spring leaves then wiped them over and wrapped them with the sticky Denso tape and I hope the grease will keep water away. The back springs were new and assembled so I could not grease them and I immersed them in old engine oil for a few days before wiping and wrapping with the tape. Remember many of the older more prestigious cars have leather gaiters over the springs. No perfect solution really.

[Duncan Grimmond]

I would think that while zinc will act as a slippy interleaf, water together with the steel of the spring will create a noticeable Galvanic effect and rot the zinc away while scarring the steel?
I know from our work that I would never use steel pins on a zinc counter but brass ones are fine. However, copper is definitely out!

[Dennis Nicholas]

Doesn't old engine oil contain acidic content?

My springs have been stripped down, the surfaces polished a bit and painted with POR15.....thinly.  They were then wiped over with Molyslip (it is like graphite, consisting of very  slippery plates).  As I understand it Moly is very difficult to remove once it is on.
Once finally fitted I will refit the leather gaiters made from the sleeves of an old leather jacket and held in place all the way along with copper wire (striped from old electrical household wiring).  The wire is fixed at start end then lies along for a couple or so inches then bend 90 degrees and one turn round spring, then end fed behind the first loop and continue in same fashion to the end where the end is tied off around the end of the spring so stoping the wire sliding back.

Dennis

[David.H]

I understand upmarket cars pre 1939 often had zinc sheet between the leaves. My 1947 Rover 12 tourer has automatic chassis lubrication (about 23 points I recall) using EP90. It certainly finds it's way from the eye pins to lubricate the springs!  No sign of wear on the springs.