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Flipping leaf spring shackles 41-57

Started by Jeff Maltby 4194, May 19, 2010, 10:36:05 AM

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Jeff Maltby 4194

Having recently changed out my leafs, I was introduced to the saga of flipping the shackles and trying to keep them there when jacking. I spoke to Eaton yesterday and he stated ! I've never heard of this EVER. A design flaw would be my bet with the shackle/leaf eye being too close to center allowing this ?

What's your experiences on this matter, as I just can't believe this situation and certainly not out on the road changing a flat.
Jeffo 49er chapter

CLC 1985
Honda Gold Wing GL1500

Jeff Maltby 4194

 I haven't been able to get mine (2nd picture above ) past center to the rear as this oem spring.
Jeffo 49er chapter

CLC 1985
Honda Gold Wing GL1500

Peter Nieuwlandt

Hi Jeff

I think Your new springs are a bit too strongly centered.and I guess your sits a bit too high also in the rear ?
Maybe You didn't get the correct springs.
Another set of springs or get these springs adjusted should solve the problem

Peter
Peter Nieuwlandt
CLC 17863

Joe

Jeff: I had the same darn thing happen to me on my '50. It was up on the hoist, wheels hanging free. I pulled out the driveshaft, removed /reinstalled transmission and driveshaft. Never touched the springs.When bringing the car down, the shackles pivoted forward instead of backward. This raised the rear of the car way up in the air. I said Whattdaf????  I raised the car back up. this time on the way down I used a floor jack on the axle as light tension was put on the springs, and stopped partway down. A little help from a pry bar tilted the shackles back. Then I lowered the hoist some, lowered the floor jack some, back and forth till all was in place. I couldn't hardly believe that happened......and that was with the factory springs.

John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.

Jeff,

Once upon a time, when I was young, and lived in Hayward, California, we would take a crow bar and flip these springs to jack the rear end up. So not sure if I am reading this correctly, but this was also a common occurence when one put the car on a lift and the guy did not know what he was doing, the leafs would spring would flip to the high position.

the johnny
John Washburn
CLC #1067
1937 LaSalle Coupe
1938 6519F Series Imperial Sedan
1949 62 Series 4 Door
1949 60 Special Fleetwood
1953 Coupe DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille
1992 Eldorado Touring Coupe America Cup Series

Gerald Karasinski

I just finished flipping the rear shackles on my 41 conv. coupe. Its not that difficult once you see it done. Raise the car on a hoist by its frame. Let the rear wheels drop, this allows the shackles to open. Place a 6 foot or so pry-bar in the shackle and pull down on the end of the bar as you have the hoist lowered and the wheels touch the ground. As the weight of the car settles on the springs the shackles will stay past the center to the rear of the car. We did both springs at the same time.    Good Luck

karacomp

JEFF;  I forgot one important item. The shackle bolts and the front spring bolt should be loose. Touqre them after the car is back on the ground, otherwise you will be working against the rubber bushings.  Jerry
'41 6267D Conv. Coupe
'60 6239   Sedan   Flattop
'56 Lincoln Premiere Sedan

Steve Passmore

#7
This is an interesting topic Jeff as I had the same happen to me when restoring my 41 years ago using original springs, I couldn't get my head around it but now I read your thread I see is it a factory thing, but not a flaw as such, the flaw is Cadillac left something out.  When restoring my 37 convertible I noticed Cadillac had developed a small bracket attached to the frame just in front of the rear hanger, this prevents the shackle from moving forward over centre when jacked up,  job sorted, so this has been a problem with Cadillac for some time.   Cadillacs flaw is that for some reason they left it off later cars when the problem was still there, strange.
Anyone arguing that they didn't get this situation must have weak springs because the correct "set" will always bring the spring forward of centre.   The problem with the big lever bar answer is what it does to the paint on a restored car.
Also with a restored chassis before the weight of the body is on it its not possible to flip the springs back as the keep flipping forward again.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

autoluke

Try a long 2 x 4.   Enough leverage while protecting the painted surfaces.

Phil
Phil Lukens

Steve Passmore

I tried timber Phil  but sadly when the spring is over centre and tight against the chassis at the front only something very narrow will fit in. I found a 30 inch "crow bar" did the trick.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

Jeff Maltby 4194

Steve. Do you have a picture to post of the bracket ?
Jeffo 49er chapter

CLC 1985
Honda Gold Wing GL1500

Steve Passmore

Heres a picture of the bracket on my 37 Jeff. you could easily make something like this and bolt it on.

Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

Bill Podany #19567

This condition on a 41 Cadillac is real; my mechanics have had to deal with it many times.  One ingenious mechanic I had in Green Bay, Wisconsin devised a device that prevented this from occurring when he worked on the car.  Clearly this is a design flaw by Cadillac.  Unfortunately, somehow, I cannot find that prevention mechanism since moving from Wisconsin to Tennessee.  Senior agedness is the problem, because I always thought I retained this clever device in the trunk of the car for any future uses. 

Bill Podany
Knoxville, TN 
1941 60 Special Fleetwood
1955 Eldorado

Jeff Maltby 4194

Gentleman. I don't see how this wire bracket would hold the shackle from flipping forward ? With so much tension on a 49 leaf/other years, it must be stopped from flipping at the bottom of the shackel forward is my best guess ? What am I missing here in Steve's 37 cad picture to prevent this and how would it apply to later years ?

Thanks for all the insight..whew.
Jeffo 49er chapter

CLC 1985
Honda Gold Wing GL1500

Steve Passmore

Sorry Jeff thats just the way the picture got took, it was difficult to get enough light under there, its not wire, its a piece of steel plate 1 inch wide and 1/8" thick bent into that shape and riveted on,  the end of the spring eye comes up against it before the shackle gos over centre.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe