39 6127 Spring rebuild

[lou-q]

Has anyone had their leaf springs rebuilt or re-arched. When I was into hot rods in the 60's in Chicago there was a spring shop that would do anything you wanted done to springs.
My springs are a little weak and the car bottoms out once in a while, also it sits leaning a bit to the passenger side.
Would a spring shop rebuild last or should I bite the bullet and buy reproduction springs for about $700+?
Also do you think I should do the fronts at the same time?
Thanks,
Lou Quirch

[markl]

Lou,
The new spring option is attractive, but if your 39 springs are like my 37 springs, you'll find the new ones aren't an exact replica of the originals.  I say that because, at least on the 37 and 38 springs, there is a groove that runs down the center of each leaf that serves to locate the spring isolator (insulator?) pad.  The new ones may (should) perform to the original specs, but will not look the same.  So it gets down to whether or not the car will ever be entered into judged events.

As to the sagging on the passenger side, have you looked to see if there is a broken leaf in there?  If not, most spring shops will take them apart and then swap every other leaf between the lefts and rights.  I'm wondering why the right side would sag first; maybe caused by the effects of engine torque?  Or maybe the car was previously owned by Jack Sprat!  Anyhow, finding a good spring shop w/in driving distance is probably your first step.  I don't know where that would be in Florida, but it will most likely be a shop whose main work is for trucks.  Hopefully someone in your neck of the woods will read this thread and give us their experience.

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216

[lou-q]

Thanks Mark,
The car is not in Florida, it's at our summer home in Indiana.
I found a spring shop in Indianapolis that would do the work (two hours away). He said that they would take them apart and replace what was needed.
I didn't ask if they would do the labor of removing and replacing from the car. I was thinking of removing them myself and taking them up there.
Thanks again,
Lou Quirch

[markl]

Lou,
If the car is in Indiana, I would bet your options for spring shops are much better, and sounds like you found same only 2 hours away.  I would proceed w/ the removal, and if the spring shop thinks they are not salvageable, they should tell you.  They may also be able to add some supplemental leaves if this is required, but the "clips" that hold the whole works together would have to be lengthened.  BTW, what I referred to earlier as an "isolator pad" is properly referred to as a Waxed Liner.  There are modern material replacement for these, but they won't fit the grooves in the leaves that I referred to.  There is also a product that is a spray graphite lube and I think it is available at Tractor Supply.  Your Spring shop probably knows all about that.

Now as to the front Springs, I'd leave well enough alone unless they too are displaying a height differential.  You can also purchase "shims" and our good fortune is that there are Ford shims that fit the front springs for at least the 37-38 years.  I would expect that they fit the 39's as well. 

I would also not panic if your new or rebuilt rear springs seem to make the rear of the car too high.  It may take a few hundred or even thousand miles for them to settle in.

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216