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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1937 front leaf spring

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 1937 front leaf spring -- page: 1 2 3 4 5     mzahorik 09-23-2018 @ 1:26 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 Today, I finished up installing my new front spring. My new pusher tool did a pretty good job installing the wishbone bushings. I still had trouble with the last 1/16" or so. When the bushing is almost all the way in, it get stubborn and the bushing body gets damaged enough so that it will not move anymore. But, everything seems to be working OK. But..... the new spring points out how bad my front shocks are. Suppose that I'll have to do something about them also. There never seems to be an end to my projects. Thanks for all the help. Mike mzahorik 09-20-2018 @ 11:19 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 OK, so they are expected to crush a little. Thanks, Mike kubes40 09-20-2018 @ 11:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3575 Joined: Oct 2009 factory bushings were supposed to be .003" and .005" oversize. Mike "Kube" Kubarth mzahorik 09-20-2018 @ 10:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 It's raining again! Everything is wet. So I'll take some time to machine a new bushing pusher. I also made some measurements. The barrel of the new bushing that I have measures 0.754". Usually an interference fit is around 0.0015" per inch of diameter. That should make the barrel a little over 0.751". Could my bushings be too big? Or are they expected to crush some when installed. I measured the wishbone hole and both are very close to 0.750". Nay thoughts? Mike mzahorik 09-19-2018 @ 11:39 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 Beautiful car! Yours is a deluxe, whereas mine is a standard, But I like the lines and the styling, that is why I bought it. I don't know exactly what I will do with my car right now, but since I still can get around pretty well, it will get some attention. I understand about getting older. Seems if it doesn't hurt, it most likely doesn't work (personal body parts). What I like about retirement is that there is no pace set and I do what I like. Thanks for sharing the picture, Mike. MG 09-19-2018 @ 11:16 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1301 Joined: Nov 2009 Mike - Up until October of last year I had a '37 Fordor that I owned since 1992. It was one of three old Fords I owned at that time. I too enjoyed working on it but with the back problems/pains I have I decided it was time to let it go. I really miss that car. A guy from Minnesota bought it and I'm pleased that he strives to preserve it as well. I have one car left of the three, a '34 that I can't get up the intestinal fortitude to part with. Attached is a picture of the '37 I had.... mzahorik 09-19-2018 @ 10:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 MG, thank you. I purchased this car maybe 15 years ago as a retirement project. I've been retired nearly 10 years now and this year is the first where I have done more than just start and move it. I've been horsing around with cars since the first days of high school. My dad bought me a 1936 Ford wreck. My best friend and I toke that car apart cleaned everything to with in an inch of it's life and reassembled it. The only new items we installed were gaskets we made from cardboard. We learned a lot from that car and eventually we dismantled it and piece by piece it went to the junk yard. Dozens of cars later, here I am. I am not an expert on anything, but I know a little about a lot, thanks to the adventures with these cars. It's fun and even my wife likes it, because it keeps me home in the garage. Mike MG 09-19-2018 @ 10:36 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1301 Joined: Nov 2009 Mike, That's a very nice straight car and worth all of your efforts to preserve. You seem to be very capable.... mzahorik 09-19-2018 @ 8:47 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 Today, I finished my patch plate for the hacked up cross member. I got a nice tight fit and marked up everything to get the center bolt hole centered on the car. Then it was spot welded and the center rechecked prior to finish welding it in place. Looks good to me. I also tried out my bushing pusher on the wishbone. All looked good until the last 1/4". The bushing was moving into the wishbone with some resistance, but apparently a little to much resistance. The last push ballooned the bushing end and it was ruined. I had the wishbone clean and lubed, but.... I suppose that next I'll have to do some closer inspection and measuring. Maybe the interference fit is a little on the heavy side? I think that I can improve on my pusher a little also. I'll turn the adaptor so that it covers 1/4" of the end of the bushing so that ballooning stress is covered. Supposed to rain some more, so not sure how much more I can do. Here is a picture of my ride, she's a driver. Mike mzahorik 09-18-2018 @ 9:48 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 209 Joined: Nov 2009 Today, I assembled the new spring with a new center bolt and clip bolts. I made a pusher to install the bushings and it worked very well on the spring. Next I want to see how it will work on the wishbone, but it's raining and I don't want to lay in the wet. That will have to wait. I measured the spring arch and this new spring has nearly 3 inches more of arch than the old spring. So I expect a higher ride height in the front. The new spring is getting a coat of paint. Maybe tomorrow the weather will be better. Mike

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