Hello all,
Worked in a small engine shop years ago, The owner was a circle track racer from the 40s to the late 60s.
He showed me how to re-arch springs using the railroad track method, Only difference from what is described in the aforementioned posts is he had cut a 1/2 in wide by 1/4 deep notch in the head of the RR track. The notch had the edges radiused so it was more of a detent then a notch You would lay the spring parallel with the track and strike the spring over the notch with a heavy 20 pound sledge hammer. You would start the process in the center of the spring then move it one inch left, strike it then two inches right (to end up one inch right of center) and keep repeating this procedure until you obtained the arch you wanted over the length of the spring. He said this was the cheep man's way of changing the spring rate because most racers of that era ware poor and could not afford to have the springs done by a shop Or buy new springs. Along with the guy that fixed bent rims at the track there was the welder that also would re-arch springs wile you wait. The best guy at the track was the beer guy but that is for another post.
A lot of the racers around here made some or all of there living racing cars three or more times a week at local tracks.
For more enlightening info on springs see the following links. Re-Arching Leaf Springs a Lost Art
Happy mopar:)
Arron
