Early cuda leaf spring issues?

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halifaxhops

It's going to get stupid around here!
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Hi all I have a question I am re doing 64 cuda car and noticed the pass leaf is cracked the second largest one on the passenger side. Have a 65 parts car same thing. This a issue with them? Just curious if any one else has seen this. 7 1/4 rear if it matters.
 
No issues that I know of.
Maybe just 50+ year old springs. Not sure how old yours are.
My 66’ and 66’formula S are crack free as of this writing.

Joe
 
Just weird. Same on both cars. Plan on taking the leaf out of the drivers side and replacing it. Just odd it is the same. Yes prob original springs, 64 for sure only 6 k on the car.
 
Thanks guys, was wondering if it was somehow a design flaw?
 
No cracked leafs on my 66 Valiant, I replaced them with 75 four door dart springs.
 
It's just old spring steel. I replaced mine, new bushings, all good.
That's what I was figuring. Trying to keep the 64 as original as possible. Serious low mile car, was just never washed and put away. PA salt did the QP's in pretty good but the rest is really solid.
 
That's what I was figuring. Trying to keep the 64 as original as possible. Serious low mile car, was just never washed and put away. PA salt did the QP's in pretty good but the rest is really solid.
Just make sure you go stock or lower, imho, early Cuda's don't look good jacked up in back.
 
All stock. Car believe it or not has 6K on it one owner that died barley used it was last on the road ion 74. Trying to get it back to complete stock. Has a slant in it which I was surprised is rarer than the 273. Bare bones car except the radio and PS. Only real issue is it was never washed and has the typical body rot. Seriously don't think it was ever washed. Wife is in love with it so it will be hers when it is done. Kind of nice having a junker for some small parts. Definitely helps out but have to get it off the front lawn now!
 
Espo Springs and Things has been a great place to get replacements. Nice folks to deal with and reasonably priced.
 
I have Stanley spring close by prob have them re arched when they are out. Both cars had air shocks, cant imagine why!
 
My springs are good,Ray. And mine is going up a little. Even with the empty shell it looks sagged.
 
I have Stanley spring close by prob have them re arched when they are out. Both cars had air shocks, cant imagine why!

It's just old spring steel. I replaced mine, new bushings, all good.


All springs fatugue with age and wear...

I would recommend getting new springs vs re-arching because you don't know how much fatigue is in the old spring leafs and they may be more likely to break like you have seen...


Hi all I have a question I am re doing 64 cuda car and noticed the pass leaf is cracked the second largest one on the passenger side. Have a 65 parts car same thing. This a issue with them? Just curious if any one else has seen this. 7 1/4 rear if it matters.


The cracks are most likely due to that's where the spring bends and is that point is where most of the movement/fatigue is concentrated when the leaf bends... It's like if you take a thin piece of metal and bend it back and forth a few times, you can get it to crack/break.... That is what's happening with the leafs...
 
How come you ask this question in the 'spring', and not fall, winter, or summer????
huh.gif
 
I through out a nice set of 64 barracuda springs, had them for years and got tired of tripping over them.
 
How come you ask this question in the 'spring', and not fall, winter, or summer???? View attachment 1715335930
:rolleyes:
C'mon krazy,.....We expect more from You!!lol!
I agree, the set off of My '64 GT Cpe were cracked and someone added a couple to them. I replaced them w/a set from ESPO's, not worth piecing them together to salvage "original", for that project, not a resto so...... the '64 'vert GT is going to be IRS, those springs look great, but I won't be taking them off soon, I don't think I would be re-arching 55 yr-old springs personally. You could do such & then the spring eye splits on You..........
 
The original springs I removed from my 64 Valiant were fine as far as cracks. I could stand on the peak of the arch and flatten them completely out, but they weren't cracked. lol
 
The original springs I removed from my 64 Valiant were fine as far as cracks. I could stand on the peak of the arch and flatten them completely out, but they weren't cracked. lol

Either the springs were weak, or you gained some weight since I last saw you.... :poke: :rolleyes:
 
I have a 65 Valiant Convertable (a Canadian model) and both of mine were cracked too.On the drivers side 2 were broken and one on the passenger side. I replaced them with the ones from my 1966 parts car.
 
I have Stanley spring close by prob have them re arched when they are out. Both cars had air shocks, cant imagine why!

I worked in a spring shop for 14 years. I made springs as part of my job. Your springs won't hold the rearch without adding a extra leaf or replacing the #2 leaf. (the main leaf is #1, the next one is #2, the next one is #3, .....).

When I made new rear springs for my charger I made all new leaves but reused the bottom leaf. I arched the bottom leaf to fit the new pack. I reused the bottom leaves because that is the leaf with the mopar #'s stamped in it.

If you go through the work and expense to rearch what you have without replacing or adding a leaf, you wont be happy because it will sag back down to where it sits now.

As for the broken leaf, Thats just part of being a leaf spring. Leaves break. Usually after a harsh shock. Almost never under a heavy load because under a heave load the spring is under constant floating motion through its travel. Under low load a harsh shock jars it and cracks it. On old springs a lot of times you will find stress cracks in each leaf when disassembeled. If they are stress cracked do not reuse them. They will break. Also heavy rust between the leaves will cause them to break.

Its also not a good idea to reuse u-bolts. They stretch when torqued, the nuts might come off but when reused the nut will likely only tighten down to its previously tightened position. if that position isn't tight enough your spring will break at the center bolt hole (The weakest point of the spring do to the hole drilled through it). If you ever have a broken spring between the u-bolts, the bolts were not tight enough.
 
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