Imperial Homepage -> Repair -> Frame, Spring and Shocks -> Air Shocks
Question from Neal {1959):
I'm afraid my car is getting more and more stares for the wrong reasons. Every little bump in the street, torque in the body, or even getting in and out of her is resulting in an embarrassing chorus of squeaks. She's at the mechanic getting some other things checked out, and he said that she needs "spring spacers" between the leaves of the rear springs. As described, they're small rectangular plastic bushings (used to be made of leather pre-war) that keep the steel leaves from rubbing against each other. He contacted a well-respected spring rebuilder here in Northern Virginia, who said they're on back order, but no telling when they'll come in. I checked in an old Andy Bernbaum catalogue, which only seemed to carry the whole spring assembly for a couple hundred dollars. The springs themselves seem to be fine-they still have an arc and the rear doesn't droop, so I guess they don't need helper springs as brought up on the list periodically.
Does anyone have thoughts or recommendations on where I can just get these spacers, perhaps 20 of them (5 each front and rear per side should do it, right?) Nowhere in the archives or the source section of the IML could I find any specific reference to "spring spacers". Are they called something else as well?
Replies:
From Philippe:
I've seen them on the # 8 Gary Goers catalog (page 43): he calls them "rear spring interliner" and there are 2 models: the 2 buttons model and the single button. He sells also the "buttons" (fastener) On my car I've replaced the olds but it was before I got this catalog. I remember that the big problem was to replace or re-use the old metal fasteners: 2 different models which were very rusted. I replaced the interliners with very hard plastic straps.
From Jim:
If ridding yourself of the noise is the prime concern try National Springs in Cal or any big spring shop. Forget the leather and use the urethane ones that are used in modern spring packs. The ones on the Dodge springs fit into holes punched in the spring. How are the originals attached to your stock springs? That may be the determining factor in what material you are able to use. You might even make some of your own from a sheet of the urethane copying the original leather spacers.
From Jack:
Sounds like bushings are getting dry. Both leaf springs AND front suspension pieces (upper and lower control arms have rubber bushings that tend to squeak when they get dry.
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