Leaf Springs When Restoring

[Heps-Z]

OK...I am starting to restore my 69Z. Should you buy new leaf springs or do you have them recurved? If you recurve them how well does that work out?

[jonboy1216]

i ran into the same problem when restoring mine .i just ordered new ones from heartbeat city and they looked and work great and came highly recommended from other camaro guys

[RamAirDave]

I guess I've been lucky in that I've never had to replace nor re-curve.

[jk1969z28]

I need to get new leaf springs for my 69 Z also, so I would love to know where to get to correct ones.  I've heard that Eaton makes the springs that everyone else resells, if that is true its cheaper to just get them from Eaton but I would like to know for sure.  And how do they effect the stance of the car vs original.

Thanks,
Jerry

[Stingr69]

Eaton makes good springs. I bought a full set for my car and they rode just a bit too high. They worked from my measurements and made a custom replacement set to drop the height to the exact ride height I wanted. They sent a UPS truck and a shipping label to return the original set they sent once I got them off. No extra charge.    This time they nailed it dead nuts.

The usual design they sell you is not a 100% correct spring in appearance. They did build the 100% correct spring but I think it was more expensive. It might have been a minimum quantity run as well but my memory is not real good about that. I have slept quite a few times since then. My car did not need the 100% spring so it was not much of an issue to me.

-Mark.

[BILL69]

I would guess that these are multi-leaf springs,  which can be re-arched with very good results.  take good measurements before you remove the springs.   Take your springs to a good spring shop,  usually it is a truck type of service but they will re-arch them to your specs,  I have done this with several sets of original springs and it is much cheaper than new springs.    Mono-leaf springs cannot be re-arched in my opinion,   they don't stay very long.

[JohnZ]

Generally, mechanical-only re-arching (typical "spring shop" process) works initially, but the springs have "memory" and will eventually go back to their original (sagged) position. Correct (and permanent) re-arching requires heating to cherry-red, re-forming, oil quenching, annealing, and shot-peening; Eaton Detroit Spring can do this, but it isn't cheap - it's essentially the same process they use to make new springs.

[Heps-Z]

Thanks guys. If Eaton makes the best spring for replacement they are cheaper in National Part Depot. Thats if all the springs Eaton sells are the same qualty to all the Camaro catalogs

[sixt9x33rs]

I had my original springs re-arched at a heavy duty truck spring shop and have had very good success with ride height and ride.

[Oregonjam]

I had my original springs re-arched at a heavy duty truck spring shop and have had very good success with ride height and ride.

I would like to know how long it has been since re-arching?

[sixt9x33rs]

I had my original springs re-arched at a heavy duty truck spring shop and have had very good success with ride height and ride.

I would like to know how long it has been since re-arching?

First off I must admit that my springs were not sagging bad, but to answer your question the springs have been re-arched for one year.

[Oregonjam]

Good to know. Thanks. I went back and forth. I ended up replacing them. The bands literally fell apart during removal but surprisingly they were not sagging much. They just looked to be in really poor shape.

[GaryL]

I had mine re-arched (cold). No problems so far. All you have to do is measure the factory height dimensions occassionally and verify.

[sixt9x33rs]

Good to know. Thanks. I went back and forth. I ended up replacing them. The bands literally fell apart during removal but surprisingly they were not sagging much. They just looked to be in really poor shape.

That is what happened to mine too. The bands just fell off and the arches looked pretty bad. But so far so good.

[Mark]

When I took my originals out in 1983, all of the shorter leaves on both sides were broken in half right at the alignment bolt hole, the only one supporting the weight of the car was the main leaf that ran from the front bushing to the rear shackles.