Ke10 Leaf Spring Questions

[CorollaNut68]

What is the cardboard looking stuff between the leaves called and where do you get it?

I can't find anyone around me who still works on springs.

I see posts where y'all seem to have no trouble getting springs reworked over there...I'm going to have to do what I can myself again it seems...on my Ramen Noodle budget.

 

There was one place but the guy has gotten old and bitchy and impossible to talk to...he could maybe clean em up and re-arch them but doesn't have anything else for them....I would be worried he would screw them up and then I'd have nothing. How do you know how much to arch them? What if they break while trying? Would they actually be weaker afterwards?

Most of our wrecking yards have gotten rid of anything more than 10-15 years old so finding any other older models is pretty much out

I've been trying to find somewhere to get new leaves or "add a leaf" or something without much luck over here, I have the measurements written down somewhere.

I've used some thick plastic where some of the "packing?" has been missing and I can find new 3" center bolts but that's about it. If I didn't have the helper springs on it they would be bowed downward instead of up and the whole diff assembly rocks when you roll it back and forth in gear so no clutch popping til it's tightened up.

 

She's getting a lot of seepage around the engine so it's time for a rebuild and I'm gathering parts, just got the seemingly last new factory oil pump in the world (will this one last nearly 50 years too?), Carb kit, more gasket sets, timing and tune-up junk, I'll have to wait and see what engine bearings I'll need, head is not that old shouldn't need much ($200 for new freakin bolts!!), keeping it all stock 3K...

 

For underneath I have new bearings for the diff, new drums and brakes, new rotors and calipers(KE20), wheel bearings, ball-joints, u-joints, newer-ish steering box, looking for e-brake cables and want to try and do something with the springs when I take it all apart again. Planning on trying to screw up my front end with the coilover kit (never done anything like it before but gotta do something, it rides like a brick and gets "airborne" on some bumps). Winters coming in so it may be a while before my shade tree is warm enough.

 

Riding low looks cool but we have too many RR tracks and crappy roads.

[Super Jamie]

Your local guy sounds like a jerk, forget him. Give some hot rod shops a call, they'll still work with leaf springs all the time. Buy Hot Rod Magazine and look for some ads. You can always freight the springs to a good shop and pay for freight back, I got a set of leaves done like this once.

 

I've never seen cardboard between leaves, but I have seen rubber pads, these are just a generic item made out of regular suspension bush rubber. I've also seen people re-pack leaves in grease, wrap the entire leaf assembly in tough plastic, and install it on the car like that.

 

A good suspension shop will know how to properly heat and cool leaf springs to reset the leaves. This can change the shape and spring rate of the leaf (ie: to lower your car or make the leaf a bit tougher) without compromising tensile strength.

 

It's surprising to hear you have so much trouble getting parts over there, these cars are still at the wreckers here in Australia. If you know some local people you can get entire beater engines cheap/free, and there are repro parts all through Asia via eBay.

 

I agree keep your suspension useable. The coolest car is one you can drive without ruining the car or your spine. Leave the ricer sport-compact guys to scrape on driveways and speed bumps :D

[CorollaNut68]

Well...some years ago...the idiots that be...decided on a crush campaign to rid the country of what they considered junk. You won't find much over 10-15 years old in the junkyards...er I mean Auto Recyclers. You have to travel around hoping to catch a glimpse of something in someones backyard or field.

 

I found a transmission one day years ago, out on my little Kawasaki 550...saw a familiar shaped roof barely visible above the brush next to an old house. Stopped in, gave em 20 dollars...dug my way under the car and pulled the tranny out (always carry tools) managed to get it strapped behind me on the bike and took it home. 71 model, most of the engine was gone, the rest rusted really badly...good trans though.

 

When I get over being sick, I'm going to dig out my back shed...I have another rear axle housing, I'm liable to have some more leaves buried somewhere...don't know why I would have gotten an axle without the springs. (hey I'm getting old and have been trying to save stuff for years, I can't remember everything!)

 

Oh yeah...I call the low riders around here..."spatulas"...because they're just good for scraping the roadkill off the streets. Just when they think they're going to beat me they have to stop and crawl across some tracks.