[AMC-list] Used Springs

[Joe Fulton <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'll have pictures later today.
 
I picked up used coil springs from my buddy  Mike yesterday to replace the sagging front springs in my low budget 65 Rambler American.  I can remember that I had been cautioned about using "pre-owned" springs because they might be at the end of their useful life.  I dedcided. to measure the unloaded length of the springs and use the longest one(s) as replacements.   The difference in length was significant.  The four springs varied in length from 19 3/4 inches down to 17 1/2 inches.  Clearly, since AMC presumably did not produce "lowered" vehicles, some of these springs were tired.  They all had the common small wire diameter typcially found on Americans from 64 up (and perhaps earlier).  Whereas my car as the heavy duty coils with a wire diamater of almost 1/2 inch.  You can clearly see the difference without measuring.
 
BTW I do not know the unloaded lenght of new factory coils, but some 69 coil springs on Ebay (They've been on auction forever.) by a vendor in Iowa are advertised at 20 3/4 inches I believe.  The coils he is selling supposedly came from new inventory sold as the result of a train wreck.  So even the longest used coil I got yesterday had already "taken a set" approximately one inch lower than stock.  Maybe new coils wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
 
So I used the longest spring to replace the sagging front driver's side coil in my car and will have results later today after I let the car down off of the jack and finish a couple more tasks.   I also used the external springs compressors I got years ago and felt a little bit lucky that I only had one small problem with the loaded spring after I compressed it.  I had one get away from me in the shop a few years ago when I was using a press to compress it along with the external spring clamps. That was not fun and I was lucky that severe property damage did not occur (It was an aircraft repair shop with project planes in the vicinity.)  I'm getting the Garyjav spring tool before I replace the spring on the other side of the car.  Depending upon how the driver's side comes out, I may yet buy a new set of coil springs.
 
Sorry for the long post.  Have a meaningful Memorial Day weekend and don't forget the meaning of the holiday.   Look at some red, white and blue even if it's only the SC/Rambler parked in your garage.
 
Joe Fulton
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