Jeep project underway

[Mike K]

An update on things.

The suspension issues on the build are turning into a nightmare. I want the suspension to be solid and safe , no compromises. This Jeep came with post-war locally made replacement springs, almost certainly fitted by the Aust. army. These 1950s replacements have the usual issues, worn/thin leaves and worn eyes.

I do have three original WW2 springs, again, worn leaves, worn out of round eyes , corrosion , just what you would expect from near 80 year old springs.

I decided to buy two new front 8 leaf springs... yes, they are strong, and have slightly thicker leaves (about .030"). Problem is, they bear little resemblance to original WW2 Jeep springs, just about everything is wrong ! Leaves are wrong length, edges not beveled, the rebound clips are incorrect.

What to do. I have decided to use the two new long #1 and #2 leaves, and file the edges to a bevel. I have the original WW2 specs. and drawings. I found some 80" Land Rover springs ( also slightly thicker ) in reasonable shape, these are the same width as Jeep springs, 1.75" . My plan is to cut these LR leaves to length and file the edges and re-camber them to the correct arch.

Well, that's it. All this takes time and effort and it never ends !

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Is grinding or otherwise adapting the new springs to approximate the originals even an option?

[Lars R.]

Mike,

are you not doing the same work on the LR springs now, which could be done on the new repro springs? The correct (NOS) rebound clips are still available and could be used...and the re-cambering seems to last from "lunch till noon".

Nearly EVERYTHING is reproduced (quality?) nowadays (re-cast motor blocks and T84 cases even!), but correct and good springs are not...strange! MDJ tried GPW ones several years ago, but I believe they never hit the market!

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Lars R.

Mike,

are you not doing the same work on the LR springs now, which could be done on the new repro springs? The correct (NOS) rebound clips are still available and could be used...and the re-cambering seems to last from "lunch till noon".

Nearly EVERYTHING is reproduced (quality?) nowadays (re-cast motor blocks and T84 cases even!), but correct and good springs are not...strange! MDJ tried GPW ones several years ago, but I believe they never hit the market!

Hi Lars and Bruce

The problem is: the new 'repro' spring leaves I have, #3 to #8 are too short. My plan is to relocate/use some of the new repro leaves in my 'made up' spring pack which will be a mixture of the new repro and old Land Rover leaves. I can fabricate the Willy style rebound clips , no need to buy them.

The new 134 blocks have problems , I have read reports of valve guide bores being out of alignment and much casting flashing needs to be cleaned up, plus they are copies of the post-war CJ geared type blocks which is a rather strange way to go.

With the T84 stuff, I can only comment on what I saw back years ago when repro parts were not widely available, back then, we all generally used genuine original (partly worn) parts. We had no issues as far as I can recall. Nowadays, problems seem to arise when people use repro T84 parts that have been made to improper tolerances.

[Mike K]

The factory fitted WW2 era Jeep springs have beveled edges : on each of the leaves, the lower edge is beveled. Unfortunately for us restorers, the post war and repro springs ( at least the examples I have seen ) don't have this detail.

I have been experimenting with grinding a bevel into a few leaves , the old Land Rover leaves I have must have been made from good quality high carbon steel, these are hard as nails ! On the other hand, the new repro leaves are noticeably softer , they grind easier, makes you wonder what type of steel the manufacturer has used and how long these repro springs will last.

[Mike K]

I have played with DIY brass etchings a few times, it's a fun project . Rather than paying for a highly overpriced repro Willys data plate set , I am making my own . Not claiming it's going to be a completely accurate copy but hopefully it will be good enough. I used the free libraOffice software which is rather good.

I use circuit board Ferric Chloride acid to etch the cut to size thin brass sheets which are cheap as chips. You use shiny photo paper and a laser printer, you print out a negative image which is then applied to the brass sheet and heated with a household clothes iron , in theory, the black toner adheres to the brass sheet. It is rather a fussy process , not perfect but with practice good results are possible. If you mess up a few times , just print out a few more sheets of the image and experiment . Some use a office type hot plastic sheet laminator and run the job through a few times rather than a hot iron.

[Mike K]

Link to the etching process:

https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t205...ne-plates-mine