In November's Hemmings Classic Car, in "Restoration Nation," Hemmings #38) Rick Corigan of New Hampshire shares that he had the rear leaf springs on his 1970 Javelin "re-arched."

Can you explain the process and perhaps describe what kind of shop might do this if it not something I can do myself for my adopted 66 Chrysler 2-door?

I am suspecting it is a re-heat treat of the springs, annealing them to reshape and then tempering them to proper toughness?

Cheers from Chris in NC

Any reputable spring shop can rearch springs. It is possible to do them yourself. However I would take it to a shop and have them do it. To do it yourself takes a lot of trial and error. You might have to reassemble the spring and put it back in the car three or four times to make the car sit level. Basically you support the spring across an anvil (I used a short piece of 65 pound railroad track laid on its side). You then strike the leaf between where it is resting on the rail with a very large hammer (ten pound sledge for example). You move the spring several inches and do this again and again. Each time you strike the sopring you increase the curve of it slightly. If you find you have done it too much you merely have to turn the leaf over and repeat on the other side.

I had the front springs done on a 37 chrysler a few years ago, the proces was just as tinindian describes , i watched them do one of them . first up they lay the spring on its edge on the workshop floor drew around it with chalk . then hammered it till they got height they needed . during the hammering they kept comparing the spring with the chalk mark . you only have to do the main spring leaf. as tinindian says it is best left to the spring shop , i will attempt most jobs on my car but this is one that i leave alone it is to easy to get wrong and then you have a car that gets along the road lopsided

The spring shop I have used did it much more scientifically. They dissemble the spring, put it in a huge furnace and heat it to cherry red. They then re arch the spring and re-temper it. When cool they paint it and re assemble it and you have a brand new spring. They can add or subtract leaves to attain your desired results.
Beating on a worn out spring may return it to its former height, but the metal is fatigued and will not hold the arch. This method may be sufficient for an antique. My experience has been with light and heavy trucks, and I don't think the hammer method would suffice.

Take a look at this link. To re-arch springs, they are heated to 1650 degrees f, then quenched in oil, then re-heated to 950f, etc.:

http://www.eatonsprings.com/rearching.htm


Phil Jamison

Absolutely, a good spring shop is the place to go, but if you are 150 miles from one, own a 41 Dodge half ton and have twenty bins of apples to deliver 40 miles away you fix the spring any way you can. By the way that was 24 years ago and the truck with the same spring is still doing it's job.