Lubing Leaf Springs

[Rick Waters]

I think it's about time for the maintenance job I dislike the most: lubing the leaf springs on the TC.

In the past, I've jacked the car up, taken the leaf springs apart by removing the bolts and clamps, then cleaned each leaf, sometimes re-painting them (although I can't figure out why I bother), then greasing the areas between the leaves and putting everything back together. Dirty, messy, and time consuming.

Any other ways to smooth the ride, prevent wear on the leaves, and try to stop corrosion?

All suggestions will be received with gratitude!

-Rick, TC 7881 in soon-to-be-sunny Vancouver

[Eric Worpe]

Hi Rick,
I'm afraid my suggestion is also rather messy as it involves dismantling the leaves, rounding the ends if they have been cropped straight so the ends do not "dig in" to the adjacent leaves. Mix some silicon grease with graphite powder and smear the mix between the leaves. Use gloves for this as graphite powder is truly messy.
Silicon grease does not emulsify with exposure to water, so it's a good carrier for the graphite which provides the lubrication.

[Jim Ellis]

I use Wurth HHS-K, a high pressure resistant highly adhesive synthetic lubricating oil. It penetrates the tightest of gaps and after a few minutes the solvent evaporates leaving behind the adhesive, waterproof load bearing oil. I usually jack the car up to help open up the gaps as much as possible and spray away.

[Monteman]

How often do we need to do this? Is there a way to tell if the car needs it? Sorry for the newbie questions.

[Jim Ellis]

Personally I don't know of a way to tell. I live in Southern California so there is no harsh winter or road salt. I just do it once a year in the spring (no pun intended).

[Rick Waters]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had thought of some sort of spray lube, someone mentioned motorcycle chain oil. I've decided that I'm going to do this the hard way mostly because I want to get any sand or dirt out of the spaces between the leaves. I don't drive in the salt, and to the best of my recollection, it's been about four years since the last time I did this job.

When I restored the chassis, I replaced the front springs, and re-furbished the rears by cleaning them up, and gently grinding the ends of the leaves so as to minimize any abrasion of the leaf above. I removed all rust, painted them, and greased them. I've done it a few times since, and it really is a slow and messy job.

I don't think there's a single answer to the question how often to do this. If I drove the car on sanded and salted roads on a regular basis, I'd do it once a year. If I hardly ever drove the car, and then only on dry summer days, I'd probably do it once every 6 to 10 years.