Leaf spring re-furb question

I have disassembled the leaf springs for my Capri. After sandblasting them and painting them should I lubricate them prior to re-assembly?

If so, what kind/type of lubricant?

Thanks!

I'd find some leaf spring pads and use them rather than lube.

+1 find leaf spring pads. Lubrication alone won't last long. Since you have the springs off, you should consider re-arching.

You just need some spring gaiters.

In reply to mazdeuce:

Have a set of those on my 49 Plymouth. Work great!

Something like this put between the leaf springs should work. http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-sheets/=zy72do

I also owned a few Capris so I know leaf springs. I prefer the "mono" leaf option but the multi leaf springs do give a better ride, if that's what you're looking for.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I like those gaiters, but they would probably work better on a future project.

Jimbbski: can you send me the part number you referenced? The link took me to the main plastics page. I think mono-leaf springs might be in the future, but the old ones are a performance/lowered spring from the cars' Improved Touring days. I'll see how they perform and make a decision after that.

My suggestion would be MDS filled Nylon strip plastic. The thickness is up to you but 0.040 sounds about right. It comes black so it will blend in with the springs and not be noticeable. It comes in 2 inch wide strips (Other widths available) and is sold by the foot. And it's cheap! It could cost you more for shipping then the product depending on how much you order.

In reply to jimbbski:

Thank you, I will order some on Friday.

Only 12.99 a roll through speedway motors. Has a flange on both sides so it won't squirt out the side of the spring pack after a while. Comes in a few different widths

Speedway leaf spring liners

No need to reinvent the wheel here

In reply to Jumper K. Balls:

Awesome. Thank you!

On a related note, how would you increase spring rate in a multi leaf spring without raising ride height?

Dusterbd13 wrote: On a related note, how would you increase spring rate in a multi leaf spring without raising ride height?

On a spring-under-axle setup, you could add a leaf, change a leaf for a harder (and thicker) one, or get a stiffer stock-height spring pack (like a HD spring meant for towing - basically a full set of thicker springs). You can also use lowering blocks to counteract any increase in ride height from the springs.

On a spring-over-axle setup, anything you do to increase spring rate is going to increase ride height at least a tiny bit.