I figure if anyone's ever done this before, it's probably someone on here...will post-9/11 US airport security let you take metal springs on your carry-on luggage?
Edit: Hope to hear positive things because I just ordered them. TSA guidelines seem to have a blanket allowance on tools under 7" that aren't specifically disallowed...these are under 7" and not specifically disallowed...
Is checking them impossible?
People carry a heck of a lot if weird E36 M3 on airplanes. I would say it is not disallowed, but you are certainly going to raise eyebrows from the TSA.
But no, I have not done it.
You would be leaving yourself open to interpretation by the TSA screener and or supervisor. They could be considered a bludgeon and not allowed. Why not check them or send ahead in a package? I am a retired TSA Supervisor and would probably not have allowed them in carry on.
Nope checking is not an option actually. Did you know you have to pay money for even your first checked bag now? True story.
Don49 wrote: I am a retired TSA Supervisor and would probably not have allowed them in carry on.
Ooooh boy 
You can mail disallowed items to a US address, right? That's my backup plan.
Yes, you can mail them to the US. The concern with carrying them would be that they could be used as a weapon to hit someone.
How can TSA complain about your fancy new bracelets?
Or wrist braces? (you have a medical condition)
My dad's carrying them, and he doesn't have noodle arms like me so they won't fit 
On the plus side, he's an old white man
Checked bag fee is still going to be cheaper than mail/package service, and doesn't carry the risk of being held up in customs. I'd just check them.
It's $50US for the first checked bag on this airline, plus he wasn't planning on taking a checked bag. Leaving them in the US for now isn't out of the question.
Just make sure they fit all the way under the seat in front of you
Just found out that the TSA has a web app that lets you request an official answer:
http://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/mytsa/
Right now, when I crunch the numbers, rolling the dice with the TSA looks like a pretty good option.
Pitchers if ya do it.
No pitchers 'till they're in my hands. They're 2x 2.5x6" so not an unusually big thing to pack.
TSA's web app doesn't say anything about springs, but car headlights and <7in crescent wrenches are allowed in carry-on, so those are encouraging...
Edit: Result for "Auto part"
TSA said: Special Instructions: In general, TSA permits auto and vehicle parts in carry-on or checked baggage after they’ve been properly screened and if there is no fuel or traces of fuel present. Car engine parts may be placed in checked luggage only if the parts are packed in their original box and free of hazardous chemicals such as gasoline and oil. Please keep reading for more information on specific car parts. Please keep in mind that the size and shape of the auto part could cause security concerns and should fall within your airline’s carry-on baggage restrictions. Individual airlines may have more restrictive rules on items packed in carry-on or checked baggage, so we recommend that you contact your airline to find out if additional restrictions apply. Shock absorbers are allowed in checked baggage as long as they do not have sealed, compressed gas cylinders or hazardous materials. If the shock absorbers are sealed with compressed gas, they will not be allowed in checked baggage. Even if a shock absorber is not sealed with compressed gas, if it contains a residue or vapors of oil or gasoline, it is considered a hazardous material and will be removed from checked baggage by the airline. Car batteries are prohibited in both carry-on and checked baggage, per FAA hazmat regulations. Vehicle airbags are prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags, per FAA hazmat regulations. If the vehicle parts you’re planning to pack are used or you aren’t sure you can remove all hazmat residue or vapors, we recommend that you ship them to your destination using a parcel shipping service instead. Even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. The final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane.
I have packed camshafts (amongst other car parts) in my luggage to and from Canada to the Caribbean, probably a half dozen times. Once, in Aruba, they were pulled out for inspection, but the guy knew exactly what they were and put them back in.
If you're coming by me any time in the future, would you do it once more?
I put one of these in a duffel bag and checked it for free through Southwest Airlines.
Figure 10"ID pipe size and 40#. It came crashing down the belt when I got it in MSP.
I carried on a pair of SU carbs once. They showed up in the X-ray and the inspector pulled them out. He said if they smelled of fuel they would have to be checked through. They didn't, and I took them on board.
He also said it was much better to tell the guys what you have BEFORE you send it through the machine. So, if he carries them on, be sure that he calls attention to them before the TSA discovers them.
I know someone who brought seatbelt pre-tensioners in carry-on baggage. They were not inert. They didn't realize it until he was on the plane and in the air.
This doesn't answer your question but pre 9/11 friends & I had been to Knob Creek machine gun shoot & a friend bought a .50 cal machine gun barrel & brought it home as carry on luggage. He was asked what it was & told the airline person it was a go cart axle.
Pre-9/11 I once flew with one of these in my hand. (For scale, it's more than 2 feet end to end.) I'm thinking that's not going to happen these days.
Don49 wrote: Yes, you can mail them to the US. The concern with carrying them would be that they could be used as a weapon to hit someone.
If I wanted to bring a heavy, blunt object on the plane to use as a badly-shaped club, I'd go for a laptop. TSA rules are stupid.
codrus wrote:Don49 wrote: Yes, you can mail them to the US. The concern with carrying them would be that they could be used as a weapon to hit someone.If I wanted to bring a heavy, blunt object on the plane to use as a badly-shaped club, I'd go for a laptop. TSA rules are stupid.
Great, now laptops will have to be checked.
I carried on the aluminum intake manifold for my truck.
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