How do you remove surface rust from a rear leaf spring if you don't have a sand blaster? Maybe a drill with a wire brush?

 

wire brush attachment on a drill works very well. There is also a drill attachment called a "Flapper" that does a great job of remove old paint and rust from flat parts like leafsprings.

 

Also, a wire wheel on a bench grinder.

 

A wire brush on a drill works well but so does Naval Jelly or POR-15 Metal Ready http://www.por15.com/PRODUCTS/CLEANE...0/Default.aspx
You can get Naval Jelly at most hardware stores.

 

Naval Jelly is good, as is Metal Ready.
Both are Phosphoric acid solutions.
I recently picked up a gallon jug of liquid P-acid solution at Home Depot,
made by StripKlean ... cheap and plenty to go around. Look in paint dept.

Let the acid do some work - then brush off the loose (converted) rust.
You will eventually be left with steel that has a blueish phosphor coating.

 

You can also put the acid in a pan and soak the leafs then air dry.

 

A combination of naval jelly and wire brush works really well. But, the local corvette shop here in CA has a media blaster that could take care of a leaf spring...long parts are OK since the blaster unit has holes on the ends to thread parts through...it's wide parts that are the problem.

Check around at the shops and see if they can do them. Your arms will thank you and you won't get little bits of sharp wire strewn about your work area like you will if you use a drill and wire wheel attachments.

 

I tried using naval jelly on some of my parts, but in then end it was so much faster and easier to go at it with a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder. also works pretty well at taking off heavy grease buildup. there might still be some fine rust on the parts, but if you're painting with rustoleum or por-15, I don't think it really matters.

 

If you've got an air compressor in the garage you should buy a needle descaler (at least that's what they're called in the UK). They're round $70 & will shift rust with a vengance. It's a messy job but you'll be amazed at what these things will clean up.
Hope this helps.

 

Just got finished restoring the spring on my '77. Found that the best way to remove the locally thick rust deposits (the heavy lumps of rust had pretty much become part of the parent metal and a wire wheel wouldn't touch them) was to carefully chip them away with an old wood chisel and a ball peen hammer. It actually wasn't too difficult. Don't get too aggressive with the hammer and hold the chisel at a shallow angle and you won't mar the parent metal. I then hit the leaves with a coarse cupped wire attachment on the drill and a quick going over with emery cloth. A coat of POR 15, new center bolt and liners and it's almost as good as new.
Watch those replacement center bolts that most of the vette parts suppliers carry. The heads are too high and don't fit in the diff cover recess. They've got to be filed down. Also the replacement mounting bolts I ordered were too long and bottomed out in the two forward mounting holes. Had to cut off about 1/4".

 

Don't forget the new leaf liners on reinstall.
BTW, most of the parts vendors carry incorrect liners that breakdown and won't hold the leaves in correct position. By far the best ones are from Quanta.
http://www.quantaproducts.com/prodin...?number=28-05A

more info on the liners and misc:
the liners for the leaves hold the spring leaves in position. If the spring liners are not there, the leaves will slip.

Also, and this is important, some of the spring liners the aftermarket suppliers are selling are NOT the correct material. The original liners and those sold by Quanta are very stiff graphite impregnated plastic that are an exagerated H shape with the cross bar of the H very long. The sides of the H are what hold the leaves straight.
Zip, I know for sure, was selling a very pliable vinyl material as repalcement liner material and this material is so soft it deforms and will not hold the leaves in line.

Also, when reassembling the leafspings, make sure the large washers under the lower and upper cushions are installed correctly. The curved edge of the washer goes toward the rubber cushion to prevent the washer from cutting into the cushion rubber.

 

Thanks for the tips. I bought some of that sulfuric acid by Kleanquick (or whatever the name is) and I'll try that out this week. Was cheaper than Naval Jelly
I do need new leaf retainers, so I'll have to order them too.
I'll post pics when complete which will be in about a month at the rate I'm going: get the kids to bed then go to the garage for 1-2 hours getting sweaty and averaging 4-5 bolt removals per night then showering at midnight and going to bed to get 6 hrs sleep before work!

 

Thanks, I'll order a liner. I didn't even know It had a liner!

 

Wish I knew about Quanta liners and the liner quality issue a few weeks ago.

 

Thanks for that tip NHvette. I have been using the Metal Ready from POR 15 and it can get $$$$ . Today, I headed to Home Depot and got a gallon of the Quick Strip or what ever the rust disolver product is called. Presently there are parts in it bubbling away !!

JS77

 

an angle grinder and wire wheels are absolute garage essentials

 

sorry.......... I do my best when I see posts and can answer them but don't see every single post put up.