johngammel

I now have two sets of C1 rear leaf springs that have these bands (clips). What cars are these for? Or are the just repair parts?

Frankie the Fink

Those are nothing like the original rebound clips for your 61. I used the ones from Paragon and they were nice repros but a bit too shiny. IIRC correctly rich5962 ( youve met him in person) on here has the correct crimping tool for that installation job and you can prob work out something with him to use it. I think he has offered it up before.

I'm not sure what you show will even let the springs slide correctly. I wouldn't use em on anything.

Yellow6t7

Believe those spring bands are only used for shipping and installation.
Once spring has been installed they can be removed.

GTOguy

Looks like an aftermarket clamp to me...and aside from being bone dry and rusty, looks perfectly ok. I'd run it. I certainly wouldn't remove it if you want your leaves to stay in place.

Loren Smith

Perhaps this is a band (minus the rivet) from a 5 leaf heavy duty leaf spring?

http://www.libertyship.com/rpo/RPO1.htm#684springs

http://www.libertyship.com/rpo/default.htm

Frankie the Fink

First off those clips look too tight, second I see no rubber insulator that cushions the leaves as they rebound together (like original '61 clips) so you are almost guaranteed squeaks...don't use them...

johngammel

Yes - my car squeaks when you test the shocks and somewhat when driving it but I couldn't ever definitely find the source. Hopefully when I get the "new" ones rebuilt with the repro clamps they will be quieter.

I'll just put them in my Corvette takeoff parts shelving and if they are needed I'll have a few. Got the first replacement spring apart. Looks like the liners are good enough to reuse. Not so sure about the 3" long new bolts that I bought but I can cut it down if needed.

John McGraw

Those are a common spring band used by almost every spring shop in existence today. They provide the same function as the original bands, and yes, they do allow the leaves to slide against each other. They are simply installed by beating them closed around the spring with a hammer.
If you are installing new liners, put the correct bands back on. The banding they sell at all the catalog houses, is the exact same material as the originals used in the 50's. They do not reproduce that material, it has continuously been available from the original manufacturer all these years. The original manufacturer is Signode, and the primary use for this material was for banding shipments to pallets. The
banding, clips and crimping tool are still available, but you have to buy a roll of several hundred feet. The catalog houses just sell cut lengths. The only reason that they look too shiny, is because they have not weathered under a car for 50+ years. The banding and the the clips are both made of stainless steel, so they never rust. Signode makes a wide array of different banding, and they all use different clips and tools.

I have the correct Signode crimping tool, if you need to borrow one., just drop me a PM, and I can give you some tips how to install them really tight.


Regards, John McGraw

johngammel

I'm 1/2 through making my own banding tool - just need to die grind it out. I'll see how it goes.

John McGraw

The reason people like to use the correct tool, is that it makes the correct crimps on the banding clips. The proper crimp is not a flat crimp, but has "notches" that come in from the edge of the band and lock the band to the clip. Tensioning the band requires no special tools. Take a hammer and hammer the strap tight around all 4 corners, and then clamp a set of vice grips on the "tail" of the band so that you can use the vice grips as a lever over the edge of the top corner. you can stretch the band as tight as a you want, and the band will not pull out from the other end. Bending tightly around the corners will keep the band from moving.

Let me know if you want to borrow my Signode crimper.

Regards, John McGraw

Frankie the Fink

Well I'm not dumb enough to debate John McGraw about this topic; he's no doubt right.

However, its a pleasant weekend job to rebuild a set of original C1 springs (if the free arch is good) with the liners and correct clips. To wit, I wouldn't install spring with those clips in the first post as once the springs are out of the car, the hard work of restoring them is done...

John McGraw

Yep, I agree! Spring shops started using these hammer-on bands because they were quick and easy and did not require and special tools or knowledge. They just put them on the spring and hammered them shut. There are some springs where the hammer-on clips are riveted to the top leaf and then the ends on the bottom just hammer closed around the stack on the underside. Most spring shops would not have an idea where to get the correct banding, or know how to install it, if they had it!



Regards, John McGraw