Anyone used Poly-Slide spring liner?

[06boblee]

DSC00807 (Small).JPG (139.81 KiB) Viewed 1128 times

DSC00808 (Small).JPG (137.38 KiB) Viewed 1128 times

I already have my front springs lined with this, and am working on the rears (blast,prime,paint,etc) and was wondering if anyone has any experience using this stuff. When I torqued the u bolts down it is "squishing" the liner out.

[W_A_Watson_II]

I've read where others have used UHMW (Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight polyethylene) in thin strips (1/16" to 1/18")to gain better spring flex and prevent metal to metal rubbing and rust. They report great results.

[Marmalute]

Don't know anything about poly slide liners, but consider this:
My day job has me professionally restoring pre war Rolls Royce and Bentley automobiles (1919 - 1939).
The leaf springs on (most) all of those cars use tightly fitting leather "gaiters", only exposing the very ends and the center part where the "U" bolts are. Between each leaf is lubricated with engine oil, and oil is added to inside the gaiters during periodic lubrications.
I'm seriously considering trying that with one of my M37s, as there is nothing more supple than lubricated springs.
Oh, and if anyone is wondering, the gaiters do a great job of keeping abrasive sand etc, out of the springs.
As far as normal springs go, typically the individual leaves of leaf springs don't get painted, as the paint tends to make the leaves "sticky".
Happy trails, Doug

[just me]

We restored a 29 Springfield body Rolls Royce way back in the way back. I don't remember gaiters on the leaves, but it did have central lubrication on the suspension. It is probably why the car still existed when we got it. But my Diety, if you actually used it and drove the car (like was meant, not a 'show' car) the mess that flowed off the car when parked!
It was also the single most difficult automobile I've ever driven. Things have come a LONG way since then.

[Marmalute]

Vintage Rolls Royces, are similar to M37s in a number of ways: They weigh 6000+ pounds, have six cylinder engines, they can feel underpowered at times (but do we really need to go 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds?), they are rugged, they are made in such a way as to be constantly repairable (although a prewar RR has easily twice as many parts in it as our M37s do.
I know one guy that has had a 24 Ghost in every continent in the world except Antarctica and has clocked over 300,000 miles before needed an engine rebuild. And those engines have no air cleaners or oil filters!
M37s have a better off road capability, even though their ground clearance is less!
Easier to drive too!

[Kaegi]

have not tried those but used to have a WW2 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 WC54 ambulance which has springs wrapped it sheet metal. many cars had this back in the day. there was a special spring lube you had injected periodically into the leaves by a special attachment the lube shops had. as you injected the lube you used a jiggle jack to work the spring up and down to make sure the lube got all the way into the springs. Jiggle jacks are still made and very handy under a hoist for other reasons but no one is lubing leaves any more..

Jiggle Jack:
http://www.castleequipment.com/Jacks/jiggle_jack.htm

[NAM VET]

On my first car, a '63 TR4, the instructions were to do a full lube very 1000 miles, and it too had leaf rear springs, with "gaiters" over them, and the owner was to oil them with used motor oil. Must have been a messy thing to do. I used to drive it frequently from Lincoln to DC and back, 1100 miles or so each way. What was I supposed to do, stop part way each way, and put it on a lift and lube it?

Modern cars are approaching zero maintenance.

NV

[sturmtyger380]

In the old Willys manual from the 1950's they mentioned every 500 - 700 miles having your brakes adjusted. So on a cross country trip you had to stop and have them adjusted? But remember we had full service gas stations back then that could do a bunch of stuff. Alan