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From: Hank Dozier
Email: [email protected]
Remote Name: 192.75.238.204
Date: April 04, 2003
From what I learned recently in acquiring new springs for my car, not everybody sells the correct stuff. A lot of these springs are "universal", which is a nice way of saying they fit everybody just as badly, no matter what the vehicle or bodyline is. Eaton Detroit has the blueprints from most of the old manufacturers, and the specs on these springs to do them correctly not only from the dimensional standpoint, but also fromthe standpoint of the substitution of modern alloys into the springs (are you REALLY sure you want 1950's steel formulation in thos new springs, unless you want to trailer to Pebble Beach?) If they don't make it, they will tell you. They can also accomodate slight rate changes for extra weight of modern AC, etc., IF you discuss this with them. Same for height changes. I did NOT get front coils for my car from them, since they had no stocking or ability to make the special 0.82" wire diameter Adventurer coils with the correct height and number of coils. BUT, Gary gave me enough information to do correct inquiries, and after eliminating Bernbaum and Kanter due to their usage of the 0.72" wire (eg: New Yorker), I went with Coil Spring Specialists in St. Mary's, Kansas. They make special springs for amored limos, and the Chief Engineer there (Dave) had made springs for 56 300Bs before. I sent the good spring I had, and got back two exact copies by rate, wire diameter, and coil diameter. The free length was 0.625" LONGER than original, but this is due to estimation of sag/compression set from 45 years in the vehicle.
