SQUEAKING SPRINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 67, 20 March 1937, Page 28

SQUEAKING SPRINGS

COMMON ANNOYANCE

HOW-TO DEAL WITH IT

Nothing is so calculated to fray a motorist's nerves as that continual squeaking from the running gear which bespeaks dry shackles, spring leaves, or both. If the noise comes from the shackles it is a sign of unforgiveable neglect, and for it there is no excuse, ,as the greasing of a car at the recognised points at regular intervals should be just as much a habit with car owners as shaving. But the motorist, of course, can be forgiven if the trouble emanates from between the leaves of the springs. Greasing them regularly is at best a messy job, and if the right lubricant is used it should be unnecessary to do them more than once every six months or so, unless, of .course, extraordinary driving conditions intervene. For example, long-distance driving on country roads through heavy rain will be sufficient to drive every vestige of

t lubricant from between the spring 3 leaves. Their bearing surfaces will i become dry and rusty, and then an - appalling, continuous squeak will i arise which can only be cured by 3 lubrication between the leaves. In regard to this, some motorists have the idea that springs should not be lubricated, but this belief is a relic from the days when some manufacturers, to cover up the deficiencies of the shock-absorbers they fitted, depended upon a good amount of friction between th,e spring leaves themselves to prevent the car from bouncing too much, and advised against interleaf lubrication. Of course, some modern cars are fitted with a system of gra-phite-impregnated interleaving, and the fortunate owners of cars so equipped will never need to lubricate the springs during the life of the car. DOING THE JOB. But such a refinement as this is rarely found in a fairly low-priced car, and the springs will be of the time-tried sort with metal bearing against metal and will need some lubrication. Rather a good plan, and one followed by a number of drivers, is simply to paint the outside of the springs with -used engine oil. While a rather haphazard method, it has been found that with the continual flexing of the springs on the road some of the oil on the outside of the springs will work in between the leaves and lubricate them sufficiently to maintain silence. The method also has the great merit of involving little trouble, but against this the oil on the springs will pick up a great deal of road dust, and they will soon be in a fearfully messy state. The best plan is to use graphite grease, and this is applied in this way: The spring clips which hold the leaves together are removed, and then the chassis'frame of the car is jacked up, so that the weight of the axle will tend to keep the wheels on the ground and the spring leaves will spread open. In this regard that special jack fitted to many modern cars which' fastens to a bracket on the frame or a ' bumper bar support is ideal for this work, no matter what shortcomings it may have for jacking a wheel off the ground. • .■ ■ INSERTING THE GKEASE. The spring leaves spread, open in this manner; it is then easy enough to insert the graphite grease, which can be obtained from any garage .or' accessory shop, between the leaves by putting, some on'the.end of a table knife, and with the knife distributing it more or less evenly along the bearing surfaces. '''..■ Ordinary grease or heavy oil, of course, can be used, and will be satisfactory enough for a while, but graphite , grease is by far the.best,', as graphite, besides being one of the finest lubricants known, also adheres to the metal surface to which it is applied as does no other lubricant, and although the ordinary grease content of the compound may disappear fairly soon, the graphite with which it is impregnated will remain behind, and springs treated in this manner . will not. need any further attention for many months to come. When the work is concluded do n # fail to replace the spring clips.