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Can some please provide the approximate height and /or distance between “eyes” when rearched? I know that these affect the way the cars sits etc. but there must have been factory specs somewhere at some time. If someone can just tell me the name of an experienced reputable shop in the UK or elsewhere that I could phone or email for this info that would be great. I see that the club does not have the silentbloc bushes for the leafs . Has anyone had any experience with polyurethane bushes?
Hi Barry,
LMB Racing have M45 leaf springs. Perhaps they can tell you the measurements you’re looking for.
See: http://www.proximedia.com/catalogue/catalogue.asp?lang_id=2&cat=&scat=25830
David
Paddington Springs reset the springs for my V12 and clearly had the references to refer to…sorry no contact details to hand but should be easy to find by Google.
Thanks guys, much appreciated. I have taken one of the fronts apart and have started to polish out the ridges. It appears that some bodger in the distant past did a quick fix by inserting thin strips of sheet metal between the leaves, presumably to separate the leaves enough to prevent gouging. Only a guess on my part, you don’t think this bodge could be original do you? I presume the leaves themselves are original as they have the Lagonda part number stamped.
Hi Barry,
Those thin strips probably are original, if so, they will be zinc. I think the purpose was to provide some form of dry lubrication, although I’ve been unable to discover if you’re supposed to oil/grease as well, or leave them dry. This interleaving was certainly standard on the V12, but I can’t say for definite for an M45. My V12 is a very late (1940) one, & the spring interleaving was strips of bakelite!
Incidentally, as well as the aluminium spacer plates, V12s had rubber & canvas pads, same dimensions as the spacer plates…perhaps you should have those as well?
LaurenceInteresting! My leafs were packed with grease and wrapped with what looked like “wax paper” ? and or course had leather gaiters with grease fittings all of which looked original although decrepit. It seems Thomas Hyde, Croyden was the maker. All 4 spring packs have the zinc spacers.
Leather gaiters a nice touch, be nice if you can revive them for further use. The V12’s springs were made by Berry (I think that was the spelling), so interesting change of supplier.
This might help and it might not, but I got Paddington Springs to also make up another identical but less leaves and shorter pair, for my LG6 special (shortened chassis). Unfortunately Paddington could never set them correctly, and I ended up taking them to Jones Springs in Darlaston. I was a bit taken back when the guy simply asked how much higher I wanted the car to sit…that’s all the information he wanted. But…they did the job and they’re spot-on. Might help you if no other specs materialise.I must add that no criticism is inferred for Paddington. The springs they retempered for my V12 and Riley RMB are very good, furthermore they never charged me for the LG6 springs; also Jones Springs were impressed with Paddington’s workmanship.
When I rebuilt my M45 in 1994 – 1998 I am fairly certain that I got the original spring settings from Arnold Davey. I have looked long and hard to find the details for you but I cannot find them. However I know that the springs were rebuilt by Jones Springs and they should still have the details I gave them – they seem to keep all that sort of information.
Hope this helps.
BillAlso :-
My M45 was very original and untouched mechanically and also had the zinc “interleaves”. I had thought about replacing them with plastic (as used on MGs and Morgans I think) but in the end I left them out !
On some Lagonda springs there were also holes (about 3/4 inch) in the end of each leaf and there were brass/bronze “pads” inserted. The idea was that the pads would wear instead of the metal spring but of course they were never renewed so the metal spring just wore eventually anyway…….I have contacted Jones and they promptly replied that the “free camber from the centre of the eye to the leaf was 6 3/4″ . Should I assume free camber to be when the leaf pack is not installed ? I have measured my 3 packs that are off the car and still together. The rears measure 9″ and 8″ ! To my untrained eye they look like they may have been attended to and have few miles. The remaining front still together measures 5.25” I have emailed Jones back .
A local truck spring shop claim they can tell what the springs were originally set at by taking them apart. Is this possible?
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