1935 Cadillac - GM Heritage Center

150
SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS
eye from the shackle bolt. This bracket is bolted
to the frame and is accessible from underneath the
car. It is also necessary to remove the rear springs
on Cadillac cars for replacement of the rubber
bushings at the front end of the springs. All
springs are installed in the reverse order of their
removal.
4. Removing and Installing Front Springs
To remove a front spring, it is necessary to
support the front end of the chassis in addition to
raising the front wheel by means of a jack. With
this done, first remove the road wheel and disconnect
the outer end of the tie rod from the
steering knuckle arm. Then disconnect the lower
yoke from the lower suspension arm and swing
the steering knuckle unit upward out of the way.
Next, lower the lower suspension arm far enough
to release the helical front spring.
Installation of the front springs may be accomplished
by reversing the order of these operations
being sure to install the rubber bumper at the
top of the spring.
When removing and installing front helical
springs, with the engine out of the chassis it will
be necessary to block the top of the frame against
the ceiling in order to compress the spring for
disconnecting or attaching the lower yoke to the
lower suspension arm.
5. Installing Spring Insert Between Eye Leaf
and Composition Liner
Graphite bronze inserts are used between the
eye leaf and the composition liner at both ends
of the rear springs on later Cadillac and LaSalle
cars. These inserts are the same as the inserts
used between the lower leaves, and they serve
the same purpose of providing inter-leaf lubrication.
In instances of rear spring squeaks on earlier
cars, correction may be made by installing these
graphite bronze inserts between the eye leaf
and the composition liner of each rear spring.
No new inserts are required—remove the lowest
inserts from between the leaves on both Cadillac
and LaSalle cars. These lower inserts need not
be replaced.
To install these inserts in their new location,
it is not necessary to remove the springs from the
car. The change may be effected easily in the
following manner:
1. Remove the metal covers.
2. Spread the leaves which contain the lowest
inserts with a screw driver.
3. Push out the inserts and flatten the prongs
by which they are held in place.
4. Spread the number 1 and 2 leaves with the
screw driver and install the inserts Y2 in. from the
ends of the second leaf with the graphited side
of the inserts next to the eye leaf.
Friction between the ungraphited side of the
inserts and the composition liner will hold the
inserts in place when the screw driver is removed.
5. Install the covers.
Rear springs should not be lubricated, as lubrication
between the leaves will affect the riding
qualities of the car and disintegrates the composition
liner.
6. Spring Arch
Spring arch is the distance from the center line
of the bushings to the surface of the spring seat
next to the axle. The spring seat surface is at
the bottom of top mounted springs and at the top
of underslung springs.
To measure the spring arch invert the spring
on a timber or I-beam of sufficient length laid
across a platform scale and apply a load by means
of a jack braced against a joist or timber above.
The load specification for each spring is given in
the spring chart.