<VV> Old time sagging spring cure

[Sweaney]

About 16 years ago we purchased a 1963 Corvair convertible that sagged about
1 ¼ inches on the left side.  When we went to the local Corvair meeting I
was telling everyone about this and one of the senior (very senior) members
told me to take both rear springs off and he would fix them.  I had never
heard of such a thing but being new to Corvairs I took them off and took
them to him.

A couple of days later he called and said they were ready and we went and
got them.  When I first saw them I was shocked because they were
substantially longer.  I asked him what he did and his explanation went as
follows
.

 

“Well, I got to thinking one day that I could stretch them and they should
go back to the original tension so I went and got a wire stretcher that you
use on fences and had a base welded to it to hold the bottom of the spring.
Then I had some large hooks welded to the ratchet part for the top.  I
figured as long as I didn’t heat the spring it would be okay.  So I
stretched them.  Just put them on your car and they will settle in just
fine.”

 

I was somewhat dubious but I did as he said.  The springs were so long I had
to kind of pop them in place but they went in and seated on the spring
saddles.  I put the shocks on and lowered the car.  My heart sank because I
could literally lay on the floor under the car with the engine oil pan about
a half inch about my chest.  The car looked like a caricature of something
that Big Daddy Roth would have drawn.  The tail of the car was WAY up in the
air.  Over the next few days we would hear a creeeeek and a pong here and
there but after about 4 days the car was sitting straight and even.  I
measured from the floor to the bottom of the car and it was exactly where it
should have been.  The springs never sagged again and when we sold the car
in 1998 it still sat perfectly.  Other cars that had this treatment were
fine also and the spring height never was a problem again.

I am sad to say that the senior Corvair mechanic has passed and his spring
stretcher is probably in a field or sold or in a scrap yard now.  I wish I
had the contraption if for no other reason than as a remembrance.

So, if you are brave enough to try this (I am not) it is sure something to
think about.

I miss that old man.  CG