EATON Detroit Spring

The leading manufacturer of leaf and coil springs for the street rod and restoration automotive industries

We Help Maintain American Icons by Manufacturing Leaf and Coil Springs Right Here in America

Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047

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      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

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MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Products
    • Suspension Parts
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Shocks
      • Attaching Parts And Hardware
      • Installation Kits
      • Leaf Spring Shackle Replacement Kits & Parts
    • Street Rod Suspension Parts
      • Mustang II Front End Springs
      • 48 Inch Truck Springs
    • Allstate - Chrysler
      • Allstate
      • American Motors
      • Bricklin
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • Chevrolet Truck
      • Chrysler
    • Daimler - Ford
      • Daimler
      • DeSoto
      • Dodge
      • Dodge Truck
      • Edsel
      • Ford
      • Ford Truck
    • GMC - Jeep
      • GMC
      • Honda
      • Hudson
      • Hudson Truck
      • Hummer
      • International
      • Jeep
    • Kaiser Darrin - Nissan
      • Kaiser Darrin
      • Kaiser-Frazer
      • LaSalle
      • Lincoln
      • MAHINDRA
      • Mercury
      • MG
      • Nash
      • Nissan
    • Oldsmobile - Rambler
      • Oldsmobile
      • Plymouth
      • Plymouth Truck
      • Pontiac
      • Rambler
    • Sterling - Willys
      • Sterling
      • Studebaker
      • Studebaker Truck
      • Toyota
      • Willys
    • Request A Custom Quote
    • Search For Parts Here
  • Spring Tech
    • Learn About Leaf & Coil Springs
      • Spring Tech Articles
      • Tech Questions
      • Spring Tech Videos
      • Featured Elsewhere
      • EATON Detroit Spring Podcast
      • Buy Ford Manuals
    • Spring Tech 101

      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

    • Browse By Topic
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Attaching Parts
      • Ride Height & Stance
      • Ride Quality
      • Manufacturing Springs
      • Replacing Springs
      • Modifying Springs
      • Ordering Springs
  • About Us
    • About EATON Detroit Spring
    • Customer Showcase
    • Send Us Photos Of Your Ride!
    • Free Stuff For Car Shows!
    • Facebook
    • YouTube Channel
      • Spring Tech Videos
  • Order Here
    • Lookup & Purchase Your Vehicle's Parts
    • Request A Quote
    • Email Our Sales Team
    • Dealer Information
  • Find Parts That Fit Your Vehicle
  • Click to Call Now: 1 (313) 963-3839

Leaf Liners’ Effect on Spring Rate

Hi Mike,

I just read your comment about Delrin inserts and it raised three more related questions I don’t believe I have ever seen answered.

The first is, does using a full length insert change the thickness of the spring pack?

Secondly, what effect do full length inserts have on spring rate?

Finally, in general does using full length inserts change the number of springs per pack?

Thanks for the insights you typically offer. It helps me with my end of the industry.

Dale

Dale,

Good questions.

Full length spring liners are available in two designs.

The first being a simple flat strip and the other channeled with lips going up and down, sort of like an “I” beam. The lips help keep the liner from slipping out.

Installing full length liners does increase the spring pack thickness.

Based upon the width of the liner, the thickness varies from .03 to .06 Inches thick. So the overall spring thickness does increase based upon how many full length liners are installed. But the use of liners has no effect on the spring rate.

Spring rate is a result of the width of the spring, the thickness of the steel, the number of leaves and how the ends are finished.

But the use of liners does have an effect on how the spring performs. Due to interleaf friction all multi-leaf springs suffer what is known as “hysteresis”.

That is, it takes more force to start the spring to deflect than it does to keep it deflecting.

The use of either full length liners or tip inserts greatly reduce interleaf friction which in turn reduces hysteresis. This keeps the working spring rate close to it’s actual rate.

Keep in mind, that in order for a liner to be effective the liner must be as wide as the spring.

While spring liners help in a spring’s performance, the liner has absolutely no strength. Even though a liner is used in a spring, the spring still requires all of it’s leaves.

I hope this helps with you. Let me know what else I can do to continue your spring education.

-Mike

Filed Under: Tech Question Tagged With: Leaf Springs, Manufacturing Springs

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OEM Replacement & Custom Springs

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EATON Detroit Spring, Inc.
1555 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48216
Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047
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