A

TECHNICAL SEMINOR REPORT

on

LEAF SPRING
Submitted for partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

in

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Prepared

by

V. TEJA SAGAR (19K85A0372)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

St. MARTIN'S ENGINEERING COLLEGE

UGC Autonomous
Affiliated to JNTUH, approved by AICTE,
Accredited By NBA & NAAC A+, ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Dhulapally, Secunderabad - 500 100

JANUARY - 2022
 St. MARTIN'S ENGINEERING COLLEGE
An Autonomous Institute
NBA & NAAC A+ Accredited
Dhulapally, Secunderabad - 500 100
ww.smec.ac.in

Certificate

This is to certify that the Technical Seminar report entitled “LEAF SPRING” is

being submitted V. TEJA SAGAR (19K85A0372),in fulfilment of the requirement

for the award of degree of BACHELOR IN TECHNOLOGY IN MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING is recorded of bonafide work carried out by them. The result

embodied in this report have been verified and found satisfactory.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Date:-

Place:-

i
 CONTENTS
Certificate i

List of figures iii

1.LEAF SPRING 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Leaf spring design 1

1.2.1Design theme of leaf spring 4

1.2.2 Laminated spring 5

1.2.3 Laminated semi elliptical spring 5

1.2.4 Material for spring 6

1.2.5 Standard sizes of leaf spring 7

1.2.6 Stresses due to support hinges 7

2. MANUFACTURING AND RAW MATERIAL

2.1 Manufacturing of leaf spring 10

2.2 Raw material 11

2.3 Shearing or Cutting process 11

2.4 Drilling operation 12

2.5 Eye rolling of main blade 13

2.6 Hardening 14

2.7 Tempering 15

2.8 Purpose of tempering 17

2.9 Rockwell Hardness Test 17

2.10 Fitting 17

2.11 Clamps 17

ii
2.12 Procedure for making clamps 18

2.13 Bolts and nuts 19

2.14 Rivets 19

2.15 MS pipe 19

2.16 Bushes 19

2.17 Painting 19

2.18 Labelling 20

2.19 Inspection 20

2.20 Stock ready to supply 20

2.21 Line diagram 21

3.MATERIAL REQUIRED

3.1 Raw material 22

3.2 Equipments used for leaf spring 22

4.MAINTENANCE

4.1 Leaf spring Repair 23

4.1.1 How to clean leaf spring 23

4.1.2 Inspect leaf springs and mountings 24

4.2 Care and Maintenance of leaf spring 24

4.2.1 Pre-set 24

4.2.2 Re-tighten the u-bolt 24

4.2.3 Replace the individual leaves 24

4.2.4 Lubrication 25

5.CONCLUSION 28

REFERENCES 29

iii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figures Title Page No.

1.1 Leaf spring 1

1.2 Uniform strength of leaf spring 2

1.3 Uniform strength of leaf spring 3
1.4 Uniform strength 4
1.5 Laminated spring 5
1.6 Laminated semi ellipitical spring 6
1.7 Stresses Diagram of hinges 8
2.1 Manufacturing process of leaf spring 10
2.2 Steel alloys 11
2.3 Press cutting machine 12
2.4 Vertical drilling machine 13
2.5 Eye Rolling of main spring 14
2.6 Hardening 15
2.7 Hydraulic Benching machine 15
2.8 Tempering 16
2.9 Clamps of different sizes 18
2.10 Cricular cutting die of clamps 18
2.11 Brush and painting 19
2.12 Labelling 20
2.13 Stock ready for supply 20
2.14 Views of leaf spring 21
4.1 Leaf spring repair 27
4.2 Ruby front spring removal 28
4.3 During dismantling and cleaning 28
4.4 After greasing,reassembly and tape 29

iv
 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction:

Originally Leaf spring called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a

simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeledvehicles. It is
also one of the oldest forms of springing, dating back to medieval times.

Figure.1.1 leaf Spring

Sometimes referred to as a semi- elliptical spring or cart spring, it takes the

form of a slender arc-shaped length of spring steel of rectangular cross-section. The
center of the arc provides location for the axle, while tie holes are provided at either
end for attaching to the vehicle body. For very heavy vehicles,a leaf spring can be
made from several leaves stacked on top of each other in several layers, often with
progressively shorter leaves. Leaf springs can serve locating and to some
extent damping as well as springing functions. A leaf spring can either be attached
directly to the frame at both ends or attached directly atone end, usually the front,
with the other end attached through a shackle, a short swinging arm. The shackle
takes up the tendency of the leaf spring to elongate when compressed and thus makes
for softer spring
1.2 Leaf Spring Design:

To have an idea of working principle of a leaf spring, let us think of the diving
board in a swimming pool. The diving board is a cantilever with a load, the diver, at

1
its free end. The diver initiates a to and fro swing of the board at the free end and
utilizes the spring action of the board for jumping. The diving board basically is a leaf
spring. The leaf springs are widely used in suspension system of railway carriages and
automobiles. But the form in which it is normally seen is laminated leaf spring.

In the cantilever beam type leaf spring, for the same leaf thickness, h, leaf of
uniform width, b (case 1) and, leaf of width, which is uniformly reducing from b (case
2) is considered. From the basic equations of bending stress and deflection, the
maximum stress, and tip deflection, can be derived. σ max δ max

Figure.1.2 uniform strength of leaf spring

For case 1(uniform width)

σ max = 6FL/ bh²

δ max = 4FL³ /Ebh³

Where, E is the Elastic modulus of the spring material.

For case 2(non uniform width)

σ max = 6FL/ bh²

δ max = 4FL /Ebh³

2
 In the second case it is observed that instead of uniform width leaf, if a leaf of
varying width (triangular one as shown in the figure) is used, the bending stress at any
cross section is same and equal to σmax. This is called as leaf of a uniform strength.
Moreover, the tip deflection being more, comparatively, it has greater resilience than
its uniform width counterpart. Resilience, as we know, is the capacity to absorb
potential energy during deformation. However, one should keep

In mind that in order to withstand the shear force the tip has to have some
width. In one way non uniform width leaf is a better design than a uniform width leaf.
Leaf spring of simply supported beam type is shown in the Fig. For which the stress
and deflection equation are also given as in the case of cantilever.

For case 1(uniform width)

Figure.1.3 Uniform Strength of Leaf Spring

σ max = 3FL/ bh²

δ max = 2FL /Ebh³

For case 2(non uniform width Lozenge-shape)

3
 Figure.1.4Uniform Strength

σ max = 6FL/ bh²

δ max = 4FL /Ebh³

One of the applications of leaf spring of simply supported beam type is seen in
automobiles, where, the central location of the spring is fixed to the wheel axle.
Therefore, the wheel exerts the force F (opposite to the direction shown in the figure),
on the spring and support reactions at the two ends of the spring come from the
carriage. The diamond shaped leaf, shown as case 2, is named as Lozenge shape and it
is again a beam of uniform strength.

1.2.1Design theme of leaf spring:

Let us consider the simply supported leaf of Lozenge shape for which the
maximum stress and maximum deflection are known. From the stress and deflection
equations the thickness of the spring plate, h, can be obtained as,

h= δ maxL²/E δ max

= δdesL²/E δdes

The σmax is replaced by design stress σdes. Similarly, δ max is replaced by δ

des. E is the material property and depends on the type of spring material chosen. L is
the characteristic length of the spring. Therefore, once the design parameters, given

4
on the left side of the above equation, are fixed the value of plate thickness, h can be
calculated. Substitution of h in the stress equation above will yield the value of plate
width In the similar manner h and b can be calculated for leaf springs of different
support conditions and beam types.

1.2.2 Laminated spring:

One of the difficulties of the uniform strength beam, say Lozenge shape, is
that the value of width b sometimes is too large to accommodate in a machine
assembly. One practice is that instead of keeping this large width one can make
several slices and put the pieces together as a laminate. This is the concept of
laminated spring.

Figure.1.5Laminated Springs

The Lozenge shaped plate is cut into several longitudinal strips, as indicated
in the figure. The central strip marked 1 is the master leaf which is placed at the top.
Then two pieces, marked 2 are put together, side by side to form another leaf and
placed below the top leaf. In the similar manner other pairs of strips, marked 3 and 4
respectively are placed in the decreasing order of strip length to form a laminated
spring. Here width of each strip, is given as,

Bn = b/n

Where, N is the number of strips

In practice, strips of width, and lengths, say equal to strip1, strip2 etc., as
shown in the example, are cut and put in the laminated form. The stress and deflection
equations for a laminated spring is,

σ max = pFL /NDnh²

δ max = qFL³/ENbnh³

5
Where, constants p and q are given as,

p q Simply supported beam : 3 3 Cantilever beam : 6 6

It is to be noted that the ends of the leaves are not sharp and pointed, as shown
in figure. In fact they are made blunt or even made straight to increase the load
bearing capacity. This change from ideal situation does not have much effect on the
stress equation. However, small effect is there on the deflection equation. In the
following section we will discuss about few more constructional details of a laminated
leaf spring.

1.2.3 Laminated semi elliptical leaf spring:

Figure.1.6 Laminated Semi Elliptical Leaf Spring

The fig shows a laminated semi- elliptic spring. The top leaf is known as the
master leaf. The eye is provided for attaching the spring with another machine
member. The amount of bend that is given to the spring from the central line, passing
through the eyes, is known as camber. The camber is provided so that even at the
maximum load the deflected spring should not touch the machine member to which it
is attached. The camber shown in the figure is known as positive camber. The central
clamp is required to hold the leaves of the spring. However, the bolt holes required to
engage the bolts to clamp the leaves weaken the spring to some extent. Rebound clips
help to share the load from the master leaf to the graduated leaf.

1.2.4 Materials for spring:

Materials for leaf spring are not as good as that for the helical spring. Plain
carbon steel, Chromium vanadium steel, Chromium- Nickel- Molybdenum steel,

6
Silicon- manganese steel, are the typical materials that are used in the design of leaf
springs.

1.2.5 Standard sizes of leaf spring:

Width (mm) : 25-80 mm in steps of 5mm

Thickness (mm) : 2-8 mm in steps of 1mm, 10-16 mm in steps of 2mm

In order to carry heavy load few more additional full length leaves are placed
below the master leaf for heavy loads. Such alteration from the standard laminated
leaf spring, what we have learnt above, does not change the stress value, but
deflection equation requires some correction.

δ max = δc qFL³/ENbnh³

Where, correction in deflection, δc is given as,

where,

m=Nf/N

Nf = Number of full length leaves

N= Total number of leaves in the spring

1.2.6 Stresses due to support hinges:

The master leaf of a laminated spring is hinged to the supports. The support
forces induce, stresses due to longitudinal forces and stresses arising due to possible
twist. Hence, the master leaf is more stressed compared to other the graduated leaves.
Methods to reduce additional stresses could be,

• Master leaf is made of stronger material than the other leaves.

• Master leaf is made thinner than the other leaves. This will reduce the
bending stress as evident from stress equation.

7
 • Another common practice is to increase the radius of curvature of the master
leaf than the next leaf.

Figure.1.7Stresses Diagram of Hinges

The last method is explained through Fig. Initial bent created through fixing
bolt during assembly Larger radius of curvature U Nipping of leaf spring The master
leaf has a larger radius of curvature compared to the additional leaf that is placed
below so obviously a gap will be created between the two leaves as indicated in the
figure. Now, an initial bent is created during assembly by tightening the central bolt.

Therefore, some amount of compressive stress will be produced at the inside

curvature of the master leaf. Similarly, at the outside curvature of the master leaf
tensile stress will be produced. Both these stresses are initial stresses in the master
leaf. However, by such operation of tightening the central bolt, the additional leaf that
is placed beneath the master leaf tends to flatten out and as a result the stress pattern
of the additional leaf will be reverse of that of the master leaf, tensile stress is
produced at the inner curvature and compressive stress is produced at the outer
curvature.

Hence, when the spring is loaded, for both the master leaf and the additional
leaf, tensile stress will be produced at the inner curvature and compressive stress will
be produced at the outer curvature. Therefore, due to opposite nature of initial stress
and loading stress, the master leaf will experience lesser stress on both the surfaces.
However, due to same nature of initial stress and loading stress, the additional leaf is

8
stressed more compared to the master leaf. But, it is to be noted that the higher stress
on the additional leaf is actually shared between all other leaves than the master leaf.

This practice of stress relief in the master leaf is known as Nipping of leaf
spring. As a matter of fact, all the leaves of a laminated leaf spring do have certain
amount of nipping, so that there will be gaps between the leaves, as a result the
stresses will be uniformly distributed, and accumulated dusts can also be cleaned.

9
 CHAPTER 2

MANUFACTURING AND RAW MATERIALS

2.1 Manufacturing Of Leaf Spring:

Figure.2.1 Manufacturing Flow Sheet Of Leaf Spring

10
 2.1Raw materials:

Generally leaf springs are made of various fine grade alloy steel. The most
commonly used grades of steel are 55 Si7, 60 Si Cr7, 50 Cr V4. The others are En 45
A, 65 Si7, 55 Si Cr 7,65 Si cr7,En 42 60 s 87.In our project we are going to use En 42
60 S87 grade of steel alloy. Generally the width of the raw material varies from 40-
100 mm and thickness varies from 4to 20mm.

Figure 2.2Steel Alloys

2.3Shearing or cutting process:

Shearing is a process for cutting sheet metal to size out of a larger stock such
as roll stock. The raw material is cut into different sizes with the help of the 100 ton
cutting press machine.

Figure.2.3 100 Ton Press Cutting Machine

• At first the raw material is placed on the roller bed so that it will be easy to

11
 move the material towards the machine.
• Required length of the material to be cut is measured with a tape and marking
is done on the raw material.
• Now move the material in to the cutting area of the machine so that the mark
is placed exactly at the cutting edge of the blade.
• Now lock the material with the help of the lock nut provided
• Allow the lubricant to flow for free action of cutting and for reducing friction.
• Now apply the load on the material by pressing the brake provided.
• Now the required length of the material piece can be obtained.

2.4 Drilling operation

Necessary holes are provided on the strips of leaf springs to hold all the plate
together. So, drilling operation is performed. Generally vertical drilling machine is
used for this operation.

• The given material piece is placed on the table of the drilling machine.
• The diameter of the required hole is choosen and the required drill bit is
connected to the spindle.
• The work piece is placed in the required position for drilling and the
coolent oil is sprayed over the work piece.
• Now by applying the hand lever the required hole diameter is drilled.
Required number of holes are drilled.

Figure.2.4 Vertical Drilling Machine

12
2.5 Eye rolling of main blade:

The master blade is heated at its two ends for eye formation, these are done to
attach with the frame of the vehicle. The heating is done in a end heating furnace at a
temperature of 1000 degree centigrade. The heating is done only at the ends so that it
will be easy to bend at the ends. Furnace oil and the air are used for heating the
furnace. The furnace is first allowed to heat freely for 45 mins.

Now the master blades are placed in the furnace such that only ends are
heated. After heating is done for one end it is bend to form the eye and again it is
placed in the furnace to heat the other end. After heating the main blade is bent
slightly to form curve at the end with the help of 50 ton punching machine so that it
will be easy to roll to form eye formation. In the eye rolling machine the master blade
end is placed between the circular wheel and the die. After placing the hand lever is
moved so that the end of the master blade rolls over the die thus forming eye shape.

Figure.2.5 Eye Rolling of Main Spring

2.6 Hardening (Quenching):

Hardening is carried out to achieve the maximum hardness. The main blades
after the eye formation are heated to a temperature of 800-1000degree centigrade in a
furnace to increase the hardness of the material. The other blades along with main
blades are heated in the furnace. The furnace is heated by using air and furnace oil
through conventional air flow system. The conventional air flow system is used to
mix both air and furnace oil for heating purpose. A pump is provided for the air to go
out. After heating the blades in the furnace for 45 minutes they are taken out and bent

13
to the required angle on the hydraulic bending machine. The required angle can be
obtained by using required angle dies. The blades after making the required angle they
are immersed in the Quenching on oil to increase the hardness. The hardness at the
end of this stage is about 50 to 60.

Figure.2.6 Hardening

Figure.2.7 Hydraulic Benching Machine

Following are the factors of affecting the hardening process

• Chemical composition of steel

• Size and shape of steel part.
• Hardening cycle, i.e. heating rate, hardening temperature, holding time
andcooling rate.
• Homogeneity and grain size of austenite.
• Quenching media.
• Surface condition of steel part.

14
2.7 Tempering:

Quenched steel, while very hard and strong, is too brittle to be useful for most
applications. A method for alleviating this problem is called tempering. For most
steels, tempering involves heating to between 250 and 500 °C, holding that
temperature (soaking)for an appropriate amount of time (on the order of seconds or
hours), then cooling slowly over an appropriate length of time (minutes or hours).
This heat treatment results in higher

Figure.2.8.Tempering

toughness and ductility, without sacrificing all of the hardness and tensile strength
gained from rapid quenching. Tempering balances the amount of hard marten site
with ductile ferrite and Pearlite.

In some applications, different areas of a single object are given different heat
treatments. This is called differential hardening. It is common in high quality knives

15
and swords.

2.8 Purpose of tempering:

a) Improve ductility
b) Improve toughness
c) Reduce hardness
d) Increase% elongation
e) Relieve residual; stresses

After the hardening process the blades are dried and again heated in the furnace
for tempering process. In the tempering process the blades are heated to nearly 6oo
degree centigrade for early 80 minutes to decrease the hardness up to 30 to 40. Here
also air along with furnace oil is used for heating process. After tempering is done the
blades are removed from the furnace and they are dried in air.

2.9 Rockwell Hardness Test:

This test determines the hardness of metals by measuring the depth of

impression, which can be made by a hard test point under a known load. The
penetrator may be either a steel ball or diamond sphero-conical. Soft metals will be
indicated by low hardness numbers. Hard metals will be indicated by high hardness
numbers. Harder metals permit less of an impression to be made, resulting in higher
hardness numbers.

2.10 Fitting:

In this section the leaf springs along with the main spring are fitted together
with the help of clamps, bolts, nuts and rivets.

2.11Clamps:

Clamps are the devices which are used for holding the leaf springs together.
Clamps are made of Mild Steel.

16
 Figure.2.9 Clamps Of Different Sizes

2.12 Procedure for making clamps:

At first the material is cut into the required length on the 50 ton cutting
machine by using blades. Next the cutted material is punched on the 5o ton punching
machine to obtain required circular shape at the edge by using suitable die. Now after
measuring the correct size the other end is also punched on 50 ton punching machine
to obtain circular shape by using the same die. This circular shape at the ends is
provided for clamps of width greater than 20 mm.

After making the reqired size the clamp materials are heated in the end heating
furnace at1000 degree centigrade by using furnace oil and air. The clamps are heated
for 15 minutes in the furnace. After heating they are taken out and placed on the 50
ton punching machine to make the clamp of U shape by using clamp dies. Different
dies are used for making clamps of different width. Generally 4 clamps are used for
12 plates and 2 clamps are used for 7 leaf plates. the clamps are arranged at equal
distance from the centre.

Figure.2.10 Circular Cutting Die Of Clamp

17
2.13 Bolts and nuts:

Bolts and nuts of different sizes are used in the holes provided on the leaf
springs to hold them tightly.

2.14Rivets:

Rivets are used for holding the clamps and leaf springs together.

2.15 MS pipe:

Ms pipes are provided for the bolts that are attached to the clamps to reduce
the wear of the bolts.

2.16 Bushes:

Bushes made of MS with gold coating are inserted in to the eye rolling end of
the mainspring in order to the wear.

2.17 Painting:

After fitting operation the leaf springs are allowed for painting operation.

Figure.2.11. Brush and Painting

18
2.18 Labelling:

After drying the painted leaf springs, labelling is done on the leaf springs.
Generally the name of the manufactured company and the dimensions are used as
labelling.

Figure.2.12 Labelling

2.19 Inspection

Inspection is carried out by authorities regularly to check the quality, performance of

the leaf springs. The leaf springs with bad quality or with low performance are
rejected and once again allowed for manufacturing.

2.20 Stock ready to supply

After inspection the leaf springs with good quality and performance are allowed to
stock storage. Now the stock is are ready to supply.

Figure.2.13 Stock Ready To Supply

19
2.21 Line Diagram:

Figure.2.14 Views Of Leaf Spring

20
 CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS REQUIRED

3.1 RAW MATERIALS

Steel alloys are the most commonly used spring materials. The most popular
alloys include

• High carbon
• Oil tempered low carbon
• Chromes silicon
• Vanadium
• Stainless steel
• Other materials
• Beryllium copper alloy
• Phosphor bronze
• Titanium

3.2 EQUIPMENTS USED FOR LEAF SPRING

The following equipments are used to manufacture a leaf spring

• Material cutting and punching machine

• Taper rolling machine
• End forming
• Eye forming
• Camber forming and quenching
• Load testing
• Fatigue testing

21
 CHAPTER 4

MAINTENANCE

4.1 LEAF SPRING REPAIR

4.1.1 How to Clean a Leaf Spring?
The most important reason to clean leaf springs on a periodic basis is because
of the dirt particles that kick up from the ground as the truck is in motion. That dirt
makes its way between the leaves, and this can exacerbate wear and corrosion on the
leaf springs. The handbook for your truck should state the appropriate frequency for
leaf spring cleaning.
One of the things you shouldn't do during leaf spring maintenance is treat the
leaves with lubricating oil. If you do, it could hinder the anti-friction matter that lies
between the leaves. If you do want to apply something of the lubricating sort,
silicone-based lubricants are ideal.
On most of today's trucks, leaf springs are located at the rear suspension, so
you'll need to slide under this area of your vehicle to access the leaves and perform
the basic cleaning work. Depending on the height of your wheels, you may or may not
need to jack the truck to perform these steps.

If you do need to jack your truck to reach the leaf springs, you'll need to:
a. Take off the trims and hubcaps from the wheels.

b. Loosen the wheel nuts.

c. Activate the jack on either the left or right side of the truck.

d. Place the axle stand under one of the chassis members — don't place the stand
under the axle.

Repeat the these steps on the side you didn't jack. Now, you should have both
sides of the truck elevated with axle stands under the chassis. Place chocks ahead of
the front wheels and take off the rear wheels. This way, the truck will be securely in
place, and the weight of the vehicle will be significantly minimized around the
springs.
Now, the leaf springs should be clearly visible and easy to access for maintenance.
The hard work, however, is just getting started.
Now it's time to clean the leaves, which can be a rather tough undertaking if the
dirt is caked on thick. Due to the old grease that will be on the leaves, the job can also
get dirty, so you'll want to wear gloves, grubbies and goggles as you clean the springs.
The work in question can also end up staining the ground as the dirty oil drips off the

22
truck's underside, so you'll want to cover the pavement or garage floor with
newspaper.
With a wire brush in hand, remove every bit of dirt you can see on each of the leaf
springs. Try to be especially thorough along the leaf ends, the clips, the tops and the
bottoms. By the time you're done with this step, the leaf springs should look more like
they did when they were first installed, providing the leaves haven't incurred damage.
If greasy dirt is really caked on thick, you might need to use a degreasing fluid on
the leaves. The best option here would be a spray fluid, which will help remove the
gunk as you run the wire brush across the surfaces. Once the leaves are as dirt-free as
possible, wipe the fluid residue off your wire brush with clean rags.
If the leaves don't appear greasy in the slightest and are only marked with dry dirt
or corrosive streaks, don't bother with degreasing fluid. The wire brush should be
enough to remove all the dirt. Even if the leaves have not been treated with grease, it's
still up to you whether you want to introduce a silicone lubricant to the springs.
With the leaf springs now clean, it's time to get out from under the chassis and
lower the truck back to the ground. Basically, you'll need to reverse all the jacking
steps. Reattach the wheels, remove the axle stands, lower the jack and reapply the
trims and hubcaps. Be sure the wheel nuts are tight, and everything is securely in
place.

4.1.2 Inspect Leaf Springs and Mountings

During the process of cleaning leaf springs you might spot evidence of
damages to the leaves that may or may not be reversible
During the process of cleaning leaf springs, you might spot evidence of
damages to the leaves that may or may not be reversible. That's why important to
know how to distinguish springs with minor wear from springs that would simply
need to be replaced outright. Here’s what to look for:
Check to see whether one of the lead springs is more perfectly horizontal than
the other. If there's indeed a disparity, the truck is likelier to sag on one side. In this
case, it would also be pertinent to examine the ride height.
Study the edges of the leaves. Do you notice any chips or cracks? Once leaves
have incurred fractures, the problem cannot be rectified with welding tools. In fact, if
you spot damage of that nature, that's how you know when to replace leaf springs.
Examine the bottom sides of the leaves, where the stacking order goes from
narrowest on up to widest like an inverted pyramid. The end tips of the bottom leaf
might possibly poke at the underside of the wider leaf on top. This is something to
beware of, because it possibly means all but the narrowest of leaves has incurred a
depression from the leaves directly below. This can be caused by the binding

23
formation of leaf springs, where the leaf strips are squeezed tightly to one another.
It's the extent of depression you need to be concerned about most. If the
depression is only minor, you don't have to worry. However, if the depression
surpasses 3mm, the problem is likely out of hand and won't be salvageable, not even
with repair work.
Look at the shape of the shackle pins that fasten the rubber bushings. Are they
straight and stain-free, or have they lost their shape and gone rusty? In the latter case,
it could be difficult to unfasten the pins. Therefore, the job of changing them out
might be best for a professional.

4.2 CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF LEAF SPRING

When it comes to suspension technology, there’s no question that leaf springs
are the best. With the use of several metal strips combined together to absorb shock
and equalize weight distribution of a vehicle, leaf springs are much better in dealing
with heavy cargo than coil-type suspension.
But just like any car component, it will wear over time. So in order to ensure
that leaf springs stay in tip-top shape, consider the following tips on how to maintain
them. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you require
when visiting a leaf spring store in the Philippines .

4.2.1: Pre-set
Over the course of your travels, driving your vehicle through potholes ,
humps, or any kind of bump that can shift’s your vehicle’s weight, will be handled by
your leaf springs. The stress causes the suspension to droop or “sag”, making it lose
its ability to properly absorb shock.
Experts from Suspension Specialists, Inc. maintain that pre-setting leaf springs
with a “bulldozer” will bring it back to its original shape. Doing this makes the device
useable for another 16,000 km (1,000 miles).
Interestingly enough, this method is done before installation to test for defects
and evaluate if the leaf spring is in good working condition.
4.2.2: Re-tighten the u-bolt
The u-bolt , which is located at the center of the leaf spring, is used to hold all
the metal strips together in the middle. Re-tightening it prevents further sagging,
allowing the device to absorb shock properly.
Suspension Specialists, Inc. experts recommend that drivers have their u-bolts
tightened every 800 km (500 miles), 1600 km (1000 miles) and at regular intervals
based on the driver’s judgment.
4.2.3: Replace the individual leaves
In some cases, the entire leaf spring doesn’t have to be replaced – only the
individual leaves. If you find a strip out of place, it can be re-bent with a hydraulic
press. You might want to take your leaf springs to an auto shop and have a mechanic

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work on that, as it takes a skilled person to bend the individual metal sheets to the
right curvature.
If the leaves are hopelessly straight, rusty, or old, then consider getting new
leaves from a metal bar. Again, this might need the expertise of an experienced auto
mechanic, so bring this case to your nearest car repair shop.
4.2.4: Lubrication
Grease or oil the entire leaf spring. When a vehicle goes over a hump, bump,
or pothole, the leaf spring moves upwards, taking the stress for the entire car. If
unlubricated or rusty, every component that braces for impact will make a crunching
noise. The abrasive absorption affects the suspension of the entire vehicle,
contributing to very uncomfortable ride.
Lubricating the leaf spring eliminates that. It might mean taking apart the
entire device to get the job done, but if it means a much smoother ride in the end, then
the hard work is well worth

As with many parts that lurk under an Austin Seven it is easy to neglect springs
and, for the most part, they will continue to work tolerably well for a long time.
However, in common with other components that do a vital job whilst often
being taken for granted (steering arms, crankshafts, half-shafts etc.) you will soon
notice if they fail! When servicing your car or doing other work ‘below decks’ it is
well worth giving the springs a good clean and wire brush off followed by a close
inspection, taking particular care to look for cracks. Many cars are running with
uncovered springs which mean they attract a lot of dirt and often inevitable corrosion
follows, especially if the car is used all through the year. On the plus side uncovered
springs are easier to inspect.
If you are using original springs or items that are of unknown provenance it is
quite possible they will be badly worn. The physical wear in the leaves will be visible
by the material worn away on the top surface of each leaf where the leaf above has
been rubbing against it as the spring deflects. If the leaves have straight ends then this
wear will take the form of an obvious step change in thickness visible on the top
surface of leaves. If the leaf ends taper to a rounded point from above then the leaves
below will exhibit a corresponding hollowed portion where rubbing has been going
on. Either way the step that forms at the edge of the wear is a bad thing. It causes a
stress concentration in the leaves that can eventually lead to fatigue failure and it also
can constrain the spring from its full ‘extreme’ range of movement.
If the wear is slight but your conscience can’t ignore it, the step can be
removed by filing (a power-file saves a lot of time!), however if the wear is severe
then the leaf or whole spring will need replacing. As usual, if in doubt seek advice. In
addition to this physical wear, leaf springs also tend to settle over time and if this has
occurred or some other adjustment to ride height is necessary, it is possible to have
the springs re-set providing their condition is otherwise sound. However you will
need to carefully consider the desired final ride height before spending your money.

25
 Opinion on protecting springs varies greatly. Some folks grease between the
leaves, other prefer to run them ‘dry’ allowing the friction between the leaves causing
additional friction damping. Springs can be greased in situ by removing the weight
from the car (by jacking from the chassis) and applying with a thin blade between the
leaves. Years ago specialist tools were available for opening and greasing leaf springs
(see images) I have yet to find one but might improvise something similar when I get
the chance.

Fig.4.1.leaf spring repair

Bear in mind grease does cause dirt and dust to stick which can form a
grinding paste so, if you are into trialling for instance, you might prefer to simply
clean them and coat with light oil. Around Bristol I find the rain tends to keep the dust
down… Larger pre-war cars had greasing systems ‘designed in’ with through holes
and channels in the leaves allowing the whole spring to be easily greased from one
point and often had gaiters fitted suggesting this was the perceived wisdom of the
time.
When I rebuilt the front axle on the Ruby last year I took the opportunity to
strip, clean and inspect the front spring. If doing this a G clamp around the assembly
when undoing the centre bolt is recommended to prevent the spring flying apart.
Surprisingly minimal wear was evident so everything was reassembled with grease
and bound with Denso tape (some folks use large ‘heat shrink’ tubing!) Although
greasing and covering your springs should help them last longer it doesn’t mean one
should forget about them altogether so a periodic check on their condition is still
important.

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 Fig.4.2.Ruby front spring after removal

Fig.4.3.During dismantling and cleaning

Fig.4.4.After greasing, reassembly and tape

We are very fortunate that replacement new springs for all models of Austin
Seven are available from trusted suppliers. So should your springs be sagging, broken
or badly worn then you can treat yourself to new ones.

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 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

A semi-elliptical multi leaf spring is designed for a foZZwheel

automobile.Under the same static load conditions the stresses in leaf
spring are found with less difference in the analytical and FEA
solutions.All the FEA results ate compared with the theoretical results
and it is found that they are within the allowable limits and nearly equal
to the theoretical results.The steel leaf spring can be suggested for both
from stiffness and stress point of view.

REFERENCES

28
[1].V.B. Bhandari, “Design of Machine Element”. Third Edition –Tata McGra W hill
Education privet limited-2010.

[2].Paul H. Black K, Machine design McGraw- Hill book company.

[3]. Guta, A Textbook of Machine Design.

[4].Shiri R.P. Handa prop Satya Prakashan, First addition, Jily 1947.

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