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Since the Hemi springs are unique and the repops are not close I chose to save the originals. The springs were in pretty good shape but a little pitted due to rust. I had them stripped and then filled the pits with a skim coat of glaze then sanded it smooth. |
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The temps here in Wisconsin were unseasonably warm enabling me to shoot some good coats of high build primer on the springs. It was weird to be outside in a T-shirt with snow still on the ground. |
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After a full day of sanding and priming the springs came out great as the sun is setting and it is time to shut the doors and turn the heat back on! |
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Since the springs came in natural metal or black, and I could not find any traces of paint on mine, I chose Eastwood's Detail Gray to shoot the springs in. This color replicates the natural metal that the springs were when installed. Try to keep the amount of primer and paint to a minimum thickness as the springs will flex and thick paint will crack and peel if you are not careful. |
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If you order the spring rebuild kit from Frank Badalson it comes with the spring clamps. These are exact reproductions of the originals and take note that there is a tall one and a short one. This is important as they go in different locations and will not work if installed incorrectly. |
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You also get the little plastic spring insulators that go on the ends of the leaves. These can be tricky to install but if you use a body hammer with a large flat head just give them a solid smack and they snap right in. |
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The real cool thing you get from Frank is the Zinc inner liners that go between the leaves to keep them from rusting. These are not available anywhere else and they don't come with the repop springs. |
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I used a C clamp with an old rubber insulator to compress the leaves to trial fit the springs. |
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This is how the plastic insulators look and you can see the extra hole between them for the clamp to be installed later. |
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