Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hi everyone!
Apologies, I haven't been here for a while. I am restoring a 1929 Model 645 sedan and am having new springs made by EATON Detroit Spring. My grandfather purchased my car in 1930 and it has been in the family since then, so it has only been mildly adulterated, but I fear grandpa may have made changes to the rear springs. He was a blacksmith, turned auto mechanic so he could have easily added a leaf to those springs and the guys at EATON tell me that my rear springs should have ten leafs. Well, mine have 11 leafs, and a couple of the clips look suspiciously "hand crafted", much like several other parts of the car. If anyone has a 645, could I ask you to count the leafs on the rear spring and send me a picture of the "outermost" clips on the springs. I have included a picture of the ends of my springs, showing the unconventional clips and a possible "additional" leaf. Many thanks to anyone who can solve this mystery for me.
John Wogec
916-316-5561
Wogec@yahoo.com

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Sorry, I can't help with your specific question on the # of leaves, but as far as the clips go, I'm about 99.999% certain the original springs never had any clips but rather the leaves were wrapped first in canvas and then in metal spring "gaiters"; the gaiters both kept the leaves aligned but also retained the lubrication. You can see this illustrated in any of the various parts lists for the era and Packard's promotion literature on the 640-645 says spring covers were standard equipment.

The extra leaf might suggest that your grandfather decided to add an extra leaf, perhaps because he anticipated extra heavy loads, and to do so he had to remove the metal gaiters and as they would no longer fit with the extra leaf, he went to "clips" to hold the leaves.

Great car, best of luck with the restoration. How about some progress pictures from time to time?

The attached information confirms that all of the 645 Sedans had 10 leaves.
The spring clips are used in conjunction with the covers, see the attached illustration from the parts book

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DavidM,thanks for that information. Do you have a good photo of a spring with both gaiters and clips?

I have never seen original springs with gaiters still in place on any of the cars I have been involved with, the springs on my 740 are bare as are the springs on 2 633's that I restored.
The gaiters must have been removed or lost at some time.
I spoke to someone some years ago who made the metal spring covers for Cadillac and they were fitted to springs with clips.
I understand that the metal covers are made from light gauge steel only suitable as a cover not to keep the spring leaves together.
Hopefully someone will post a photo of original springs with the covers intact.

I understand that the metal covers are made from light gauge steel only suitable as a cover not to keep the spring leaves together.

Thanks for the added info. The above may well be true from the 6th series but certainly not for the early 30s thru perhaps 1940 or 1941 - take a look under most any unmolested senior car of this era and you'll see metal gaiters without clips - and those steel covers are really tough! One object was to have the gaiters and underlaying canvas lube the springs by retaining the runoff from the Bijur, hence the only gap in the gaiters is at the portion that lays on the axle perch.

Attached from the 33-36 Parts List. If a photo of one of these would be useful, I'd be glad to take it.

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Jwogec,
This is interesting and a little off your question of number of leaves. You dilemma is simply solved by using 10 leaves and after looking at the parts book, the 6th Series cars did not use spring covers so you do not have to be concerned about that.
However I now have a dilemma in that the 7th Series did uses covers (without clips) according to the parts book I had always assumed covers were used in addition to the clips but thinking more about it, they would not have sealed very well.
I have known about my 740 from when it was a very rough but complete intact car. Its hard to imagine the covers all being removed (or lost) and replaced with clips but that is how it has been for many years.
The previous owner and myself have attempted to ensure the restoration was completely authentic but neither of us turned our attention to springs.
It would be quite a job to fabricate authentic covers that would hold the leaves in place. Now I have a dilemma with the 740!

I haven't taken note of it recently but for many years there was a long-running ad in the CCCA monthly bulletin for a source for terne plate spring gaiters. Perhaps Eaton Spring would have a lead on a source. I've seen them made by a restoration shop here, I think the hardest part is forming and closing the folded seam on the bottom of each section - I think the rest is fairly straight forward sheet metal forming though I've never tried it.

If it is helpful to you I can measure the thickness of the sheet steel on my covers.

OD, Don't go to any trouble to measure the thickness of the covers. The restoration of this car has spanned 25 years and involved many problems, the previous owner and a close friend passed away a few years ago and I have finished the car including all of the "too hard" jobs that he had not started. It is now finished & registered. I don't know if I can find the motivation to make and fit spring covers unless I could find someone here in Australia with the expertise to fit and close the seams.
I have vowed that this is my last restoration - I will dwell on it for a while but thanks for the offer

You guys are great! Thanks so much for all your effort. I found a model 645 with original springs. The picture below shows they have ten leafs. David M, can I possibly get those data sheets which show the specs for both the front and rear springs. I already have the parts book pages. Thanks

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