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Flex- a Form springs..
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23290		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  slanty6 [ Tue May 22, 2007 6:51 am ]
Post subject:  Flex- a Form springs..
I need new springs for my 1974 Satellite. I contacted Flex-a-form- they quoted me $425 for a pair, shipped to my door, that includes stock size front and rear bushings.I intend to keep this car a long time so I can absorb the cost. Is anyone on this website actually running springs from Flex-a-form ?? I have a few ?? 's about the install.... Thanks - Dave
Author:  bluedart73 [ Tue May 22, 2007 9:29 am ]
Post subject: 
THe price you quoted seems high. Check with espos springs and things. A lot of people here including myself have done very well with them. THey know the cars.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Tue May 22, 2007 9:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Say, that's an interesting-looking spring! Hadn't heard of this company before. I know GM put composite springs on some of their cars (Chevy II...?) in the late '60s, don't know how well those worked out.

How detailed did you have to get with the dimensions of your existing springs in order for them to be able to make you new ones? Or did they just say "Oh, yeah, '74 Satellite, no problem"?

That said, I agree: If you don't for whatever reason need composite springs, you can get good-quality conventional metal ones very cost-effectively from Espo.
Author:  slanty6 [ Wed May 23, 2007 12:07 am ]
Post subject: 
blue dart 73- the springs I'm looking at are fiberglass, not steel.

Dan- yeah that kinda is the response I got from the email, however they said they had the specs for my spring on hand- I'm actually looking for someone at this point who has bought springs from these people to see what they thought of them..-Thanks, dave
Author:  Dart270 [ Wed May 23, 2007 6:38 am ]
Post subject: 
I tried a set on my 64 Dart and recently pulled them off. I told the guy what rate I wanted, and he convinced me to go 50lbs higher, which is indeed too stiff. He also made them about 30mm too long so I (due to time constraints) fabbed custom rear shackles to compensate.

I need to return them so he can at least shorten them, and maybe he will replace with softer ones?

Other folks have had good luck with them and I've seen a few old Mopars with them installed and working well.

Lou
Author:  bluedart73 [ Wed May 23, 2007 6:57 am ]
Post subject: 
I see, What is the upside of these springs vs. conventional ones?
Author:  Matt Cramer [ Wed May 23, 2007 7:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I see, What is the upside of these springs vs. conventional ones?
They're lighter, and it's unsprung weight you will be removing to boot.
Author:  Dart270 [ Wed May 23, 2007 7:44 am ]
Post subject: 
They are A LOT lighter. Good bang for your buck, regarding weight savings. My 64 Dart springs (5 lf) are 63lbs for the pair, and the FG ones are only 18lbs for the pair. The unsprung weight savings is huge too, as Matt pointed out.

Lou
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed May 23, 2007 8:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Lou, you've got my interest. I don't know that I'd put this kind of spring on my truck, since it's already light enough in the back, but maybe for the Lancer. What spring rate did you specify, and how did you arrive at it? What're the other parameters of your Dart (tires, wheels, rear axle, etc.)? I might've seen a table of A-body spring rates for the various leaf spring configurations somewhere, but can't recall where.

It sounds like George runs more or less a one-man show. Nothing wrong with that; I run one myself, but I am curious how coöperative he's being in correcting the overlength situation. Has he acknowledged the error?
Author:  Matt Cramer [ Wed May 23, 2007 11:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
They are A LOT lighter. Good bang for your buck, regarding weight savings. My 64 Dart springs (5 lf) are 63lbs for the pair, and the FG ones are only 18lbs for the pair. The unsprung weight savings is huge too, as Matt pointed out.

Lou
Wow. Now you've got me interested too. I knew they'd be lighter, but not that much lighter.
Author:  Dart270 [ Wed May 23, 2007 12:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
Actually, I haven't had the time/inclination to pull the springs and send them back, so I've never reported the length to George. Tho, Cameron Tilley bought a set with me and he did tell George about it. I will do it fairly soon.

I arrived at 180 lbs/in from a measurement of the HD leafs off my 64 Dart, which has about 1400 lbs over the back (full tank + driver). He wanted to sell us 250 lbs/in, which is way high for Mopars, and we talked him down to 225 lbs/in. That is still too high, and I hope to get 170s or 180s from him. We'll see what he says.

Lou
Author:  slanty6 [ Thu May 24, 2007 9:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lou, how did you arrive at that 180lb in number ?? or is it just common available info about your car or leaf springs in general ?? Any idea what lb/in number my stock springs would be ?? (1974 satellite) I've had a vehichle w/ too harsh a spring b4 and certainly don't want that... thanks dave
Author:  Dart270 [ Fri May 25, 2007 5:58 am ]
Post subject: 
I put those leafs in the car years ago, then stiffened the front end and adjusted things for "neutral steer" up to at least 80mph. I have no idea about a Satellite. Mopars take less rear spring rate than the equivalent Mustang/Camaro from the 60s/70s due to spring design.

My measurements are rather coarse, so the springs are somewhere between 150 and 170 lbs/in as they sit now (cut lowest leaf in half).

Lou
Author:  slanty6 [ Mon May 28, 2007 6:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Does anyone know of or know a way to determine what the lb/in rate for my factory springs would be (1974 Satellite ) ? The car has dropped a little bit in the back over the years, but still rides nicely. That is why I like the car so much- for a "midsize" car in rides more like a fullsize car. I would like to have these springs made up for my car, but I don't want to be sold too heavy of a spring rate like what happened to Lou.- Dave
Author:  Dart270 [ Mon May 28, 2007 7:25 am ]
Post subject: 
Dave,

Be careful with rate vs. free arch. You can have a low rate spring with a high initial arch that sits the car at a certain height, or a much stiffer spring with less initial arch that puts it at the same height. For performance handling, you want a nearly flat spring with a higher rate than stock.

Easy way to measure the rate on your current springs:

1) Disconnect shocks from lower mounts.
2) Measure accurately the distance from the ground to a certain spot on the fender lip (use a plump bob and mark a point on the fender that has the plump bob string going through the axle centerline).
3) Put a known amount of weight in the trunk of the car directly over the axle, hopefully in line with your plumb bob string (2 slant cylinder heads are convenient things to use here - ~150 lbs).
4) Bounce car a few times to try to set the suspension at the new level. This will take up sticky points like shackle bushings and such.
5) Measure again from the same marked point on your fender lip to the ground.
6) Try bouncing and repeating second measurement again to see if you are making repeatable (dependable) measurements. In fact, doing the first measurement (w/o weight in trunk) is a good idea too.

Take the amt of weight in the car you added (lbs), divide by twice the distance change you measured (in), and you will have the rate for one spring.

The quick and dirty way to do it (less accurate) with the springs out of the car is to stand on them at the axle mounting point, where the locating dowel is, and measure the deflection from your (known) body weight. Again, divide your weight by the deflection to get the rate for that spring.

I did only the 2nd method for the 64 Dart, and so my crude estimate. I did the 1st method on Project V (stock springs) and got 110lbs/in. Those actually work pretty well for that very light car, but should be stiffened up some.

Lou
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