rear springs

[rustbucket]

has any one out there completely dismantled the rear springs down to individual pieces and rebuilt them?
if you have, where can you find the locating rivits/pins that go through the springs or can you re-use these rivits/pins.
i want to strip mine down for a good clean and fresh paint. they are 5 leaf on a 64 2 door saloon. any help would be welcome

[chickenjohn]

Yes, I have done this- and you can buy the rubbers and U clamps that attach spring to axle from the usual suppliers. However, I was lucky in that all the little clamps that hold the leaves together responded well to an overnight soak in 10% citric acid, painting in zinc primer and chassis black. These clamps (from memory, it was a couple of years ago I did this) are just a bit of bent steel held around the springs with a little nut and bolt and a small piece of rubber between clamp and spring. You could possibly make your own if the existing ones are knackered.

Springs are easy to strip, clean, paint and re-assemble and look great with a painted rear axle!

[rustbucket]

thanks for the info. my first idea was to replace the pin that goes through the little strapy things with a stainless button head bolt and a nylock washer if the rivits were unobtainable.