C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

[Jason P.]

Anyone on here live in the Houston/Katy, TX area that has used the rear leaf spring banding tool to rebuild rear leaf springs and apply the band clips?

I rented the tool and purchased the spring rebuild kit. I have read the instructions and so many other posts on how to do this but I just can't seem to figure it out especially trying to do it by myself.

My springs are off my frame.

I am hoping I can find someone that lives near me or at least in driving distance that has done this before and I can meet up with them to finish up my rear springs by crimping these bands on.

I live in Katy and I am willing to drive to meet of course.

Can anyone help me

Jason

[Vinnie P.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

Jason...there are 2 articles on leaf springs and bands in this issue of The Restorer, which is online at this link.

Vinnie Peters

http://www.ourdigitalmags.com/publication/?m=45623&i=399377&p=6&ver=html5

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

Jason,

link for index of Restorer articles https://www.ncrs.org/contact/Restorer_Index.pdf

Gary
....

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

Thanks. I have read both of those articles and others.

I am using the Corvette Central loaner tool. I am sliding a thin piece of metal in between the rubber band and the metal band so it doesn't mess the rubber band when I crimp.

The problem I keep having is when I go to crimp, the metal band gets crimped and all bent up instead of the small metal band clamp piece.

Hope that makes sense.

Anyone have this experience and what do you do to avoid this from happening?

I am really at a loss here and very frustrated at something that seems like it should be so simple.

Appreciate any help here!!

Jason

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

always best to post photos and that way members can see what your problem is - a photo is worth a thousand words

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

Yes, I totally understand and wish I would have taken pictures. I will try again this evening.

Question on the crimping process. I was thinking that the tool would just crimp the small metal clip part to the band but I started thinking that maybe the crimping tool is also supposed to bend and crimp together the actual metal band along with the smaller clamp. Like they both get crimped together.

I was originally thinking that the small metal clamp would get crimped around the metal clamp and now I am thinking maybe that they both get crimped together.

When I was trying to do this I stopped midway through the crimping process when I saw the larger metal band getting "distorted". Now it has me thinking that I should have just continued the process to see what had happens.

I will try again tonight.

[Jason P.]

Re: C1 Houston Area Leaf Spring Bands Help!!!

I finally got this to work.

For anyone else out there that may come across this and has trouble.

What I ended up doing is slipping the small metal clamp piece onto both side of the metal band. I then put a thin piece of metal in between the small clamp and the rubber to protect the rubber from getting messed up. Then I put small vice grips on the end of the band and had someone pull it taught. Then I put the "crimping tool" around the small metal clamp and closed it.