Mid-year rear spring

[Garry E.]

A couple of questions:

1) In removing the paint/rust/crud from my rear spring (from a '64), I discovered the raised letters "GLS" on the edges of several of the spring leaves. I'm sure they are the initials of the manufacturer, but I was wondering which one..... just curious

2) What finish were the retainer cups on the ends of the "long" spring leaf? Were they painted grey like the rest of the spring or were they put on the leaf after painting and left cad plated?

Thanks

Garry Eastwood
#38705

[Joe L.]

Re: Mid-year rear spring

A couple of questions:

1) In removing the paint/rust/crud from my rear spring (from a '64), I discovered the raised letters "GLS" on the edges of several of the spring leaves. I'm sure they are the initials of the manufacturer, but I was wondering which one..... just curious

2) What finish were the retainer cups on the ends of the "long" spring leaf? Were they painted grey like the rest of the spring or were they put on the leaf after painting and left cad plated?

Thanks

Garry Eastwood
#38705

Gary-----


The "GLS" edge coding is found on many springs. It denotes "Great Lakes Steel", a supplier of the steel stock used to fabricate the springs. The springs, themselves, were manufactured by Ontario Steel Products/Rockwell. Some may have been manufactured by Chevrolet-Livonia spring and bumper.

The spring end retainers ("cups") were installed at St. Louis and, thus, were not on the spring when it was coated at the point of manufacture. However, for 1963 and, possibly, all or part of 1964 there was, apparently, extensive black chassis black-out applied at St. Louis to the chassis and components thereof. So, this may very well have resulted in the retainers being painted.

The retainers were natural steel and not plated. So, unless they were blacked-out as described above, they would have remained natural and rusted rather quickly.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Mid-year rear spring

.... In removing the paint/rust/crud from my rear spring (from a '64), I discovered the raised letters "GLS" on the edges of several of the spring leaves. I'm sure they are the initials of the manufacturer, but I was wondering which one..... just curious ..#38705

Just so everyone knows what the letters look like. There was only one set of raised letters on this particular spring assembly.

[Garry E.]

Re: Mid-year rear spring

Joe:

Thanks for the great info and prompt response (as usual....)

Wayne:

Thanks for the picture..... I found 4 of my leaves so marked.....

Garry Eastwood
#38705