Model T springs

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Bluedrifter

Joined
May 26, 2013
Messages
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I have some leaf springs from a 1923 Ford model T. Does anyone have an idea of what type of steel these might be made from?
 
Now this just a guess but being that old Id bet on them being simple carbon steel like old buggy springs..I remember reading somewhere that a guy had some springs off a 30's some model car tested and they were basically 1070 ish' carbon steel.
 
javand said:
How much more specific could you ask for?! =D
Click to expand...

Exactly!! All jokes aside Ive personally seen springs made from about five different steels. Ive saved a bunch of spec data from friends and other smiths over the years..One spring shop told me they used 4140 for springs now..Im just "guessing" that after working with a lot of old farm machiney,buggy and sulky springs that they are probably simple carbon steel..Still that's just a guess..In the early 1900's whos to say?? At that time(about 1900) there was only about 3000 tons of alloy steel produced in the US and the vast majority was nickel steel. In the 1930's the use of alloy steel in auto suspension systems really took off. It was in 1930 that the American Society for Metals or ASM as we know it took off and started publishing media on steels and heat treating.
 
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4140 won't make much of a spring. Stay away from that shop!
 
How would you know if they were even OEM, or replaced at some point? Unless you have them tested, you will never know.
 
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