How are leaf springs painted?

[Timothy B.]

I have my rear spring off and will rebuild it. When it is painted, is it done prior to assembly such that liners are left black, or was the entire thing painted grey after assembly???

I have heard that you can use some type of grease on the liners to help promote a better ride. Is this true?

Regard,

Tim

[Joe L.]

Re: How are leaf springs painted?

Tim-----

All original Corvette rear leaf springs were not painted. However, many were, and the original spring on my 1969 was one of them. When they are "painted", it is applied only to the tension surface (lower surface) of each spring leaf before assembly into the spring unit. The paint is really a special coating called Ionoklad. The coating was applied with a brush or roller and very often enough of it dripped over the side of the leaf so that the edges appear to be covered, too. To prevent rust I'd assume that the coating covered your edges completely. On my spring, I coated all surfaces of all leaves with the Ionoklad. You can purchase this coating from Quanta Products and apply it with a brush.

When you rebuild the spring, you'll want to replace all of the spring liners. Quanta sells these, too, in a kit form with the Ionoklad and spring center bolt. These are a special configuration liner and they're made of graphite-impregnated polyethylene. These provide all of the "lubrication" that the spring leaves require. However, if you want to apply a thin coating of moly grease to the liners, too, it won't hurt anything. The polyethylene is impervious to the grease.

[Peter L.]

Re: How are leaf springs painted?

The coating is Ionoklad as Joe indicated. Information I have specifically called it out as Ionoklad 200J. Pete

[Jim B.]

Re: How are leaf springs painted?

I guess I am confused. The TIM&JG for 1968 and 1969 says the springs are the color of light grey primer. It further says that the black inserts are between all leaves except 6 & 7 and should show no overspray. Implying that they were installed after the leaves were painted. It doesn't mention that the color was only on one side.

Is this Ionoklad a grey primer?

[Joe R.]

Re: Paint? Maybe-Maybe Not!

Tim and Others,

Let me share my experience with leaf springs and sway bars. Years ago when I was between college years, I worked for US Steel in Gary Indiana. My job was to load and unload the annealing furnaces. Annealed steel is very expensive and takes large furnaces several hours to complete the process. The largest and longest charges would take as long as 24 hours to heat and cool (annealing process).

When steel is annealed it forms a scale or slag on the surface of the metal. This scale is about 0.015" thick and is usually light gray to dark gray in appearance. It may crack and pop off but it usually stays on the steel as it's a part of the surface.

If you have ever taken a sway bar or leaf spring and inspected it carefully you will see this scale on each and every bar. The scale can be chipped from the sway bar or leaf spring. Then check it out and see if it has any properties of paint. I think you will find that it is closer to ceramic hardness than the hardness of paint.

It is my contention that this scale has been mistaken for paint and somehow found it way into the judging manuals. The only paint I have ever found on sway bars or springs has been the blackout administered by a man with a spray gun in his hand. (No mitt present)

Thanks for listening to my ramblings,

JR

JR

[John H.]

Re: Paint? Maybe-Maybe Not!

Many of us know a fella named Franz who "was there" and actually made those springs, but nobody believes it, in spite of all the GM drawings and documented manufacturing processes. Maybe some day....

[Patrick H.]

Re: Paint? Maybe-Maybe Not!

In addition, many of us have talked with Franz about the process, and actually compared cars built pre-Ionoklad with those built with Ionoklad.

I agree that the springs have the slag on them. But, on original cars, one side of the spring is then still covered with gray Ionoklad paint. On really nice cars you can see the drips of paint on the side of the leaf. These are not present on cars built pre-Ionoklad. Somewhere in my collection of stuff I have pictures comparing each.

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: How are leaf springs painted?

Jim----

The Ionoklad coating is gray in color. Once applied, it looks like gray primer. That's why a lot of folks confuse it with gray primer. It's NOT gray primer, though.

[Joe R.]

Re: Lonoklad

Joe,

OK, I have a question. Who or what decided which springs would get lonoklad and which would not get lonoklad? I have had several F-41 rear springs and a couple of daytona springs thru the years and none had anything on them. Of course these were across the counter springs but it was thirty years ago also. Still have one of the F-41 springs and clean as a babies butt.

Thanks,

JR

[Terry M.]

Re: Lonoklad

Joe,
I bought an F-41 spring from the parts department in 1971 or 1972 - it had Ionoklad on it - only one side.

[Joe R.]

Re: Lonoklad

Terry,

Got one here bought in 75 or 76 across the counter. Nothing but annealed steel and it's still on the shelf.

Regards,

JR

[Terry M.]

Re: Lonoklad

Sold mine a couple of years ago. Never used it.

[Joe L.]

Re: Lonoklad

JR----

I don't know why some of the springs are coated and some are not. My original spring on my 1969 did have the Ionoklad coating on the tension surfaces of the leaves. I have an NOS F-41 spring that is coated with Ionoklad.