Prep and Painting Procedures


Proper procedures to prep and paint all leaf springs.

ASSEMBLED SPRINGS
 Painting assembled springs:
  1. Clean springs thoroughly with wax and grease remover or Pre-Kleener
  2. Mask off shackle bushings
  3. Spray spring with one medium coat of self etching primer (RM 834 ZIP Primer). This is a rust inhibitive, self etching primer with excellent adhesion properties.
  4. Allow at least 30 to 60 minutes for "flash" time after prime coat has been applied.
  5. Spray spring with 2 (Two) medium coats of black single stage urethane paint (PPG Concept 9000 is an excellent, high quality single stage paint for this type of application.)
  6. Unmask bushings and install after paint has dried.
PAINTING OF DISMANTLED SPRINGS
 PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
 Prior to painting prep I highly recommend removing ALL sharp edges from the factory sheered tips of all the leaves, both top and bottom sides. I also recommend the areas at the tips of the undersides to have a gentle "sweep" so that scaring or gouging will be kept to a minimum when your spring has been painted and installed.

The cleaning, masking, priming and painting procedures are the same as the assembled springs. However, extreme care must me taken NOT to paint the contact surfaces where the leaves lay on top of each other. Only a very light "fogging" layer is acceptable. The reason for this is that any build up of paint between the leaf springs will eventually pulverize over time and the leaves and center bolt can end up loose and potential failure may occur.

Use a light coat of EP (extreme pressure) grease on the underside of each leaf prior to assembly. This will allow for a smoother action between the leaves and provide for a softer ride.

Clean excess grease off after assembly with a wax grease remover and CLEAN towels.

Assemble all pre-prepped leaves and follow the instructions 2 - 6 on the ASSEMBLES SPRINGS painting instructions.