Tape leaf springs?

[hsracer]

I run a camaro street stock and every time i go through tech. The tech guys want me to tape up my leaf springs. By taping them up what will they do.Will they be the same rating or will the be heavier because they are all taped.

[C10]

biggest reason you tape them is to keep the dirt out from in between the leafs. The second, though happening very rarely, is to keep the leafs in place if one happens to break a piece off while racing. Tape them loosely. It doesnt change the rates any.

[Graff Spee]

I will tell you what we used to do back in the day. Disassemble the leafs, pack them with grease then reassemble them. The tape is just to keep the dirt out. I used to put a long cardboard strip the same lengh and width of the spring and run it along the bottom before taping it up. I thought it would help to stop a bind. Thats what you are looking for. It could make the springs last a bit longer. The problem with leaf springs is they take set after a few races loose arch and you start loosing traction. Not even taking into account the issue of unsprung weight. If you must run leafs you are kicking a dead horse. The fast boys seem to just keep kicking that horse and real hard! They havent moved it much. I used to work / race with Mike Duvall, a now retired late model guy. We ran a T&L & LM out of his shop in cowpens. We ran leafs. We had Landrum arch the springs to 8 inches. We had to change our mounts for the arch. Once the springs take thier "set" we would have a stable spring that would last the whole season without loosing its arch wich was now at 6 inches!

[stock car driver]

Graff I had custom ones made here locally 63 each, 10 inches of arch so I could run block and lower the rear roll center and the eyes were the correct length to bolt in and they STILL lost rate.

I lost 50-77lbs in one night on the left rear on my nova racing it at 3150...

I agree leafs are kicking a dead horse big time. I built a full size huge chevelle and it was better than my nova day 1.


As for wrapping them thats only done if you grease them all up.....

[jbh25]

Leaf cars are that they run here in south georgia and south carolina and i have run the same leafs for two years and won the championship this year and they keep the same bite and have only lost 1/2 in of arch but the car never sits on them in less its on the track

[ferd]

tape 'em up if you want, just not too tight.
greasin' is a good thing.
work a bicycle inner tube over them -- keeps out water better. but don't forget to check for / empty trapped water when you do your maintenance.

[dirty white boy]

change tape an re grease often,..dirt an water still get in an tape an tubes will hold dirt an water in an never dry out...witch will cause rust an binding...weakin spring a loseing rate an arch....

[dirty white boy]

I will tell you what we used to do back in the day. Disassemble the leafs, pack them with grease then reassemble them. The tape is just to keep the dirt out. I used to put a long cardboard strip the same lengh and width of the spring and run it along the bottom before taping it up. I thought it would help to stop a bind. Thats what you are looking for. It could make the springs last a bit longer. The problem with leaf springs is they take set after a few races loose arch and you start loosing traction. Not even taking into account the issue of unsprung weight. If you must run leafs you are kicking a dead horse. The fast boys seem to just keep kicking that horse and real hard! They havent moved it much. I used to work / race with Mike Duvall, a now retired late model guy. We ran a T&L & LM out of his shop in cowpens. We ran leafs. We had Landrum arch the springs to 8 inches. We had to change our mounts for the arch. Once the springs take thier "set" we would have a stable spring that would last the whole season without loosing its arch wich was now at 6 inches!

mike duvall one my hero's!! watched da flintstone flyer run alotta races!!! thought he had a crate car he still played with some but idk....know he was hard to beat!!