A was for Austin, but now B is for Bedford

Tell me about it! It’s a fair stack of steel!
I’m referring the the top section, I haven’t removed all, a couple each side. Didn’t want to modify the u bolt length too much. On your recommendation I reckon I’ll take a few more out. It seriously nearly takes off! when you hit an average ridge or pot hole in the road.
I don’t have any shockies.
FYI , I put mine over the weigh bridge, fully rigged up, it came in at 2730kg

I am only guessing here with no real knowledge to back me up but if you take too many leaves out of the springs, wouldn't it make the truck bounce more over obstacles when unloaded?
I have found that vehicles seem to ride smoother when loaded (the springs cannot bounce as much) but when you hit a pothole, it would put more shock on everything.

Magic, thanks for the weighbridge figure . . .

The number of leaves I gave you is the standard amount for an O type; my chassis has none of the upper helper leaves, but does have nine primary and the three secondary leaves.


And my M type chassis has eleven leaves, with what looks like the secondary leaves mixed in with the primaries - note the fifth and sixth from the top, and the one right at the bottom.


Just as a quick question to the greater masses - what is the best way to remove the remaining paint on B for - and don't say any type of media blasting please.???

The O model was rated at a nominal 5 ton load. Where two figures are given they related to the respective size of tyre fitted. At the time Bedford proclaimed that they were good for 30% overload!! So taking out alternate spring leaves (and replacing them with packers at the bottom) will do no harm. Damping is achieved by friction between the leaves.

PDU

On the M Type that looks like a semi-primary spring pack to me - full load support from everything at all times and a rough empty ride.

On rebound the clip takes the top 5 leaves up leaving the bottom ones behind but on load the whole lot always come in to play. Without that decreased lifting force on the up movement the axle would be so stiff it would be bouncing and losing traction on bumps. A leaf is only secondary if it is not in action under normal circumstances and only comes in on a big bump or heavy load. All the M Type springs are in action with none in reserve.

The O Type has full secondaries with leaves just standing around doing nothing waiting to come in to play as the load increases with cargo or big bump to give you the best ride for all conditions. You might say a "tuned" suspension.

Lang

Thank you mammoth and Lang, a little clearer now, but does that change if we consider the extra clip on the O type spring then (four primary, five secondary, and three helper leaves ) ?



4 litres of Diggers industrial strength paint stripper coming up . . . :blink:

PDU

That is a nicely "tuned" suspension system. It is a lot more flexible than most.

The top pack gives a light rebound for normal driving. If the bump gets bigger it picks up the second pack to slow down the bigger bounce.

Both packs work all the time in load and,as it increases, bring the helpers into play but the helpers never act on the rebound because it would stiffen the suspension too much and bounce the wheels off the ground.

Lang

I dunno about spring mods, as in taking leafs out etc, not saying not to or you should
I honestly dont know

And heres why

My uncle had FJ55 landcruiser way back when and after he transplanted a 350 Chev and high speed diffs and a couple of ultra long range tanks he next tackled the ride as it rode like a Landcruiser and he wanted it to ride like a RamgeRover
So he pulled all the leafs bar the main one with a eye in each end
Made up slapper bars for the front a rear axles and then put coil springs off Im not sure what but guessing a Falcon in as his mate had heaps of Falcon and Fairlane junk about

The was two coils each side on the back axle and one each side on the front

And it rode like a Fairlane when done, handled fine and towed a big van all over the country side
There was lots of mods done on this thing and went well and drove well

Then one day it occurred to him that just putting all your faith in one leaf on each side at the front might not be wise
So he put a whole lot of them back

So dunno if he should have been worried or not

I have read about Atkinson trucks that only had a single leaf forming the eye and it broke and killed a fella

Just thinking out allowed and not saying to or not to


Paul

Paul

The American GMC pickups of the 70's only had one or the heavier models, two, big long leaf springs on the front.

Lang

We ran a lot of single leaf spring "packs" on underground landcruisers and they performed well and gave a reasonable ride but also rarely went over 30kmh underground so a breakage wouldnt have been a huge problem. Ive seen single leaves under the rear of F trucks as locators and the carrying done by airbags to give a better ride than the big leaves but the cost of engineering it for road use made it unreasonable.