When are Gal Slipper Springs NOT Gal Slipper Springs

[PeterInSA]

My learning experience....
I wanted Gal Slipper Springs and when showed said spring set, commented that I thought they had just been dipped in Zinc paint, but was told they were definitely Gal ( I also realise that Gal are more likey to break but my old set were quite rusty hence the change)

Checked with a mate, who agreed with me, rang up the manufacturer who informed me that the coating is called DACROMET and is an anti rust coating or something like that.

So am happy with my DACROMET spring set.

PS Have scratched said springs a couple of times to see if there was any Gal under the zinc looking coating, Can I paint some Zinc over the scratches?


Peter

[cormorant]

Re: When are Gal Slipper Springs NOT Gal Slipper Springs

they ain't gal is the answer

zinc hasn't melted and bonded with the substrate . it is a coating.

http://www.dacromet.com/coat.htm#dacromet

Give everything a good detergent pressure wash. Leave outside for a week all gal and dacromet parts get the protection layer working. Coat them all in tectyl 506 and then they will last a loooong time. Won't look pretty but will last with no salt corrosion if you reapply every year.

[johncar]

Re: When are Gal Slipper Springs NOT Gal Slipper Springs

I just keep a bit of lanox or inox up to my springs, galv, black or dacromet doesn't matter, it seems to soak in and preserve them pretty well either way, easy to apply every two or three months.
But with your scratches I can't see why a bit of zinc paint or similar wouldn't work.
I have always figured that once the springs start to rust between the leaves where you can't see it they will bind against each other and start to behave more like one solid spring which will displace more stress onto the ends of the main leaf instead of evenly through it's length and eventually snapping it off at the stress points. I believe that the inox or similar is fine enough to soak through between the leaves, keep them lubricated against each other and help to repell salt water ingress. I have done this for thirthy odd years of boating and never had to replace a spring or noticed any ill effect.

[Malcolm W]

Re: When are Gal Slipper Springs NOT Gal Slipper Springs

Same as Johncar my gal springs didn't rust after 5-6 years, but they sagged and eventually one broke as i travel more than average on rough roads.
I replaced them with the black ones and coat them with lanox frequently. I figure they will sag again before they rust out and need replacing anyway.