UHMW tape between leaf springs??

Has anyone tried this? It looks interesting.
Something like this:
http://www.eplastics.com/Slick_Strips

 

I used EPDM , but this looks interesting too

 

I saw that. I might still go that route, but I came across this. My Dakar's just arrived and while they are still clean and on the work bench I am weighing all options.
It looks like people have been fully lining leafs with this stuff, but I I haven't been able to find find any long term results. My concern is grit imbedding into the material.

 

Some results here. http://forums.roversnorth.com/showthread.php?11383-How-much-UHMW
It looks like thicker is better. Hmm, who knew?

http://www.eatonsprings.com/techquestions/leaflinereffectonspringrate.htm
Copied from above:
"Full length spring liners are available in two designs.

The first being a simple flat strip and the other channeled with lips going up and down, sort of like an "I" beam. The lips help keep the liner from slipping out.

Installing full length liners does increase the spring pack thickness.

Based upon the width of the liner, the thickness varies from .03 to .06 Inches thick. So the overall spring thickness does increase based upon how many full length liners are installed. But the use of liners has no effect on the spring rate.

Spring rate is a result of the width of the spring, the thickness of the steel, the number of leaves and how the ends are finished.

But the use of liners does have an effect on how the spring performs. Due to interleaf friction all multi-leaf springs suffer what is known as "hysteresis".

That is, it takes more force to start the spring to deflect than it does to keep it deflecting.

The use of either full length liners or tip inserts greatly reduce interleaf friction which in turn reduces hysteresis. This keeps the working spring rate close to it's actual rate.

Keep in mind, that in order for a liner to be effective the liner must be as wide as the spring.

While spring liners help in a spring's performance, the liner has absolutely no strength. Even though a liner is used in a spring, the spring still requires all of it's leaves."

Looks like there's a material called Derlin that's similar also.

 

Delrin

Cool info

 

Sub'd for future insight and experiences

 

Yes Delrin. I'm lysdectic sometimes. Derlin sounds like a something I'd say after a couple beers. To wife: "while you your up, could you bring me a beer derlin'."

This seems to be the place to buy sheets and strips of the stuff.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#uhmw-polyethylene-sheets/=sf9mno
The abrasion resistant stuff nice!

It seems like a thicker piece 1/8 or 1/4 would hold itself in the pack with the clips and be thick enough not to deform. It seems like the bad results that others have had with the tape's durability were using 1/32"(30mil) and maybe the 1/16"(60mil)

Baja style bumper and skids with uhmw-pe? I like the visual I get from that. Not my dd style though.

 

So , without adhesive , you would just run full length strips with a hole for the centre pin ?

1/8" per leaf is going to add up , especially with Dakars / 7 leaf

 

Contemplating it with the full strip through the center pin. I was just thinking about doing the leaves that do not have isolators already installed. Maybe the top 3. My thinking is those are the ones that are engaged most frequently and seems to be where you found that the dak's were squalking.

 

Interested to see how it works for you

 

I think I'm going to try it, the packs are still off and I can wait a bit longer. I can't see any way it could hurt. I wasn't really looking to break new ground here and be a guinea pig, but I really hate it when new things squeak. If this works well you might have to add a column in your Dakar height thread.

 

Sounds good

 

It looks like on the Dakar's there is only a 1/4" of space left in the clip hangers. So that will dictate how much can go in unless I'm missing a concept. Does the

$77 D29xl Leaf Spring

D29xl aal max out the pack? I didn't get it, but it seems like it would be close to the top bolts of the hangers.

 

It's ordered. No guts no glory.

 

Yes , the

$77 d29xl leaf spring

d29xl fills the pack

 

Do you look to use 2 strips of 0.30 instead of one 0.60"

You glue one Under the leaf and an other over the leaf for each leaf so you'll have UHMW sliding against UHMW. This way you're gonna have a lower friction coefficient and not having metal sliding against UHMW will reduce wear.

Just an idea. We use it in some industrial application but most of the time UHWW against UHMW or the if metal the surface should be very, very smouth, machined and polished.

 

It's just to stop metal to metal contact to avoid squeaking , I use EPDM strips and they work too

 

Hmmm

 

Where did you find EPDM? I can only find it online in large quantities.

 

I got it at my local lumber yard , they sell it as pond liner by the foot

Check out this thread , near the end there is a post with an online supplier

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156353