Adjusting the Springs

January 2002

My Javali jeep, a legacy vehicle from a defunct tractor company, has a distinct personality. The springs were so mushy that when two people sat in the back seat and I went around the curve, a back wheel would press up into the wheel well and make an awful racket. Finally the time came to do something about it, and I asked Ze to reinforce the springs. After all, what's the use of having a jeep if you can't overload it?

Well, Ze took the jeep to a specialty shop that resembled a blacksmith's shop where the heating and banging of springs is the order of the day. A few days later Ze called to say that the jeep was ready-and it wasn't ready. Ze said that the spring specialists had gone the extra mile and now the springs wouldn't bend at all. I figured that Ze was exaggerating and I did want a rugged jeep, so why not have stiff springs?

A few days later, I stopped by to leave some money for Ze to finish the work. Inspecting the Javali, I tried to rock the corner of the bumper. It didn't budge. I jumped on the bumper: it still didn't move. Finally, I got Ze and another man to stand on the bumper with me. It moved-about half an inch.

Well, Ze was right about the springs. With this stiffness, my kidneys would be floating within a week. Back to the spring restorer we go.

©Woods Hole Research Center, 2008