James is right. I’d be doing .030” steel spacer between each leaf and a plastic friction pad at each tip. I know that’s more than needed but the ultimate in reduced friction leaf springs. Some were nqsd has posted pics recently but my search is failing me. Epoxy primer for the win.
One of the vendors on this site is selling springs manufactured as you describe. I bought a set, and pulled the center bolt to extract a leaf to get my height right. A whole bunch of steel spacers, and plastic friction pads appeared. I was really impressed. Somebody put some thought into these things.
(please note that these are NOT the springs that are sold by other vendors that come from an undisclosed foreign location, with the letters I-N-D-I-A stenciled in giant white paint. No way to know where those might come from. But they are remarkably low cost. And at some point, there is a value proposition that works.
There is a product called SPI Epoxy Primer that is available in a satin black. It is acceptable to use it as a top-coat. It is a 2 part system that wants warm temperature, and about 30 minutes of induction time before shooting. Any piece of metal that has any chance of seeing brake cleaner, or brake fluid should be sprayed with this stuff. The manufacturer says that the shelf life is 90 days, or something...but I can assure you that a couple of years, and severe discoloration prior to mixing seems to have no effect.
My only complaint is that normal lacquer thinner won't cut it as a solvent. So if you don't use urethane reducer as a cleaner...your HVLP gun will not come clean. And neither will your fingers. And be MUCH more diligent about masking and over-spray. Gone are the days of wiping up overspray with a can of brake clean and a towel. Oh, and I'm sure it will kill you if you breathe the vapor. So ignore all of the instructions except the one's about inhalation safety. PLEASE use the correct respirator.
