Finding leaf springs?

[Fly]

Where are you guys getting leaf & coil springs. Car salvage yards first comes to mind. I have not done that yet. But is that we’re 

 

place to get the best price on this metal?      Fly

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Car salvage yards charge way too much for used springs. GTTS Go To The Source like mechanic shops that work on trucks and buses, many times they will give you springs to get rid of them. Don't over look coil springs they are more useful for forging. If you have any scrap yards that will let you pick items for scrap price they are the best source for all forge-able steel. In Rust we trust.

[Fly]

Ya l kinda though car savage yards would most likely big high. I think I will take your advice & start hitting up repair shops.

        Fly

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Come up here to the shop an I’ll give ya a hundred pounds of leaf springs!

[George N. M.]

The problems with auto salvage yards are 2 fold.  1) they often charge "used parts" prices.  That is how they make their money, selling parts to folk for a lower price than new parts.  2) you often have to remove the parts yourself.  This is not always true.  Some places will strip popular parts from junkers and stockpile them for sale.  Springs may or may not qualify for this treatment.

Be aware that used springs may have developed micro cracks in use which can cause failures when forged.  So, try to obtain springs with as little use as possible.

Also, modern springs can be made of some odd alloys which work in odd ways or require specialized heat treating.  Experiment with a small piece before starting on big projects.  If you find a particular make and year of springs that work well, e.g. 1960s VWs, stay with them as much as you can.

"By hammeer and hand all arts do stand."

[Daswulf]

If you go for coil springs it is best to avoid the ones connected in a strut. Those are dangerous to disassemble. If that is your only option (which it shouldn't be ) take it to a professional to remove the spring for you. 

Also body shops occassionally have coil and leaf springs. 

[Frosty]

Shops that work on car suspension and install lift kits usually have dumpsters ready for the scrap yard. 

George is very much right, especially about modern vehicles and what they're made of. Performance specs means that so long as the part is strong enough to do the job they don't really care what it's made from. Within reason of course but reason is pretty flexible at the bottom line.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Ditto on the shops that do lifts and lowers as they will often replace the springs.  I once had a student that worked at a place that turned big pickup trucks into EMT vans.  They would drive the brand new trucks from the Dealer's to the shop and then trash the springs that had less than 20 miles on them!  Also check to see if there is a spring maker nearby.  Used to be on in Fayetteville AR 40 years ago and I could buy brand new spring stock drops from them for US$1 a pound.  At my regular scrapyard I have several times picked up springs that had their original paper stickers on them---essentially brand new!

[BillyBones]

Cant believe no one has mentioned the most important part. Doughnuts. A box of doughnuts to the mechanics will get you free reign of the scrap pile a lot of time. 

[Fly]

Billy I will take you up on your offer my friend. Plus I look forward in meeting you. 
 
            Fly

[ThomasPowers]

I used a bottle opener made from an old wrench; had to turn down *tons* of metal after that one!

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

There is another overlooked source for leaf springs, being school bus maintenance shops. Mine would save the leaf springs for me until I had to tell them I had so many I couldn't take any more. They also saved torsion bars and steering links for me.