spring repairable?

ENG18LT · Jul 3, 2012

Can a coil type spring be welded back together? It is about 4" long and made of 1/8" steel, is used under tension when mower deck engaged. New cable/spring assembly is $50, I know I sound cheap. I'm thinking it won't work but I could be wrong.

Stimw · Jul 3, 2012

ACE and TSC around here have generic spring display, you might get lucky.

flyerdan · Jul 3, 2012

Welding usually takes the temper out and it winds up breaking right near the weld. You wind up chasing it until it's nearly all weld. That is why I have a spring drawer that I throw every spring I come across when parting something out. Fortunately springs by themselves are generally cheap if you can find a good selection somewhere.

yomax4 · Jul 3, 2012

Tig Weld it with 312 Stainless. I doubt that it will break but it will always have a springless spot where you welded it. I have welded springs together but I bet you could find one in McMaster Carr catalog for $5.00..

ENG18LT · Jul 3, 2012

My first thought was a generic spring until I got the cable off. There is no way to get the spring off the cable and the new one on unless I cut the cable. At which point the cable is no longer usable... grrr :mur: So I am going to order the part from Troy-Built, it should be here by Wednesday.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Baby Grand · Jul 5, 2012

Is it one of those assemblies where the spring end coils are reduced to grip a swaged fitting on the end of the cable?
Like this:

If so, a generic spring with "close enough" wire size/length/coil diameter can be reworked with a torch and vice grips to reduce the end coils so they grip the nubby thing on the cable. The end won't be springy, but should hold onto the nub strongly enough.

firemanpat2910 · Jul 5, 2012

where is spring broken? at the hook? I have shortened MANY a spring that have the loop broken. The trick is to lay the spring against a square edge of an anvil or a vice. with the main body on one side of the corner, and just the part you want to make the new loop out of sticking past the corner. smack it with a hammer. the new loop will be seperated from the rest of the coils now you can clamp the loop in the vice and bend the body of the spring until the loop is at 90 degrees to the spring body. I hope i described that well. its really easy. practice with cheap springs to perfect it.