I currently own an unrestored 98% complete 1933 Ace Continental. It has the inline 6

Where Are You From? Little Rock, AR

Do You own a car built by Durant? ACE Continental, 1933

Ross,Bill,Norm,

What you are calling "Half" springs are actually called "Quarter" elliptic springs, and our more common Half, or "Semi" ellpitic springs replaced them.

Quarter elliptic springs were used quite a lot up into the 20's,as evidenced by Chevrolet still having them on the front end of my 1923 Chevrolet Superior B touring car and other cars well into the mid 20's.

"Semi" elliptic springs replaced quarter elliptics because of a better controlled ride. Thus for a better ride some of these half-springs got quite long, as the rear Semi elliptic springs on my 28 Loco 8-70 are almost 5 feet long each!

The full semi elliptic spring setups were used well into 1930's (and early 1960's Corvette, 1980's Jeep holdouts!) when "newer" Coils started to replace them on front ends. Then in the 1960's/1970's newer design setups such as; Torsion bars, McPherson struts, Coil-overs, and 4 Bar (4 link)set-ups showed up. But full coils suspensions aren't really new either since my 48 Olds has "coils" on the front and Coils on the REAR too. Actually lots of "Spring" suspension exceptions well back into the 30's (Ford's used tranverse springs until 1948).

Which brings us full circle to the Continenal Rear end pictured (without the Panhard bar) using 4 rear quarter elliptics ( with front quarter elliptic too).
Today the "Hot" racing/Hot Rod rear setup used is a 4-link rear setup with a Panhard bar. Everything old is New again!!

Lance

Where Are You From? Niceville, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 and 26 Locomobile JR-8's, 1928 Loco 8-70, 30 Durant 610

Your right Lance .. wasn't thinking when I called it a half spring. Its half of a half or quarter spring. Full would be like a pair on a buckboard seat and quite the bounce I would think. Ford's 1st two cars pre the Model A had the full, as did many vehicles late 1800's early 1900's.
I'm looking at a pic of a 1914 Grant and its two front, have full elliptic springs. Idential and complete car used to be at a wrecking yard outside Ottawa in the 60 / 70's but kept out of the main yard in a shed. Often wonder what became of it. People flew in from inside and outside Canada to his yard for parts. Rows and rows and rows of cars and I'll bet he had at least one of everything. Graham Paige's, Packards, Durant's, Star's, T and A's ,Hup's ,Chevy's, Chandler's, etc etc. His mother died and he crushed the entire yard. Such a huge loss of vintage / antique cars and parts. I took parts off a 30 D and a 29 was beside that, I recall.

Yes, I get a kick out of car companies who announce something new. Nice try, that was used eons ago on the earlier cars. Nothing new at all.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan