replacing rear springs -arrrggghh -nobby minor

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:05 pm

all i can say is after looking at the manual, and decided to tackle this job, it can seriously damage your health.....

so, I nearly cut my finger off with the grinder, then hit my thumb with the lump hammer, and to top it all of i squirted wd40 directly in my eye... and guess what the old spring is still on the sodding car.... now i remember hwy i love minors....

gonna go back and threaten it with the scrap man, might make a difference...

any advices gratefully appreciated.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:28 pm

its that front spring hanger bolt, i'm trying to remove it without mashing the treads, but i don't think i'm gonna manage it.... its always one sodding bolt, when everything else is flapping about grrrrr

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 4:05 pm

Forget saving the bolt - you WILL need a new one anyway.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 4:27 pm

got it, on order

cut through the two little bolts on the flat plate, Order new pins and plates, then whack the bejeebers out of it until it's free. ( it helps to pretend its your mother in-law). Got the old spring off.

So much for a days work, gonna have to oil up the push bike for the week.

Ive put two new bolts through the holes in the mount and mig welded them to the inside of the mount to give me a pair of studs to bolt the new plate two, should make it easier in the future. I have also watched the sill start to fall out so more work for MOT. huh looks like i'm in for a good winter of welding. the old rule of don't poke the minor. Thanks for the advice

Post by **MarkyB** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:11 pm

If you are going to beat on something with a thread on it undo the nut until it is flush with the end of the thread.
It gives you a bigger target and if you get lucky leaves the bits reusable.
The first time I powered up my grinder I ground a chunk out of my thumb tip

My dad ground a fair sized chunk out of his shin bone with a large angle grinder when it caught on the bolt he was grinding

.
Things that are designed to do stuff to metal hardly even notice mere flesh and bone so treat them with the respect they deserve.
A light touch with a grinder and a bit of thought about which way is is pulling and where the sparks are going pays dividends.

The sparks look cool in movies but they ARE red hot and will stick to plastic ( UPVC window frames) lenses , paintwork the list is long.
Even if none of this applies there will be metal dust which will rust in an instant at the first rain.
This is not popular on concrete drives or anywhere else really.

Post by **mike.perry** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:50 pm

I used a few almost forgotten words in my vocabulary trying to get the front bolt out. I also found that giving the hub caps a severe kicking helps _ not to get the bolt out but to relieve the frustration. I did not have the luxury of an angle grinder and had to cut through the plate with a junior hack saw. I still have not changed the other spring.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:06 pm

kicking the hub caps, i can sympathize with that, after marching up and down calling the car all the names in the sun, kicking everything around, throwing the can of wd40 across the street, and winging about my eye, i opened it only to see my neighbors watching in amazement. to which i said, old cars ehh. so now im the local nutter as well.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:07 pm

p.s. there weren't any small trees around i could thrash it with

Post by **Dean** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:32 am

You must resist the urge to run around the estate naked waving your underwear above your head when it comes off, however tempting!

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:55 pm

dean i will 'bear' that in mind

i now have the problem of getting the new bolt back on, i cant get it allthe way through, i put one bush inside the spring and the other on the bolt, ive tried using a g clamp i have but i cant seam to get it far enough through to get a nut on it

damn car....

mallets and lump hammers seam to bounce off.

any tales of how it can be done?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:11 pm

Perseverance dear boy. Perseverance.
Do a trial assembly off the car - smear some white grease on the bushes and tighten them in - then dismantle and refit on the car.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:20 pm

white grease, sorry for sounding dumb, but what is it and where can i get some from, my wife thinks lard might be ok

Post by **MarkyB** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:29 pm

Vaseline might be better and more easily available.
Lard will attract flies and dogs to the back of you car I suspect.

Post by **LouiseM** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:38 pm

White grease is a lubricant that reduces friction. Maplins and 3-in-1 sell it in a spray can for around £3.50, or you can get it on e-bay. Do a Google search to find your local supplier.

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:45 pm

lol, white grease norwich, gives you an Indian restaurant

I have a Maplins nearby and i will pop in there to get it. ;-)

Post by **millerman** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 6:59 pm

Go to your local Motor factor to get white grease and most other necessities

I often wonder why this is not advised more often. It's where the trade goes

Post by **nslocomotive2** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 7:20 pm

sounds good to me

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:31 am

Getting the new pin in - best with a helper, but possible alone if you have the stamina......

Get large grips on the pin plate, and rotate it to and fro whilst thumping with the hammer. Once you have enough thread poking out of the other side, progressively tighten up the nut on the pin whilst countinuing the rocking action with the grips.

Has always done the trick for me, although it can still be a slow process, hence the need for stamina.

Post by **Dean** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:00 pm

1)I firstly bolted the plate onto the hanger.
2)Put the bushes into the spring.
3)Position spring into hanger
4)Pushed bolt through hole, clouted bolt with hammer from back of hanger until some thread of bolt was visible other side.
5) Used combination of tightening nut on bolt and bashing with hammer other side to get bolt head to pull into plate. This is an interference fit so will be difficult!!!

Trust me you will do the other side a lot quicker once you have mastered the technique.

Post by **Dean** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:01 pm

Mick_Anik wrote:Getting the new pin in - best with a helper, but possible alone if you have the stamina......

Get large grips on the pin plate, and rotate it to and fro whilst thumping with the hammer. Once you have enough thread poking out of the other side, progressively tighten up the nut on the pin whilst countinuing the rocking action with the grips.

Has always done the trick for me, although it can still be a slow process, hence the need for stamina.

Sorry Mick.. hadn't realised there was a page two, so posted the same thing!!!