I'm trying to raise the front of the car a little to eliminate some positive rake - I don't have much clearance between the top of the assembly and the bump-stop and don't care for the boy racer look.
I've replaced the top trunnion and the eyebolt bushes both sides using the prescribed procedures (and felt rather proud of myself) but can't get the rearmost front arm to slide back off the splines. It moved 2-3mm so the splines aren't visible anymore and then got stuck, my big mallet isn't shifting it any further.
The thick front suspension arm should be able to slide rearwards off the splines provided all the bolts holding the thick and thin arms together including the bottom trunnion nuts, the tie bar bracket/nut and the eye bolt nut/pin is/are removed.
Bigger mallet??? The only thing holding it in place will be paint, burrs or rusty patches. 2 more nuts at the back and you can lift the whole shebang off. Might be easier?
The front arm is a lighter pressed piece, the rear one is a much heavier cast item. The pin in the eyebolt does not have to be removed to slide the rear arm backwards, but as mentioned previously, the arm must be fully disconnected. Also, the car must be supported on stands applied to the chassis leg, there must be no load on the suspension at all or serious injury can result.
I suggest knock the arm forwards again, wire brush the accessible splines and dose the whole area with releaseing fluid (eg Plusgas, not WD40), leave to soak, and then apply a bigger mallet. Hope that you get it resolved.
I see! Thank you. I knocked it forward again a bit this morning and cleaned it up a bit. I'll see if my local motor factors stocks Plus Gas today and take some wire brush to it after the 9-5 slog.
My car has underseal spread all over the nuts and bolts as well as the metalwork underneath. It's made getting pretty much anything on the underside off a bit of a nightmare.
I would be looking for at least 3" - 4" of travel or clearance between the top of the top steering swivel trunnion and the bump stop otherwise you will be riding on the bump stops most of the time which can effect road holding.
So long as you set the suspension as per the diagram above the suspension will have the correct clearance between the top trunnion and the bump stop.
Off course it does not compensate for the age/settlement of the torsion bar - but fine adjustment can be made by moving the rear reaction lever mounting plate which has a series of holes in it to allow the suspension to be raised or lowered in small amounts.
Phil
This is pretty much resolved; the car no longer has an aggressive looking positive rake and has some sane front suspension travel. Unfortunately there are some signs of minor o/s inner wing damage (bump-stop fell off a while ago and it likely bottomed out before I replaced it) but nothing my rubber mallet can't fix.
The amount of drinks I'm going to have to buy you lot at the next national...
Check the low ride height is not caused by the rear end of the T bar reaction arm starting to crush it's way up through the crossmember - and up through the floor under the seats... And for best ride of course - SAE40 oil the dampers.
Reaction arm looks correct to my eyes in the cross-member and no mention of anything during the recent MOT, although they missed the lack of o/s front bump stop they're usually very thorough.
SAE40 in the front dampers, rear dampers have pi**ed it out in the space of a fortnight.
