Preparing for Cooma
As well as the Zenith issue, I have just given the 2a a service. While doing this I found that the RH back front spring bush needed replacing. Since I had it up on stands for the service I left it on there withe wheels off. I took the load off the shackle pin by a small hydraulic jack pushing on the top of the the spring just behind the chassis outrigger with a piece of RHS against the bottom of the tub. thankfully the shackle pin came out as easily as could be expected - i.e, the nut came off without issues, and then I screwed a nut on the end halfway and a 20mm bolt screwed in to the nut gave me something to hit without damaging the thread. Twenty minutes with a 1kg hammer wielded rather awkwardly on my back under the car followed by a half inch drift got it out.
Then jack the spring down clear of the spring anchorage. And spent the next three hours getting the outer shell of the bush out!
My bush puller started to strip the thread with a two foot bar on the socket. I had tried a liberal coating of WD40 and a heat gun (which set the rubber alight but did nothing else) Eventually I cut it with a hacksaw, being careful to avoid damage to the spring. Avoiding this I did not get it cut right through. A thin, flat,screwdriver bit driven under the corner of the shell gave a gap to get a heavy, tapered centrepunch started, and eventually this started the shell moving, after one edge of the cut had folded well up.
The rubber in the bush had failed, but can't have been too long ago, as there was no perceptible wear on either the inner or outer shells.
Fitting the new bush was a bit of an anticlimax, the only issue was getting it aligned with the hole to put the shacklebolt in. This was managed with the jack onto the body and a puller between the gearbox crossmember and a chain round the axle housing just inboard of the brake backing plate.
Both the outside of the shacklebolt and the out side of the bush were liberally coated with antiseize, as was the spring eye.
The car sits noticeably more level now than it did.
John
JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol
Bookmarks