Front suspension - good and bad news..mostly good.

[zimasprite]

Hey guys,

Is it just me or does everyone else just kinda of "create" projects? I finally have the car running fairly well then I found a box of suspension parts I ordered for my 62 Sprite when I was going to rebuild it 5+ years ago. Well, I hadn't really done anything to my 68 I'm doing now, so I figured ehhh, why not use all of the bushings, bolts, tie-rod ends that I bought new for the 62 and put them on the 68 assuming the parts are the same. Well, the parts are the same so I started taking apart the 68 front suspension. WHAT A PITA! Is there any trick to getting off the A-Arm bolts? I got the nuts off, but the bolts wont budge. I'd like to put in new bushings and paint everything real purrrty, but not sure if I want to cut that puppy off. For now, I PB Blastered the heck out of it and will wait until tomorrow!

Suggestions are welcome....good ones may get rewarded. I don't know how yet, but I may just reassure you..."you are the man".

Thanks much and I think I sniffed too much brakleen today


- Drew

 

[John Moore]

The shock pinch bolt at the top of the kingpin holds that trunion. There is also a pin in the lower flucrum pin too.

 

[SilentUnicorn]

Buy new bolts...SAWZZZallll of the old.


mark

 

[Sportsdoc]

I have recently been there and done that. Buy the sawzall if you don't already have one. I got a Milwaukee at Lowes under $100 and sawed those inner fulcrum bolts. Those bolts basically weld to the metal sleeves in the bushings and they will not come out, plus you really don't have enough room to get enough force to knock them out anyway, especially on the inner bolt toward the rear of the car.

The sawzall will save you time and a lot of headaches. Thanks to the guys here as they gave me the same tip recently.

 

[John Kuzman]

Drew -

Do not know if you have an air compressor, but here's what worked for me. I soaked all four bolts/bushings with PB Blaster for a day or so, then I put a punch bit in my air hammer/chisel and hammered at the end of the bolts. The hammering/vibrating action drove all four bolts out in a matter of minutes.

 

[zimasprite]

As a matter of fact, I do have a compressor and air hammer. The compressor was one of my best purchases ever. Putting multiple drops around my garage has made life easier too so I don't accidentally drag a hose across cars.

Good idea, I'll give it a try. Although, I'm not sure if I have straight line access to the bolts because of other panels, etc.

- Drew

 

[racingenglishcars]

That's exactly why I'm going to use poly bushings when I put mine together.

 

[jlaird]

Have always left the nut on, just loose a bit and driven em out with a hammer and drift pin if necessary.

Hay this was on 30 year old ones. Seemed to work fine, shrug.

 

[Sportsdoc]

Jack, I think you were one of the fortunate ones. I tried the hammer and drift and could not budge them. And I really couldn't get much force on the pins on the rear of the a-arm. Of course, I suspect these were original bushings, but no luck until I got the sawzall tip. When I got them out the metal sleeve appeared welded to the fulcrum pin.

I wasted a lot of time and effort till I sawed them. If I'm ever there again, and I hope I'm not unless it's another car, I will have the saw at the ready!

 

[jlaird]

Yep they kind of weld in there. Guess mine have all been so old the rubber gave away when I drove them.

 

[zimasprite]

Arggghhhh, I'm not so sure I want to deal with ordering new bolts right now. I'm about tapped out on $$$. I'll see if I have any spares from when I disassembled my 62 Sprite. I spent about 4 hours today and only got out the front fulcrum pin in the A-arm. The rear one seems like it is welded to the bushing.

Also, are front coil springs from a 62 and 68 swappable? I just already have the 62's cleaned and painted. They appeared about 1/2" shorter and possibly a little less stiff, but I was just guaging by squishing them on the floor.


Thanks - Drew

 

[Sportsdoc]

I feel your pain having done exactly the same thing. I was able to get the driver's side pin toward the front out after much work. No luck on the others so I went onto the sawzall.

I also sympathize with the money situation...the dollars add up. But I think fulcrum pins are an important safety issue so I would use new ones with the new bushings. Mine came included with the reconditioned a-arms as I suspect most shops that do that work would include them in the overall price.

The spring issue I would defer to people on here much more knowledgeable than I am.

 

[Bugeye58]

Drew, the springs will interchange, but you will be a bit lowere in the front with the early springs. The rate, 271 lbs/in is the same, but the free length is different.
Jeff