Rear Leaf Spring Removal

[Royal_58]

Finally getting to replacing rear leaf springs on my TR3A . The front pin is being a real PITA. The bolt threaded into the pin has pulled out and taken the thread with it. Can't get car high enough off the ground to get much leverage. That said I had enough leverage to pull the flippin bolt out of the pin. My questions are:

Any suggestions or tricks to get that pin out?
How much heat can I use without damaging the frame sleeve?

Tried using a propane torch, now soaking with Kroil. Thought about welding a bar to the pin that I can hit with a hammer, just very difficult to get at that thing especially with a welder.

 

[tdskip]

I do more heat and more soaking before wailing on it. Give it a couple of days of several heating and soaking cycles, then step up the force.

Others may have better ideas.

Hang in there.

 

[Don Elliott]

In 2000, I had to change the rear leaf springs on my 1958 TR3A because one had broken. I couldn't get those bolts out, so I removed the rear bumperettes and brackets. Then I removed all the bolts holding the body to the frame. Except for those right up at the front of the TR. With a large piece of plywood under the spare wheel well, I use my rolling jack and raised the rear body of the TR up about 15" off the frame so I could slide the old springs off the bolts towards the outside without haveing to remove the frozen bolts.

Then I installed the new springs and bushes and lowered the TR, tightened the body bolts etc. and have had no issues in 12 years.

 

[TR3driver]

An ex-dealer mechanic once told me that they would just use a hole saw to cut a hole in the body to allow access to the end of the pin. Use a drift & BFH to pound it out then afterwards stick a chromed plug in the hole.

Don't forget that there is (flammable) rubber in the spring eye. If you get it hot enough to melt, you should be able to pull the spring away from the frame far enough to get in there and cut the sleeve & pin near the frame, so the spring will drop out of your way.

Then if necessary you could add the hole as above (or use Don's jack up the body method), to allow you to center-punch and drill the pin.

I believe the tube is welded to the frame and both are steel, so anything up to red hot should be OK. It will get soft, though, so don't pound too hard while it is glowing red.

 

[Royal_58]

Thanks guys. This pin must be bent a little. I have moved it out about 1/2" and it will not budge. Tried rotating with BFC (channel locks), no dice. Heating but not to any color change temp, the Rubber started dripping out of bushing so I stopped.

I'm trying the patience and penetrating oil method first, but when the new pins get here that's when patience runs out. Think I'll cut the head and threaded parts off at sleeve and drive the pin through from inside the frame to the outside. Plan B will be to drill hole under the stone guard and use a drift. If that won't get it, plan C will be Don's body jack. Afraid of rust issues with lifting body off frame, we will see how it goes.

.

 

[CJD]

As I was reading your delimna yesterday, cutting the heads and banging from the inside came to mind. You may have to cut the outside a couple times as it comes out, to keep it from hitting the sill.

Best of luck...been where you are before, so definitely feel for you...

John

 

[Don Elliott]

Duke

I know an original 1960 TR3A owner from Pacific Palisades who told me how he got them out. First he used the Kroil and heat technique. That helped but they still wouldn't come out. Then he got a healthy turnbuckle (or was it two?) and connected it to a couple of bolts that he threaded into the threads where the head in that bolt is located. Across the bottom of the car he comnnected it all with steel cable the size of your little finger and started to tighten the turnbuckle.

This withdrew the bolts towards the center of the car. I tried this as well, but it wouldn't work for me. Maybe he had less rust because "It never ever rains in Southern California".

PS - I forgot to mention that in 1990 when I was finishing my total body-off restoration, I replaced all the body nuts and bolts with stainless steel ones so they were easy to remove to perform the body lift.

 

[martx-5]

Revington TR has a method if you're replacing the springs.

 

[Geo Hahn]

2. Using an angle grinder cut off the spring as close as is possible to the front eye.

3. Using an angle grinder cut off the spring front eye as close as possible to the boss of the chassis, cutting right through the bolt too...

Well, you'll be 100% committed to finish the job after that... but if you are replacing the springs (which would be why i would be doing this) I suppose surgery makes sense.

 

[sp53]

The last ones I did I had the body off and just BFH them out. I removed them and put new pins back in with some of the copper grease stuff because I did not want to deal with it again if one of the springs broke. I must say, I had to really juice and heat them up also they were very very stuck. I prefer John solution by cutting and pounding from the inside out. I would try that first next time then C4.

 

[vivdownunder]

Last broken rear spring replaced for a friend had a seriously siezed pin. I just loosened all the body to frame fixings and lifted one rear corner sufficient to sneak the spring off the pin.

Saved an awful lot of grief fighting the pin and it didn't do the body any harm at all.

I've seen the pins so siezed they had to be cut off against the frame and the remains spark eroded away.

Edit - Removed the rear over-riders first of course.