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shackle bushings - how hard to replace?

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PeterK

PeterK

Yoda
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think i better ask who've done this. the rear shackle bushings on the 3a need replacing. on my 4A i replace them with the body off. but on the 3a, the body is on so the springs are loaded.

anybody have a method for removing the shackle pins and bushings while keeping the holes aligned for reassembly? tia!
 
Peter-

I just did that on my TR4, and I think I took pictures of the process. I'll need to check the camera when I get home (I'm cheating at work right now, such a bad habit!). You may be a little more cramped on the 3 versus the 4, but I bet it is pretty much the same process.

Basically all I did was put the frame on a support stand, remove the wheel, then use a jack on the bottom of the spring to release tension on the shackle. A little judicious prying and it will come off. Reassembly was a little more painful as I replaced my springs with new arched versions, but some c-clamps did the trick to hold everything together. If I have good pictures, I repost with a link to them.

Randy
 
Peter-

Here are a few pictures of the installation process.

With frame supported, use jack to bring spring into position, and use C clamp to get end of spring lined up with shackle assembly:

rearspring1.jpg


Closeup of C clamp setup, tighten it up until shackle can fit into new bushings:

rearspring2.jpg

The shackle is a little tough to push on to the new bushings because of the lack of space. I used a vice grip setup as shown to slowly move it into place, then finished with the rest of the shackle and bolts:

rearspring3.jpg



Hope that helps,
Randy
 
it does a lot, thanks.
when you wrote frame supported , do you mean on jackstands with the axle hanging?
 
Yep, you need something to hold the car up independent of the spring. The axle will sit on top of the frame, on my 4 there is a rubber bushing attached to the axle which provides a rest on the frame. The hydraulic jack is only used to position the leaf spring vertically, then the c-clamp does the rest.
 
I forgot to mention, and I don't think you'll need to do this, but:

I had the axle completely off the spring (note no ubolts). I don't think you need to worry about that, but if you needed to lower the spring you could slacken the ubolts to drop it past where the axle stops on the frame.
 
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