Spitfire spitfire diff and rear spring

[Dan76spit]

hi all,
i'm about to undertake replacing the diff in my 76 spitfire with a used unit-i am also going to replace the rear spring...My question is can I drop my old diff and spring out bolted together and then bolt my new spring and diff up on my workbench and replace it together. i'm thinking it may be easier to do it this way than try to unbolt the spring from the diff through the little access panel behind the seats.
Just thinking and laying out my plan of attack here as i ordered my spring and new bushings last night from bpnorthwest. Can't wait for them to arrive as its my cars x-mas present this year! Thanks all hapy holidays

 

[Don_R]

Dan,

The spring needs to come off the diff. I doubt that you will be able to pull it through the frame.

When you get the new spring check the buttons between the leaves..I bought a new spring and they lasted about 2 months before they squashed into nothing and changed the camber on the rear tires. I am planning to make new ones from PTFE rod to replace the smashed ones.

 

[Dan76spit]

where did you order your spring from, just curious? thank you i will check them out-i have seen the buttons offered for sale any good sources for them?

 

[Don_R]

Dan,

Got my spring from VB...

making the buttons can be a bit costly if you don't have the lathe tooling to make them.

Last I saw there was some listed on Ebay for about $30.

You have the Hugger orange Spit?

 

[71MKIV]

There's no way to get the spring out of the frame if it is still stuck to the diff.

It's simple enough to do the buttons that if the replacement spring had the rubber ones I would change them anyway.

 

[Dan76spit]

cool yea i'll take the diff out than the spring and do it. yes i have the hugger orange spitfire. i will look on ebay for the buttons and order them depending on what my new spring has. What is the process like to replace the buttons?
Scranton/Wilkes-barre is a nice area -my mother is from Scranton originally and my aunt just moved back there after years of living elsewhere. I haven't been there in years
thanks for all the help and happy holidays...

 

[Don_R]

Dan,

The process is pretty easy. remove the spring from the spring box. take the spring leaves apart. replace the buttons. restack the spring and put it back in the spring box.

You might need some C-clamps to compress the spring to get it back together.

I imagine that you could do it on the car if you could get the leaves wedged apart. the top spring is short and and might be a problem though.

 

[Dan76spit]

ok thanks...should not be a problem as i am replacing the spring so i would be putting new buttons in a new spring so i could do it on the work bench before i put it in the car...

 

[philman]

seems to me that there is an old episode of wheeler dealer around where they explained how to do that on a spitfire.

 

[dklawson]

Spring buttons are a popular topic this week. Please see the thread linked below for more information.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/u...ment#Post732434