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Technical Report: Bronze Spring Bushes
- Thread starter Moseso
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OP
Moseso
Jedi Knight
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Got some time to work this evening. Pulled the wing, then twisted and yanked with what I had. I gave up early -- then got out the angle grinder. (Spring shackles don't really cost <span style="font-style: italic">that</span> much.) I split the head of the pin and ground a slot almost through the shackle strap. Broke off the strap and got out the GREAT BIG Vice-Grip (TM) to grab what was left of the shackle pin. Then I wiggled-and-cursed-and-pried-and wiggled --- and it came out.
I've ordered a new shackle assembly. (And a pair of front shocks, while I'm at it -- I think I need 'em.)
When all that gets here, I am going to reassemble it as-is. I reamed-out the bushing, so a healthy dose of grease can fit in with the pin. I plan to use <span style="font-style: italic">Really Good</span> grease (TM).
I've ordered a new shackle assembly. (And a pair of front shocks, while I'm at it -- I think I need 'em.)
When all that gets here, I am going to reassemble it as-is. I reamed-out the bushing, so a healthy dose of grease can fit in with the pin. I plan to use <span style="font-style: italic">Really Good</span> grease (TM).
OP
Moseso
Jedi Knight
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John --
It's not the shackles that are different. In fact they are (were) probably original 1959 shackles. One of them needed to be destroyed in the removal process.
The mod I installed is the "Rear Spring Locator" kit -- manufactured by Joe Alexander and available lots of places. Instead of two "soft" bushes in each eye -- originally rubber, now, often replaced with polyurethane -- the kit employs a single bronze bush through the spring eye and the frame eye -- through which the shackle pins are installed.
The bronze bushings were a tight fit in my frame eyes. One of them (left side) needed to be reamed after installation for the shackle pin to even get into it. The other one "seemed" to be OK. That's the one that froze. It is now reamed like the other. They need to be a slightly sloppy fit so you can get lots of grease in there with with the pin.
One more time -- just for clarity. The rubber or poly bushings fail by disintegration. If you get a problem back there, it will come apart as it is supposed to. This bronze bushing failed by becoming too tight on the pin, requiring a lot of extra effort to get it apart for repair. If I wanted to get the bushing out of the frame eye, at this point (body on the frame), I would HAVE TO remove the rear wing and drive it out towards the center of the car, cutting it off as it emerged from the eye, as there is insufficient room for the whole thing to come out of there in one piece. Later for that. I'm going to try it one more time with the increased clearance for the shackle pin. If I have to go through this again, though, then out they will come!
It's not the shackles that are different. In fact they are (were) probably original 1959 shackles. One of them needed to be destroyed in the removal process.
The mod I installed is the "Rear Spring Locator" kit -- manufactured by Joe Alexander and available lots of places. Instead of two "soft" bushes in each eye -- originally rubber, now, often replaced with polyurethane -- the kit employs a single bronze bush through the spring eye and the frame eye -- through which the shackle pins are installed.
The bronze bushings were a tight fit in my frame eyes. One of them (left side) needed to be reamed after installation for the shackle pin to even get into it. The other one "seemed" to be OK. That's the one that froze. It is now reamed like the other. They need to be a slightly sloppy fit so you can get lots of grease in there with with the pin.
One more time -- just for clarity. The rubber or poly bushings fail by disintegration. If you get a problem back there, it will come apart as it is supposed to. This bronze bushing failed by becoming too tight on the pin, requiring a lot of extra effort to get it apart for repair. If I wanted to get the bushing out of the frame eye, at this point (body on the frame), I would HAVE TO remove the rear wing and drive it out towards the center of the car, cutting it off as it emerged from the eye, as there is insufficient room for the whole thing to come out of there in one piece. Later for that. I'm going to try it one more time with the increased clearance for the shackle pin. If I have to go through this again, though, then out they will come!
OP
Moseso
Jedi Knight
Offline
You are the ideal "lazy man," Randall. As in the wise adage: "If you have a difficult project, assign it to a lazy person. That person will find an easier way to do it."
I think the wing still has to come off to drill it out. But the tap-it-and-pull-it method <span style="font-style: italic">just might</span> be doable "under cover." Getting something to bear on the eye, yet allow the bushing through, might be the most difficult part of making the puller.
Now you've got <span style="font-style: italic">ME</span> thinking... A 3' piece of 1/2" all-thread, some washers, a pair of acorn nuts and a 6" piece of 3/4" pipe = a proper slide-hammer puller for the job. Wing removal required -- but I've already found out that's not really such an onerous job.
I think the wing still has to come off to drill it out. But the tap-it-and-pull-it method <span style="font-style: italic">just might</span> be doable "under cover." Getting something to bear on the eye, yet allow the bushing through, might be the most difficult part of making the puller.
Now you've got <span style="font-style: italic">ME</span> thinking... A 3' piece of 1/2" all-thread, some washers, a pair of acorn nuts and a 6" piece of 3/4" pipe = a proper slide-hammer puller for the job. Wing removal required -- but I've already found out that's not really such an onerous job.