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TR2/3/3A TR3 Rear Shock Removal

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H

Hatman

Senior Member
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Working on removing the rear shocks on my '59 TR3. Any helpful suggestions on removing the rear shock arm from the drop link? I don't have a gear puller small enough to get in their, and the manual simply says something along the lines of "use a suitable extractor." Any ideas?

Also, it looks like to completely remove the drop link, I need to remove the spring plate, correct? Anything more involved in removing the spring plate other than removing the four nuts underneath?

Thanks in advance.


Mark
 
Those are press fit tapered and secured with a nut. I forget how exactly we managed to get our separated, but I'm pretty sure we used a pitman arm puller.

A pitman arm puller is available from just about any local auto parts store for about $10. It's a good investment, as you'll probably need it for the front suspension should you ever decide to tear into it.
 
Hi Mark they can be a real pain. Yes drop the spring a little and perhaps use a jack to hold it. They are not under a lot of load, so no biggie. Once you get the lower bolt clear and the two upper bolts off then take the unit off as a whole. Once off, hold the shock and just smack the shock arm at the link with a hammer and the harmonic vibration will let the two separate like magic. Really! Oh yeh take the nut off the link arm too. The fit is tapered and that is why the vibration separates them.
 
Thanks guys. Since I plan to replace the drop links/arms as well, I'll probably just take the spring plate off and remove as a unit. Appreciate the feedback!


Mark
 
Shocks are off and on their way to World Wide Auto Parts for rebuilding. Ended up removing the spring plates to take the shock and drop links off as a unit. Even off the car, getting them apart was a real *#@#@($&(@!!!! None of my local auto parts stores had a pitman arm puller that small, none of my gear pullers worked on anything that small, and using my hyraulic press just stretched the rubber bushing out. So, I resorted to Plan Z and beat on the drop link bolt. One came out after a couple dozen blows, but one was holding on for dear life. It finally let go after a few minutes of abuse and creative swearing, but by then the bolt was so mushroomed I had to grind down the end to get it to slip out of the shock arm!

I've owned and driven this car for more than 20-years and this is really the first time I've done anything more than just routine maintenance. Hope the rest of my winter projects (rebuilding the hyraulic system, having the carbs rebuilt) go smoother than this.

Everytime I work on cars it reminds how much I enjoy working on my motorcycles! ;-)
 
Hi Hatman I feel like I might have led you astray. You do not hit the link at the bolt, but hit the shock arm on the side- at the link- next to the bolt. That vibrates the whole and separates the two. It goes against common sense, but the two just fall apart from each other without much effort. The vibration method works for most those types of fitting. It sounds like you might have cavemaned the thing; I know because I cavemaned my first one also.
 
Actually, I tried hitting the arm as you suggested, but apparently the "good vibrations" weren't working for me. The drop links needed replaced anyway, so the caveman approach worked fine.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!


Mark
 
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