Rear Suspension Spring Clip

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ken newbold
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by ken newbold »

Couple of questions here.

Are you doing this cos the rear arm bearing need doing?
Why are you cutting the brake pipe?
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Tinkley
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by Tinkley »

The bearings o/s are shot - creaking like hell on every bump. I tried to get this pin out several times in October/November. I haven't disconnected the brake pipe just moved the caliper away - if the pipe goes, I have a spare. Normally I've just removed the pipe from the caliper and left everything else on the arm, disc, caliper, weather shield etc. This time because the brake pipe connector is so buggered (not me honest) it will only come out IF you cut the pipe and take it (caliper) to a bench, I decided to get more space as I had to wriggle the arm and piston free...you need it too, as she (car) is only on 4 rounds of timber. I've just hung the caliper still connected, on a rope from the tailgate gas strut.

Eventually the piston rod came free - from the cylinder and the cup....and fell on the ground. So the arm being free, I was able with a number of hard 3mm stainless rods (lightly ground down a smidgen) drift the pin out eventually. The weird thing is the cup base has an opening where the pin has worn across the bottom of it, so on the flat bottom face there is an odd elongated hole feature. Still there's enough metal to retain the darn thing when I can source some new clips. Plenty of grease round this area when it goes back together.

I ought to do the n/s, as they will be similar but not making a noise. Still it might get the MOT without that side being done, though I think the wheel bearing n/s is just starting to make a noise even though you can't feel any play. Judging by the lack of protector (rusted away) on the o/s hub it could be.

So the bearings are out, no damage to the arm itself, no elongation. Just a few diminished rollers and 20% of a cage missing one end, plenty of red dusty stuff.... :wink: no wonder it was a bit 'creaky' - we all know the sound....

Next real problem is reassembling the rod and cup. I assume this was originally done with big heat ie oxy acetylene and my paltry efforts with a propane gun so far have failed. Any other tips on this appreciated.
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ken newbold
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by ken newbold »

Never had a problem with one, just a bit of fiddling to one side or other and they normally just drop in.
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Tinkley
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by Tinkley »

I've given up with the cup Ken, it just won't go (maybe if I file two flats on rod) and it (cup) is faulty. The fault being, it is not meant to have a hole in the bottom allowing rust from the cup seat on the rear arm to seize the pin!. A new pin does not solve this corrosion point alone. I'd rather have solid metal across the back of the pin hole, though I was going to epoxy a repair to prevent seizure. New rod and cup on the way, note they are sold as one piece, for sub 20 from dealer poatage included.

Never had the taper bearing cups come out of the arms so fast either, less than a minute a side! The Auto took best part of 20 mins per side to drive out, very, very tight, and the first one I did moons ago about 3-5 minutes a side to drift out.
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ken newbold
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by ken newbold »

make sure you get the outer race out as well
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Tinkley
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Re: Rear Suspension Spring Clip

Post by Tinkley »

That WAS the outer cup part of the race, ie the one you can't access 'til the plastic tube is out.... :wink: the inner (and races) comes out with the tube when drifted through.

It was interference, but not by much maybe 1-2 thousandths of a mm! The new races were harder to drift in, I have the Birth (Italian) kit replacement set(s) and just as an experiment both cars have different greases to see if it makes any difference. One has graphite/moly lithium and the other marine grease a transparent red colour. The Auto had a yellow grease as factory original, the Athena (which has had the races changed before) you could not see any clean grease in fact hardly any at all just rust. Ther will be no doubt of the stuff I've packed in there, it's pretty full and thoroughly fed through the taper rollers themselves and then a load, load more... :wink: :wink:
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