Front Suspension Query

[AndyH]

Hi,
I decided to strip the front upper suspension arrangement last week and re-grease etc.
This is top wishbone, pivot rod end with spacers, shock absorber top mount etc..

All good and I re-assembled.... The one thing I'm not sure on is how tight the whole think needs clamped together.

If it's not too tight, I guess the rod will move and if it's too tight it's maybe too much pressure on the bushes. (I can't remember what I did 9 years ago !)

At the moment it's all "FT", but thought I'd check and see if there is a correct way of torquing this lot up??

Any advice, much appreciated.

Cheers
Andrew

[Guy Mayers]

I've never overtightened them Andrew, just used new nylocs each time they're overhauled. It's a really important job to do as the bushes can rust onto the rod and that's a pig of a job to sort out!!! Never want to do that again!!
Guy

[Lancialulu]

do you take the rod through the cabin? I am about to do this strip on mine so any tips would be helpful.....

[Guy Mayers]

No Tim - out the front. Whatever you do do not resort to using a hammer on either end of the rod or you'll spread the end and then you're in trouble...

Undo the inner end and then tighten the outer to draw the rod through slightly, then try using the spanner to pull the rod out. If it just loosens the nut take it off and pack it with washers and retighten drawing it out further. Repeat until it's free enough to pull out.

If it's seized somewhere you've got to identify where and there are only two places. Either the rod is seized in the chassis bushing or the suspension arm bush is seized to the rod.

Should you find that the bush is rusted to the rod then you might get it out with releasing fluid and time but if that fails AND you know that the rod moves in the chassis bushing you can remove it by cutting the rod through on either side of the shock absorber. That ought to give you enough clearance to remove all the remains.

If it's seized in the chassis bush I suspect it'll need cutting and drilling out by someone who really knows what they're doing!

Guy

[Lancialulu]

Thanks Guy.

[AndyH]

Thanks Guy,
Sounds like I should slacken off a bit then...

Came apart Ok, but they are a bit of a sod to get out and back in again.
I'd anticipated difficult times, so I ordered a couple of new rods from Gerry... £20+VAT + delivery... Put them in and all good as new now :-)
Thanks
Andrew

[Guy Mayers]

They can be a pig to reassemble but always regrease the rod before putting it back in. I usually put a glob or two into the chassis bushing and then work it through a few times with the rod until it all moves freely.

Putting the rod back through the various spacers, suspension top mount can be a little fiddly on your own but I use a cut down bolt with slightly chamfered ends that can be slotted into the chassis with the shock, spacers and washers pre assembled on it and then pushed out with the rod. Simples.

Guy

[Two-Eight-Six]

Any photos of this process, anyone?

[ProtoTipo]

With a Hawk;

don't tighten the suspension up until it's been bounced on the ground.
Especially with the older metalastic type bushes.
In other words, don't tighten it up in droop.

[Guy Mayers]

Nope sorry! It's a right faff putting it all together without throwing juggling a camera in there! If you don't understand the process I'm describing drop me a PM and I'll send you my phone number to discuss?

Guy

[john]

Have you bought a Hawk too now Clive?

[ChrisCar6]

Reminds me I must dis/reassemble mine this winter- they've been together a few years. I use a wooden dowel as a drift to knock the rod out from the inside - keeps all the spacers and stuff joined up for reinserting the rod.

[AndyH]

I used grease to hold "large washers" in place..... Because I'd bought another couple of rods, I found that inserting one rod from "radiator end" and then another from inside the car to line everything up worked reasonably well.

The final piece of the jigsaw (spacers etc) I found the trickiest to get in... I found that using one of the large washers was the easiest final part to push in and line up.

I have to admit to using a rubber mallet to tap the rod fully through. All seems OK.

I remember using Guy's technique 1st time around and that seemed to work well too.

Good tip ref tightening when it's on the deck... Many thanks.

Andrew

[Two-Eight-Six]

No, John, just an interest in the discussion!

[Lancialulu]

Hi,

All good and I re-assembled.... The one thing I'm not sure on is how tight the whole think needs clamped together.



Just to confirm if you have metalastic bushes these all need to be done up tight with the car at normal road height. The rubber bush flexes about its mid point. If done up in Droop the bush will tear.

Same applies to nylotron leter bushes so the steel inner is nipped and does not rotate.

So not loose!!!!

[AndyH]

Mine are Nylotron and very tight.... I guess you could argue they can't really be too tight and I guess less of an issue if nipped up in droop as the steel insert just rotates in the bush.

When I initially assembled, I left them too slack and found a very small amount of elongation in the hole into the cockpit due to the rod rotating.... maybe 0.5mm.... just enough to feel it.

Since then I tighten up, but me thinks maybe just a bit too tight :-)

[john]

No, John, just an interest in the discussion!
Ahh, well fair enough!
By the way if you PM me an email address I found a few photos which might interest you!

[ProtoTipo]

Just to confirm if you have metalastic bushes these all need to be done up tight with the car at normal road height. The rubber bush flexes about its mid point. If done up in Droop the bush will tear.

Same applies to nylotron leter bushes so the steel inner is nipped and does not rotate.

So not loose!!!!

That's what I was trying to say earlier Tim, but maybe not making a good job of it?

It applies especially to the metalastic type bushes.

[AndyH]

I didn't expect to gather as much interest... Many thanks for all the comments.