Rear Suspension Overhaul

[Guy Mayers]

Here's a plea for help from me for a change! I'm in the process of overhauling the rear suspension and driveshaft at the moment whilst I wait for the engine to come back... I'm looking for some bits and hope someone out there has them lying about doing nothing!

Okay, Beta top mounts, they're in fairly good condition but the threads on the locating pins have seen better days. Does anyone have four that they've punched out of a pair of top mounts spare? And whilst you're at it, the lock washers for the strut too?

Next, advice - the springs have seen better days an could do with a coat of paint. I suspect Hammerite might be a bit brittle, anybody got any thoughts what would be a good paint to use?

Leda struts - I think I'm going to have to get destructive to remove the nut unless the overnight soaking in penetrating oil works!! Does anyone know what the nut/thread size is in case I have to replace them?

Cheers

Guy

[ChrisCar6]

Punch yours out and weld/braze on new bolts?
Plasicote sort of stuff?
No.

[Monte76]

For the springs, I'd take them to a local powder coater and get them stripped and re-coated, it's a cheap enough process. Otherwise I'd recommend an enamel paint (not Hammerite), it's tough, flexible and you won't need to primer them.

Vince.

[ProtoTipo]

Guy,

Do you mean the nut at the very top/centre?
You need a rattle gun.

Lock washers?
The 'D' hole ones with the tabs that eventually brake off if you try to use them more than once or twice?
See PM.

[Stableblock]

I wouldn't powder coat the springs unless you are sure that the heating process wont affect the temper of the material. SOme powder coaters are quite sloppy about temperatures and you could damage the springs. In addition, you would need to get these springs really clean and have them pretreated with a phosphate or similar if you wanted the coating to stick otherwise it will just tend to peel off in a year or two.

The key will be to get the springs really clean and grease free, apply a metal primer (POR15 metal ready is good - you should be able to see a change to the surface as the coating builds up), then top coat - most liquid paints will have the flexibility. Semi gloss finishes tend to last better under the car than either full gloss or matt.

Hope this helps.

[ProtoTipo]

Guy,
You need a rattle gun.

One of these, or similar.

[ChrisC]

We paint quite a few springs for Porsche Cup cars, We use acid etch primer which is easy to use and available in aerosol cans followed by standard 2K paint in any colour you like. If you are really worried about flexibility Standox do a addative called Standflex which is designed primarily for flexible plastic parts but can be added to the top coat to give added flexibility.

[strat24v]

If the end coil is open, slip some heatshrink sleeping over?

[john]

"Sleeping Over"? You sure you have your mind on the subject in hand here, John?

[strat24v]

It's this bloody phone! It changed cnut to Cynthia once!