Front Suspension Query

[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