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Spring to chassis fixing blocks

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 6:19 am
by DF9053
You may have seen the pictues of Y407 in the our cars section, well I am working on assessing the chassis to repairs. The rear attachments of both the front and rear springs are quite worn. These are riveted onto the chassis. The temptation is to take the rivets out, then bore and then sleeve the attachment blocks and then use high tensile bolts to refix them to the chassis.

Has anyone undertaken this before. Is this the right approach or should I re-think?

cheers
Jeremy

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 11:33 am
by Ian Grace
I did this with the front housings for the rear springs on the Semi-sports and the rear spring hangers for the front springs. All are now bolted on - tight!

My rear spring housings weren't worn (they shouldn't wear unless the pin comes unscrewed?), but the threads were useless so I machined up a couple of inserts.

I think this is perfectly acceptable provided you make a good attempt at getting the holes the right size and the bolts a good fit. If you do this with the front spring rear hangers, you need to take some metal off the shackle so it doesn't foul the bolt head (fit them with nuts uppermost).

Good luck Jeremy!

spring rear hangers

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 7:32 pm
by ashford
I visited a man building a long chassis morris special in devon. He has reamed and bushed the spring hangers with out un-riveting them from the chassis. He used a local machinest who made up a simple jig that attached to the chassis rails so that he could drill at a perfect right angle to the chassis rails. It all seems to work. However, from memory the rear of the rear spring hangers should not be drilled at right angles to the chassis rails. This may have to be done differently. I hope this doesn't confuse you too much!

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 9:23 pm
by Ian Grace
James,

That's right, the rear spring rear hangers are 3 degrees out of line with the chassis rails which angle in 3 degrees. The rear road springs are parallel with the road, whereas the front springs are parallel with the chassis rails. So the rears are pretty awkward to re-bush in situ.

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 8:13 am
by DF9053
Too late I have taken them off now!!

The local blacksmith has a mag-drill, this could have done the front hangers but clamping to the chassis rail. The rears as Ian says are a different kettle of fish!

Even for the fronts the wear is uneven and the forces that a 14mm bore cutter will impose will be great. So in the end I though better to take them off and be able to bore them together held tightly on a bench.

No idea how to hold the rear's there is no easy way even off the car, perhaps the holes for the tubular cross member can be used.

I'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Jeremy