Spring & Dampers

[Westfield 129]

No special tools needed. You can do the replacement with a bench vice if you don't have a press, with a couple of deep sockets in less than 30 minutes, not counting the time it takes to remove the suspension arms. And if you do have a press, again, a couple of deep sockets (one to press, the other to receive the old bushing) will do the job without any special tools at all.

Remove only one arm at a time, and it will be easier to re install them. Give yourself an hour to R&R the arms and bushings.

[Splat]

So, to answer your question, Jon. If all you're doing is rebushing the rear, with a hydraulic press and a suitably turned down die, and new nuts and bolts to hand, an hour or two.

If you only order new nuts and bolts as you go along, don't have a press, drop off the pieces at your local race shop the day before they're burgled and then decide to strip and repaint all of the suspension components and chassis, fit long-travel shocks, rebuild the diff and re-engineer the handbrake mechanism, with a skiing holiday and a house flooding and a full-time short-haul job to hinder and delay, about three and a half months (although that was both ends).

[jonclancy]

So pretty quick using my timescale.

Ace!

I've got a small drivetrain clonk that I suspect may be cause by 3500 mile bushes.

[Westfield 129]

You don't even need a vice You can use two long sockets and a bolt to draw out the old bush.

You can also check for your clunk by opening up the rear clamshell, sticking the thing in 1st gear, and rocking it back and forth by rocking it by the tire. If the bushings are loose, you will see the nose of the diff case bob up and down, and you will hear the "clunk".

Then, if you look at the attach points at the axle and the chassis, you will see the movement between the axle and the trailing arm or the bolt within the arm.

With the early cars, you may see the bolts moving at the chassis end of the arms if they are a little loose. Tightening them slightly will take out this fore/aft movement of the bolts (but wont help if the center element of the bushing is rattling around on torn rubber).

Pretty easy stuff to check.

[jonclancy]

Great advice - thanks. I'll give that a whirl.

[Splat]

With longer shocks fitted, the rear floor needs cutting to accommodate the differential housing and handbrake mechanism. Here's my take on the required hole.

(The absolutely eagle-eyed may think that the handbrake balance-mechanism bracket looks a little short? It's actually bent! Fifty-year-old bent sheet-metal, with a pre-introduced crease (have a look at yours to see what I mean) constantly being pulled on by the handbrake cable. I noticed it a couple of days ago when I put the car up on stands to start playing around with 15" wheels. My spare bracket is painted up, ready to fit!)

[Splat]

A couple of photographs pertinent to the fitting of 14" rear shocks. At full droop, the rear axle will be a little over 1/2" above the chassis rails and the bolt for the lower trailing arm, at the axle end has to be inserted "backwards" (with the head inboard). Clearance oof this bolt head to the chassis rails is only a millimetre or so each side! But in 3000 miles with this set up, the bolts are yet to foul the chassis. (Admittedly, the rear axle is rarely at full droop on the road!)

The second photo shows how much of the drive-train and handbrake mechanism protroods through the chassis floor at full droop.

[Splat]

As for the failed handbrake balance-mechanism bracket.....

[Westfield 129]

I turn the bolt heads down to clear the chassis at full droop. A few mm does it.

Make sure that you center the axle with the panhard rod length adjustment with the chassis at the correct ride height with the car laden (driver installed).