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Pilgrims' Progress...'74 Midget Suspension

To: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Pilgrims' Progress...'74 Midget Suspension
From: Philip Hubbard <phubbard@carroll.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 00:31:51 -0400
At 12:08 AM 7/21/98 EDT, you wrote:
>  After reading about and visualizing all the trials and triumphs..er..uh..
>Victories! ;-) with your (Phillip Hubbard's) Midget.. I wanna ride! :-) :-)
>  Good work and good writing, Phillip.  Keep it up!
>     Ed in NC


Well Ed, you are in luck.  The saga continues.  :)  Tonight I learned
something very valuable - the rear half-elliptical springs on a Midget are
not the same length from center bushing to front bracket as they are from
center bushing to rear shackle.  Yep - I put the passenger's side in
backwards.  :)  Found out when I tried to align the center bushings.  Well,
I didn't have the heart to undo it tonight and install the bushings the
right way so I decided to tackle the driver's side.

Got this side installed correctly.  :)  I have the front and rear attached
firmly.  I have the center bushings and plates in place, but damned if I
can get it to line up correctly.  I'm jacking up the spring to align and
tighten the center.  I almost had it, but then noticed that the u-bolts
were going up with the spring so the threads were no where low enough to go
through the holes in the plates.  I assume there is no real trick to this,
but that you just have to be patient.  Hence, I quit for the night.  :)

I'm not sure what to try to keep the pesky u-bolts in place while I jack up
the spring.  Bend them in to hug the axle more before jacking up the
spring?  Should I undo the check strap first?  I am going to change both
check straps for new, but thought I'd keep them on while installing the
springs for a little extra measure of safety.

Anwyay, I'll tackle it again tomorrow.  It's got to line up sometime with
enough finagling.

BTW, anyone who wants a ride when this is done is welcome to it.  Hell,
most people here on the list can take it for a test drive if they want.
Sort of a reward for wading through all my ups and downs and for all the
great advice.  :)

Cheers,
Philip
Burgundy 1974 Midget

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