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Re: Drilling out rear spring bolt

To: "Spridget List" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Drilling out rear spring bolt
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 20:24:58 -0800
Cc: "Daniel Thompson" <dthompson@videotron.ca>
References: <v03130302b65b83801195@[209.24.234.98]>
Gerald:

I can't figure out how this method could be possible.

First of all, there is a locating bolt binding the spring pack together that
goes through each leaf, and can only be removed when the spring pack is out
of the car, making it impossible for me to pull the leaves out of the spring
box individually.

Secondly, the bolt I broke off is one of the front ones (deepest into the
spring box), with the head exposed on the underside of the spring box, then
passing up through the leaves into the fixing plate on top of the spring
pack. So, I can't get at the shank of the broken bolt to cut it off from
inside the spring box, because it's inside the spring.

Happily, I was able to get the nasty thing out today. I drilled the broken
bolt from the underside of the car, until it could clear the bottom "shelf"
of the spring box- about 1/2". Not much fun, but doable. The small bit of
the bolt that protruded above the fixing plate on top of the spring pack was
only a minor impediment to pulling it out - it took only about ten seconds
of grunting and bad language and out it all came! Once it was out of the
car, and in the vice, the rest was easy.

Victory!

Now it's onto the cleaning, smoothing, painting, etc.

Thanks for your help,

Doug


----- Original Message -----
From Gerard Chateauvieux <pixelsmith at gerardsgarage.com>
To: Doug Ingram <dougi@home.com>; Spridget List <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2000 11:31 PM
Subject: Re: Drilling out rear spring bolt


> Doug,
>
> It's been a long time since I did this, but I ran into the same problem
> about 3 or 4 years ago on my Bugeye. That bolt goes all the way through
the
> spring to a fixing plate atop the spring. Seems I ended up cutting of the
> remaining shank from inside the pocket with a hacksaw or sawzall, but
still
> couldn't remove the spring because the fixing plate won't clear the spring
> pocket opening. As I recall, I removed the U-bolts that hold the leaves
> together and removed the spring leaf by leaf until I had enough room to
> remove the remaining assembly.
>
> Gerard
>
> At 10:45 PM -0800 12/11/00, Doug Ingram wrote:
> >My winter project this year is a rear end rebuild of my bugeye, and
> >replacing the 4.22 diff with a 3.9. Everything came apart very easily,
> >except the absolute last thing. Just before I put a socket onto the head
of
> >the outer forward bolt on the right rear spring, I thought to myself -
just
> >this one, and disassembly is done..... but it couldn't be that easy. The
> >bolt sheared off just below the head.
> >
> >%&$#@!!!
> >
> >When something like this happens, I usually go to another project and
think
> >about it a little. Here's my question: If I start drilling the bolt, how
> >deep will I have to go to loosen the spring and pull it out. Will having
> >most of the bolt in place prevent the spring from being removed?
> >
> >Any help appreciated,
> >
> >Doug Ingram
> >Victoria BC
> >1958 Sprite  (AN5L/636)
> >1963 Sprite Mk II project (HAN7L/30003)
>
>
> --
> Please visit Four Points Travel -
> Discount Online Hotel Reservations in the U.S.
> http://www.gerardsgarage.com/fourpoints
> To make a reservation please call Toll Free 1-800-272-3253
>
>
> G G              Gerard Chateauvieux
>  E A
>   R R        pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com
>    A A
>     R G          Pixelsmith  on  Duty
>      D E
>       S      http://www.gerardsgarage.com

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