[Spits] Rear Spring reply

[Greg Rowe]

Most of the repair manuals recommend tightening on the ground
 as well.  Since I can't get to the bolts while the car is on the
ground, I usually put a trolley jack under the vertical link and jack
up until the car is just about to come off the jack stands
under the frame and then tighten the bolts.  I figure this
simulates the weight of the car on the suspension bushes.

Greg Rowe

> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:25:58 -0700
> From: mark at bradakis.com
> To: spitfires at autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Spits] Rear Spring reply
>
> > And I'm wondering if Joe wasn't pulling your chain, stirring up your
> > fluif or something.  What bolts are we talking about?  Both ends of
> > the trailing arm, vertical strut to spring end, shock mounts.  All
> > those bolts are meant to pivot with suspension movement, except
> > perhaps the shock mounts.
>
> Actually the standard rubber bushings DO NOT pivot around the bolts.
> They are designed so that the inner steel sleeve is clamped to the brackets
> and suspension movement is accomplished by the rubber itself deforming.
>
> If you tighten the bolts when the car is in the air and the suspension is
at
> full droop, then when the car is put on level ground the bushings are under
> stress.  They are being twisted as the car just sits there.  This
distortion
> and constant stress causes early failure of the rubber as well as erratic
> movement of the suspension under normal use.
>
> If you tighten the bolts when the car is on the ground at rest, there is
> no twisting stress on the rubber while the car sits there.  You're not
> making them stand on their head 24/7, so to speak.  Driving around
> they only have to distort a little bit that way, a little bit the other
> way as the suspension flexes.  They last longer and provide smoother,
> more controlled movement of the suspension.
>
> mjb.
> _______________________________________________


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