ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs : MGB & GT Forum : MG Experience Forums : The MG Experience

ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #1
JohnnyK John Karwacki Northwestern Ontario, Canada 1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Money Pit" 1967 MG MGB GT "Piece Of Junk"	Posted: July 29, 2012 04:01PM Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 608

I need a few suggestions on getting the original shackle to fit the rear eye of a brand new MGB/gt seven leaf leaf spring. The car is up in the air supported by a special stand I built while the body work got completed. The differential is not on,so i just want to get the springs in place and then line up the diff. The springs are correct for a GT.They appear to be about 1/2"away from the shackle bolt,but even if I do get the bolt in at some point the shackle will be pointed forward. I thought they were to point towards the rear? Is there an adjustable shackle on the market? Would jacking up the centre point of the leaf spring extend the leaf a bit? Yes....I too have read up on this.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #2
29desoto Wayne Sanders Outside Otis, OR - in the woods!, USA 1965 MG MGB V6 Conversion "Tubby" 1977 MG MGB "Ole Yeller" 1979 MG MGB "Kermit" 1984 Chevrolet Corvette "The Green Weenie" 1994 Chevrolet S10 "Lil Red"	Posted: July 29, 2012 06:55PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 6,068

I'm confused, not that it is unusual for me to be in such a state.

Why are you putting the springs in without the diff? I would put the rear end in the springs, attach the front bolts, and then use a trolley jack to raise the rears to the shackle. It helps if you can put some weight on the wheels during this, to straighten out the springs.

Always works for me.

Wayne Sanders
Rose Lodge, OR

"I don't care to belong to any club that accepts people like me"-joined Willamette Valley Club in 2011

77 MGB - Four tone paint - some kind of electronic ignition - hood props - cheap tires - new springs all around - mixture of poly and rubber bushings - original exhaust - fuzzy seatcovers - stereo out of old F150 pickup - virtually no rust - right front wrecked and semi well repaired - just about right for me!

78 MGB - Done right by a good PO, and I only bought it. Tell Jim how nice it is. But I did put in a Datsun 5 speed.

79/65 MGB - Tubby - Carmine Red - V-6 - T-5
Going to do this one more right, less rat rod!

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #3
fast-MG.com Dave Headley Cortez, 4 corners, Colorado, USA	Posted: July 29, 2012 06:59PM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 3,245

The unloaded spring is short, end to end. It lengthens when compressed swinging the shackle rearward.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #4
JohnnyK John Karwacki Northwestern Ontario, Canada 1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Money Pit" 1967 MG MGB GT "Piece Of Junk"	Posted: July 29, 2012 07:35PM Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 608

I'm a one man operation around here,but I'll try bolting the Diff on and raising it up ... nothing ventured..etc. thanks for your reply.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #5
John Morrison John B. Morrison Collierville, TN, USA	Posted: July 29, 2012 08:19PM Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 406

Johny,

Been morning replacing the rear springs on my GT with the BMH springs supplied from Moss, they fit with no problem. Have my car on jack stands (front cross member, jack brackets under the doors). Removed the the wheel of the side I worked on, left the opposite wheel as a support. Used 2 floor jacks, one under the differential, other under the new leaf spring, and got everything to line up with little difficulty.

John Morrison

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #6
29desoto Wayne Sanders Outside Otis, OR - in the woods!, USA 1965 MG MGB V6 Conversion "Tubby" 1977 MG MGB "Ole Yeller" 1979 MG MGB "Kermit" 1984 Chevrolet Corvette "The Green Weenie" 1994 Chevrolet S10 "Lil Red"	Posted: July 29, 2012 08:39PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 6,068

Hey, Johnny, I'm a one man one small fat dog operation. And I sure as heck don't want to try to fit the diff in AFTER the springs are bolted in!

A guy could get hurt. eye popping smiley

Wayne Sanders
Rose Lodge, OR

"I don't care to belong to any club that accepts people like me"-joined Willamette Valley Club in 2011

77 MGB - Four tone paint - some kind of electronic ignition - hood props - cheap tires - new springs all around - mixture of poly and rubber bushings - original exhaust - fuzzy seatcovers - stereo out of old F150 pickup - virtually no rust - right front wrecked and semi well repaired - just about right for me!

78 MGB - Done right by a good PO, and I only bought it. Tell Jim how nice it is. But I did put in a Datsun 5 speed.

79/65 MGB - Tubby - Carmine Red - V-6 - T-5
Going to do this one more right, less rat rod!

Sponsored Links. You can hide this ad & support this site by upgrading to a Gold Membership ~ click here for more info.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #7
JohnnyK John Karwacki Northwestern Ontario, Canada 1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Money Pit" 1967 MG MGB GT "Piece Of Junk"	Posted: July 29, 2012 09:08PM Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 608

hear ya ... i'll do it your way... I'll keep it posted.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #8
Gary E Gary Edwards Kernersville, ,N.C., USA 1962 MG MGA MkII 1974 MG MGB GT	Posted: July 29, 2012 09:15PM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 5,222

You really have to put the diff in first..
Put the bolt in the front eye first. Get a short piece of wood and place it under the rear eye. Then raise the diff and the rear eye will move close enought to the shackles to easly make the connection. At least that is the way I do it in the South.

Gary

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #9
Steve64B Steve Opitz Phoenix, AZ, USA 1966 MG MGB	Posted: July 29, 2012 09:38PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 8,351

John,

Build the assembly on the garage floor ( springs to differential assembly ) put the assembly on a floor jack and slide it under the car. Tip the assembly so the front spring eyes go into their mounts and bolt it up ( LOOSLY) then use the floor jack to lift the assembly into position and install the rear hangers LOOSLY. Attach the peripherals (shocks, drive shaft, brake flex line) Put weight on the assembly and tighten the mounting points. The hangers should air toward the rear when the spring lengthens with weight on it.

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #10
JohnnyK John Karwacki Northwestern Ontario, Canada 1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Money Pit" 1967 MG MGB GT "Piece Of Junk"	Posted: July 30, 2012 06:52AM Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 608

Thanx all for the pointers.....

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #11
ErnieY Ernie Y Nr Cahors, France 1970 MG MGB 1976 MG MGB GT 1978 MG MGB	Posted: July 30, 2012 10:47AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 2,895

Slipping an axle onto fitted springs is no biggie !

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Re: ideas on getting the rear shackle into the rear eye of new leaf springs #12
JohnnyK John Karwacki Northwestern Ontario, Canada 1957 MG MGA 1500 Coupe "Money Pit" 1967 MG MGB GT "Piece Of Junk"	Posted: August 06, 2012 06:50PM Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 608

well people I assembled the rear end with the springs & NEW U-Bolts & we lifted things in place with No problem connecting the rear eyes to the Shackles. Once the weight of the car is actually on the springs I'm sure the shackles will be pointing rearward with a little gentle persuasion.

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