MGB & GT Forum

I’m replacing the rear suspension link (between the damper and bottom leaf spring). I have the car up on jack stands.

Damper removed. Top bolt removed. I can quite get the bottom bolt off the link (there’s not a lot of travel for the spanner).

PB-Blastered it. Tried to hammer-on the end of the spanner to help coax it, no luck (not a lot of swing).

Any suggestions? Do I need to remove the bottom bracket (where the link is connected (I’m hoping not).

Thoughts?

Kroil is better than pb blaster.

I remember asking this question of the local guru. As I remember the trick is having the link in a vise. Was easy then.

This was 25 years ago.

I am not responsible for what I do or do not remember,

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L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit

Get a big lever (or large flat screwdriver and apply pressure on the gap between the nut and link. That will stop the link trying to rotate so the nut will undo. It's a bit like getting the nut off the TRE when using a pickle fork.

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

Russ-
Remove the rear Armstrong® lever arm damper, its damper drop link, and the bottom plate as a complete unit. This will make dismantling of the assembly much easier on the workbench. The damper drop links will need to be removed from the arms of the rear Armstrong® lever arm dampers for future inspection. Do not attempt to heat the SAE Grade 5 nut on its mounting stud by means of the employment of a gas torch in order to loosen them as the fuel tank is too close to permit this to be performed safely. While the damper drop link assembly is still together, there will be very little turning room for the employment of a wrench/spanner. A little patience and continued applications of an effective penetrating lubricant such as either Liquid Wrench or, better yet, a home-brew mixture of 50% acetone and 50% automatic transmission fluid should result in successful separation of the old damper drop link from the arm of the rear Armstrong® lever arm damper. Note that these two liquids do not readily mix, so you will have to shake it well every time prior to application, much like a cheap Italian salad dressing. Allow it to seep in prior to any attempt at removal; otherwise, the mounting studs will be prone to fracturing off, ruining your day. Allow it time do its job: days, not hours. In this case time and patience are your friends. A bit of a tap on the wrench handle is more effective than trying to strong-arm it. Once it breaks free, do not attempt to remove it. Instead, spray more penetrating lubricant into the threads. Allow a little more time for the penetrating lubricant to dissolve any large particles of oxidized metal into a fine powder. This will minimize abrasion damage to the mating surfaces of the threads that would otherwise result when the SAE Grade 5 nut is removed.

Should this prove to be inadequate, apply CRC® Freeze Off to the SAE Grade 5 7/16"-24 UNF Nyloc nut, and then try to loosen it. In order to prevent movement while the nut is being loosened by means of an impact wrench, a small needle-nose Vise-Grip/Mole Grip plier is narrow enough to enable the ball joint stud to be clamped between the lever arm and the ball, as well as between the ball joint housing and the drop link mounting bracket on the rear leaf spring. A sharp strike by means of the utilization of a large steel alloy hammer against the partially removed nut should result in the successful separation of the old damper drop link from the lever arm of the Armstrong® lever arm damper. If this method fails, then, if you have access to a heavy piece of steel alloy such as an anvil, position the lever arm of the Armstrong® lever arm damper so that its tapered hole is parallel to the striking surface. Using a large steel alloy hammer, strike the end of the lever arm directly above the tapered hole. This should cause the tapered shaft of the drop link to separate from the tapered hole. If this method fails, resort to the utilization of a nut-splitter. Afterwards, clean-up the threads of the tapered shaft by means of the utilization of a 7/16"-24 UNF thread-forming/sizing/chaser die, never by means of the utilization of a die that is meant for the cutting of threads. Deformed and/or dirty threads can reduce clamping force. Therefore, the precaution of chasing with a thread-forming/sizing/chaser die should always be performed. Be warned that the cutting action of a regular cutting die that is meant for the cutting of threads in order to re-form distorted threads can cause weakness in the threads by causing stress fractures at the point of cutting, and thus reduce the maximum amount of torque that they can sustain. Thread-forming/sizing/chaser taps and dies are not designed for cutting new threads, only for cleaning and reshaping dirty and/or damaged threads. Thread-forming/sizing/chaser dies re-shape threads by means of displacement of material. The thread form is lobed so that there is a finite number of points contacting the work. The re-shaped material assumes the shape of the thread form of the thread-forming/sizing/chaser tap without creating chips. Consequently, they will not cause a problem by leaving metallic debris within the threads. Normally, the thread-forming/sizing/chaser tap is fluteless, except as optionally designed with one or more grooves. When provided, these flutes are smeared with a coating of chilled petroleum jelly in order to enable them to serve as a trap for debris that is removed from the threads, thereby preventing damage to the threads. Always twist it inward slowly in order to prevent galling of the threads. Excessive movement in the upper bushing indicates that it will need to be replaced. Examine the bottom ball joint of the drop link. It contains a rubber bushing that can dry-rot, perish, and disintegrate, leaving metal-on-metal contact inside of the ball joint that results in a knocking, rattling sound while driving. The ball joint design is intended to allow for the angularities that develop between the rear axle and the chassis as a consequence of body roll, as well as from the swaying of the body over the rear axle.

When you are installing new damper drop links, take care to apply a thin, protective coating of copper-based, heat-resistant Loctite® 8023™ Marine Grade anti-seize compound across one-third of the circumference of all of the threads prior to assembly in order to prevent galling of the threads, and also so that any future disassembly will be an easier, more straightforward task. Having been formulated for employment in harsh environments where the items that it is applied to are exposed to either fresh or salt water, it is highly resistant to corrosion.

There is a shoulder on the stud that prevents the SAE Grade 5 1/2"-20 UNF nut from pulling the stud of the damper drop link through the mounting hole of the mounting bracket on the rear ax leaf spring assembly. Take care to not completely tighten the SAE Grade 5 nut onto the damper drop link where it attaches to the lever arm of the Armstrong® lever arm damper until the car is on the ground and the suspension system has been compressed to its normal height, thereby seating the studs as well as the taper of the ball joints. . This is significant because, being seated by means of its taper, the rotation of the stud that seats into the lever arm is limited to its arc of travel. That rotating motion has to be absorbed by the rubber bushing. In this manner, the preload on the torsional movement of the rubber bushings of the damper drop links is ensured to be equalized whenever the rear axle moves either upward or downward. If they are tightened while the rear leaf springs are at full droop, then all of the preload on the bushings will be in one direction of twist only, placing excessive preload on the rubber bushing in normal operation, thereby causing tearing of the bond within the tubular housing, and consequently separating the rubber bushing from its tubular housing. Even worse, over time the tubular housing on the end of the damper drop link will 'walk' off of the bushing.

Hello Russ,
You should not need to remove the lower plate but in doing so may make this easier, if you are really stuck do so.

FWIW the hole in the lower plate has a slight chamfer and the lower link screw end a taper that mesh together. This should provide adequate hold in order for you to remove the nut and spring washer.

B

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Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"

Just heat the nut cherry red or hotter and it'll unscrew easily. A vice grip on the back side will hold the rod from rotating.

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jeff@advanceddistributors.com