10 replies to this topic

[minidelight]

Hi all,
It's the two ladies asking for some advice again. We managed to get the shafts for both radius arms but one had had the bearings hammered in so we went to Minisport who sorted that out.
Our newest hiccup is refitting the rubber cone springs. According to the workshop manual the strut comes away from the cone spring by levering it off with a screwdriver. But complete cone springs are off the car so need putting back but we struggled and cannot separate the strut from the cone.
Can any kind person explain how to do these please
Angela & V.

[surfblue]

Hi,

 

The rubber cone spring has a steel insert which fits onto the alloy "trumpet" or strut. In theory they should just pull apart, in practice over the years they corrode together and can be a f***er to seperate. Repeated thrashing required with hammer!

[minidelight]

I did try bashing with a hammer but was worried i might damage something. Is there no releasing agent that would help?
Thanks for your reply, Angela.

[RedRuby]

Try soaking for a few days with liberal amounts of penetrating fluid, something like Halfords shock and release or even WD40 then working round the joint between the cone and trumpet with a cold chisel and hammer will generally work, as you open a slight gap between the two use more penetrating fluid and keep hitting it around the circumference with the hammer and chisel.

[minidelight]

Thanks again, most helpful. Trouble is the car is in Rochdale and I need to return home in South Wales soon, maybe in a couple of days so time is limited. Tomorrow I'll get WD40 and look in Wicks for a cold chisel. Not sure where else to get one.

[minidelight]

Just to verify, I am referring to the cone end not the knuckle joint end. In other words I'm trying to release the cup from the stem

As it happens I have also tried drifting the knuckle joints out to replace them but with little success.

[surfblue]

Been a while since Ive done it but if memory serves me right you can drift the knuckle out with a suitable punch down through the middle of the trumpet, obviously simpler on the front ones which are shorter.

If you have access to a vice, hold the trumpet with it while you hit the rubber cone to knock it off, turning it round to shock it.

Edited by surfblue, 30 May 2014 - 08:22 PM.

[miniyellowmini]

They can be REALLY difficult to remove. I have two taken off a scrapped subframe in my shed that I gave up on after probably about an hour of spraying with penetrating fluid, hammering, levering etc.. even resorted to slinging them across the garden to try an shift them! Still fixed solid. I will try again at some point, not in a hurry as I don't need them other than for spares but they wont beat me dammit!

 

All you can really do is try everything people have suggested and persist with them. Good luck!

[minidelight]

Thanks to all who have posted, it's really appreciated. Trouble is I'm running out of time as I need to be back home in South Wales very soon and V hasn't enough time or knowledge to do anything being a single parent. She feels it just wants the rear wheels on so it's moveable and then try to sell it now.
I would have liked to get the handbrake cables set up but Minisport never had some of the components when we went there although the cables and compensator are with the car, we're short of the nuts at the handbrake end. Wether it's feasible to connect without the cones on is another matter. It might be her only option while I'm here, at least the car would be moveable .
What do you guys think?
I hate leaving V in this situation but I do need to get home soon and she has nobody else to help.
Angela.

[surfblue]

Angela,

What are you trying to do - maybe im missing something?

Do you just need to get it moveable or are you needing it back on the road?

 

Gav

[minidelight]

Hi Gav,
I have the wheels on now. We're decided a restoration rebuild was too much expense so the car can be sold.
I was time limited here and needed to get back to south Wales tomorrow (Sunday) so we needed to become able to move the car
Thanks for all your help, it has been appreciated.
Angela