Hi all,

I've just tried to install a set of 2" lowering blocks, only to find that there's no way it's going to go back together successfully. I've wound the anti-tramp bar adjustment all the way back, but it's still nowhere near. If I unbolt something (front spring mount, or anti-tramp bar), they are 10+mm out, and if I try to align the "shock mount" bolts, they are 20+ degrees from the vertical.

Clearly various people have been able to achieve this successfully, so my is this - am I having trouble because my car is a 1981 model, which originally had taller springs than later cars, and hence had a longer anti-tramp bar? Anyone have the data? Mac, perhaps?

cheers

James

Have you loaded the car up to make the axle flat? You can't adjust the arm, you have to align the suspension with weight in the boot or jacking then lock it in place. Its for keeping the camber and toe-in aligned as the suspension goes up and down.

If you are happy with the axle alignment and it still doesn't fit you need to cut and weld, or make a rose joint version.

Whatyouonnabout Mks for?

I can only see two part numbers across all MY:

Reaction rod / stay

3271526 - 340 (B14/D16)
3287467 - 360 (B172/B200)

Service manual says two variants related to adjustment of reaction rod.

a) Variant with eccentric adjusting bolt.
b) Variant with elongated hole in bracket on rear axle.

Suggestion of fat man required in boot*:
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=13669

Rear springs on changed in length towards the end of MY79 (L=1260mm >ch.435625, L=1250mm >ch.435625)

Combined Rear spring parts data from 3 books:
3261105 B14 >1979
3296079 1) 340 MT
3201759 2) 340 MT (3201760)
3296080 1) 340 CVT
3201760 2) 340 CVT
3284425 1) 360 GLT (AUS)
3201761 2) 360 GLT
3205441 360 GLE

1) CH -810500 (to end of MY83)
2) CH 810501- (MY84 on)


*Unfortunately prior commitments mean I'm unavailable for this gig.

It's not even a matter of aligning the axle once it's assembled - it won't bolt together at all with the blocks in! I've tried compressing the suspension with a jack, but it still doesn't get close enough. I will, as a last attempt, put it together with the tramp bar disconnected, drop it to the floor, and see if I can get anywhere near the bar to see if it will fit. As far as I can see, though, loading the spring further will only push the tramp-bar closer to the horizontal, and hence make the fitment issues worse!

Looking at the misalignment I'm currently facing, even if by some miracle I could get it all to bolt together, it would be doing bad, bad things to the the alignment (and loads on the mounting points!) once the car was put on the ground. I'll post a picture of the margin of error later, if I get chance.

Plan of attack is to temporarily remove it completely, and work on an adjustable version ASAP. I'd like to stick with bushed ends, rather than going rose-jointed, if possible. Does anyone know what material the rod of the stock bar is made of, and if it would be machinable? Chopping the stock bar and cutting opposing threads into it, with a internally threaded sleeve for adjustment, sounds like a neat solution.

Curious that the books claim the spring length changed in 1979, as I'm sure my 1981 car is 'taller' than a late one, and my (ex) 1980 one definitely was. I suppose that might only relate to the front springs. I would say that the 83/84 change-over date mentioned later is more like it, although I'd have guessed at 81/82 or 82/83.

Curious indeed!

cheers

James

foggyjames wrote:Curious that the books claim the spring length changed in 1979, as I'm sure my 1981 car is 'taller' than a late one, and my (ex) 1980 one definitely was. I suppose that might only relate to the front springs. I would say that the 83/84 change-over date mentioned later is more like it, although I'd have guessed at 81/82 or 82/83.

I've got notes for some suspension changes for MY78 and MY80 in the Resume of new features for those years. Haven't found my other books yet. A lot of changes may have occurred after various replacement parts had been fitted on the "substitute later parts as a pair" basis.

some details of the rod;

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=12681&p=155177&hil ... rm#p155177

You could do something similar but keep the bushes, if you want a nice adjuster you need a LH thread/long nut on one end.Also if you get a threaded bar as a tight fit to the rod tube you can use it to alight the long nuts for welding
.

I made an adjustable one just because the bushes were a 'bit' old on mine. The rose joints did like rattling a bit, I'd used some ecotec engine rocker arm rollers as spacers haha. I appreciate the want of rubber bushes.

I'm sure some universal polybushes could be sourced to fit the application.

I'm facing the same issue, haven't offered it up yet but had a feeling this would be the case. I was thinking to chop a few inches out of it and take it to my local engineering shop to get them to thread the inside and put some threaded bar in there with lock nuts. My bushings aren't too bad and it's the only solution I can think of. Has anyone tried this?

I don't think so but its much the same technique as the rose joint version. If you can weld you could do it yourself. I think I actually wrapped some tape around a long threaded bar to help centre and align the nuts. You could tack it up in situ.

You will get rattle on the rose joints if the spacers are not tight.

Gone with some threaded inserts after Dai gave me some advice. I got 2 on ebay for a few quid. 12mm diameter fits perfectly with a good few blows from a hammer. Very tight press fit. Stupidly I got left handed threads so I am now getting some left threaded M8 bar and nuts to complete the job. Just need to paint it up. No welding required. Will see how it holds up. Weld it later if needs be.

You need to pull them back out a bit to weld them in. You should have a RH thread one side and left on the other end. You want a jack screw (LH one end and RH thread the other) so you can adjust in situ. You also needed locking nuts each end to lock everything in position.

Also of interest http://www.classicswede.co.uk/Torque_ro ... 66115.aspx

weld!

yeah, weld. that cool machine that makes metals all gooey and glues them

he's right though, they want to be protruding about 5mm from the end of the tube so you can seam weld around them.
you dont need RH and LH thread, it shouldnt need 'adjusting in situ' once its set up, so a pair of the same handed threaded inserts shouldnt hurt