Posted By : William Davies, 30-Sep-2003,
01:07am
Hi Ben,
To be honest, the leaf spring is likely to be the least of your worries amongst the chassis components.
If you're fully renovating the chassis, I presume everything is going to come apart. If you don't have one already, get a decent restoration guide, the
Haynes publication by Lindsay Porter and Peter Williams is the best general resource for this kind of thing. A decent (preferably factory) workshop
manual and parts list are also worth their weight in gold.
While I'm not going to go through every possible item which might need attention (it would take a very long time!), pay particular attention to the
rear wheel bearings. These run directly on the driveshaft, so if they fail, the shaft goes with them. Keep them well greased.
At the front end, ensure that the bronze trunnion swivels freely on the vertical link, without excessive play. This should be oiled with EP90 gear oil.
Many users mistakenly use grease, storing up problems for future owners.
Apart from that, it's basically a matter of dismantling, inspecting, replacing where necessary and then reassembling.
Cheers,
Bill.
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Posted By : Ben Silvey, 30-Sep-2003,
10:54am
Thanks Bill,
I've got the Haynes Restoration Manual, which I've found helpful, but I've also found there are fairly crucial bits missing on some of the
instructions! I've just managed to buy the Haynes Workshop manual off eBay too - so that's a good start.
I'll check the rear wheel bearings, and replace if necessary.
I need to get two new outriggers welded onto the chassis (LH rear extension and LH front outrigger). When that's been done, I'm planning to rub the
chassis down and get rid of any surface rust and general crap. What should I treat it with after that?
Thanks
Ben