hi all

does anyone have any images or step by step guides to removing the rear springs of a 1930 austin, i think mine need a touch up and attention.

kind regards

ollie cox

Location: somerset

1) Jack up rear of car and place axle stands under chassis rear cross member.
2) Disconnect propshaft from pinion shaft
3) Remove 2 nuts (1 thin locknut & 1 capnut) under torque tube anchor and collect cup which may or may not fall out.
4) Remove wheels
5) Remove brake drums secured by three 1/4” countersunk screw
6) Disconnect rear brake cables
7) Release 1/4” BSF nut from cotter pins securing spring pins to axle behind brake back plate and drive out cotter pins until nut stops progress, remove nut and cotter pin.
8) Remove two 3/8” BSF nuts securing shock absorber link to spring pin, slide shock absorber link off spring pin, refit nuts to spring pin and lock together.
9) Try to turn the spring pin with spanner on the 3/8” nuts while trying to pull it out, if they start to come out put a jack under the differential case to take the axle weight and remove spring pins.
10) If the spring pins won't come out jack up the axle to take the weight of the axle only and position axle stands under axle.
11) Remove split pins and undo the hub nuts, these should be tight and will require the halfshafts to be restrained from turning.
12) Draw the hub off the half shaft with a puller screwed fully home.
13) Bend back the tab washers locking the bearing retaining nuts and undo the bearing retaining nuts.
14) Refit outer hub complete with puller with three 3/8” BSF nuts and withdraw inner & outer hubs.
15) This will reveal the other end of the spring pins which can now be driven out.
16) The axle can now be removed from the car, my method is to lie under the axle and using your feet under the torque tube anchor to lift it over the chassis rear cross member while using your hands to lift the axle off the rear springs. Lower it down and wriggle out with the axle.
17) Undo the two 3/8” BSF nuts on each rear spring 'U' bolt
18) Undo the spring anchor bolts and remove them.
19) The springs can now be pulled out of the chassis. If the springs have been in there a long time and are well rusted in this is easier said than done.
20) A look at the spring mountings before commencing operations will give you a clue as to how easy or not this process will be. There are those amongst us who recommend releasing the but not undoing the spring 'U' bolts and anchor bolts and driving your car down a rough road. I have never needed to do this, just used plenty of release oil and hernia inducing heaves on the spring have worked. Big hammers and drifts on the front end of the spring usually do more damage to the chassis side rails. Similarly battering the spring eye could deform it beyond use which is OK if you intend to fit new springs from Mr I Dunford. I have done this on one occasion with the axle in place just raised up on axle stands clear of the springs but I knew that the springs would come out easily.
21) I've no doubt there will be some errors/omissions which the eagle eyed will spot.

dave

thankyou very much thats just what i was looking for im very grateful


ollie cox

Everything Dave says is correct, but I don't reckon steps 11 to 15 are necessary. If you remove the small csk screws that holds the brake drum on, take the drum off and put a long thin drift (piece of hardened steel will do) in through the hole and carefully rotate the hub you will feel when the drift locates on the end of the spring pin (it is usually recessed slightly - so you can feel it). You can then tap the pin out, without having to remove the hub.

Also, I don't bother with step 8. There is enough flex in the Shock Absorber plates to allow the pin to come out without being detached from the SA.

Location: Essex

I've taken the liberty of modifying Dave's method to show what I did to change the rear spring on my 1930 saloon last Autumn after breaking the main leaf in a rather rough trial.
The chassis and springs were muddy, rusty, unrestored and untouched from 1951 at the latest. I didn't disconnect the shock absorbers, brakes or remove the rear axle and it all came apart fairly easily,
Dousing the fixings with PlusGas beforehand is recommended.

Depending on model you may find you need to cut access holes for the spring bolts and shackles. (Or remove the body!)


1) Jack up rear of car and place axle stands under chassis rear cross member.
2)
3)
4) Remove wheels
5) Remove brake drums secured by three 1/4” countersunk screw
6)
7) Release 1/4” BSF nut from cotter pins securing spring pins to axle behind brake back plate and drive out cotter pins until nut stops progress, remove nut and cotter pin.
8)
9) Drive out rear spring pins (still connected to shock absorbers) with a 3/16 inch did steel drift through the brake drum fixing hole. When they start to come out put a jack under the differential case to take the axle weight and remove spring pins.
9a) Jack the axle up and out of the way and support it on two more axle stands.
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17) Undo the two 3/8” BSF nuts on each rear spring 'U' bolt
18) Undo the spring anchor bolts and remove them.
19) The springs can now be pulled out of the chassis. If the springs have been in there a long time and are well rusted in this is easier said than done.
20) A look at the spring mountings before commencing operations will give you a clue as to how easy or not this process will be. There are those amongst us who recommend releasing the but not undoing the spring 'U' bolts and anchor bolts and driving your car down a rough road. I have never needed to do this, just used plenty of release oil and hernia inducing heaves on the spring have worked. Big hammers and drifts on the front end of the spring usually do more damage to the chassis side rails. Similarly battering the spring eye could deform it beyond use which is OK if you intend to fit new springs from Mr I Dunford. I have done this on one occasion with the axle in place just raised up on axle stands clear of the springs but I knew that the springs would come out easily.
21) I've no doubt there will be some errors/omissions which the eagle eyed will spot.

Whatever way you choose to do this Ollie, first loosen off the U bolts and large spring bolts (just in front of them that go through the chassis) - then take it for a drive down a VERY rough track.

This will loosen the springs inside the chassis rails and allow you to pull them out more easily, you will NOT regret doing this I can assure you.

I thought it best to provide a by the book method Paul, Woodrow recommends removing the hubs because of the risk of damaging the brake drum securing screw thread in the hub.

I used Henry's version, with the added "drive after loosening the bolts" and it was an incredibly easy process, taking an unhurried day to replace both rear springs.
Andy B

Henry/Dave:
I found this thread very useful as I have just removed the back axle on my Ruby for overhaul.
Also, I found it helpful to remove the cover on the transmission tube inside the car.

Then by looping a cord over the torque tube pinion I was able to persuade it over the chassis cross member more easily, whilst my son took the weight of the axle tubes and differential.

Hopefully others will find this of use?
Regards
John

Location: Norfolk flatlands

I have a rear spring in my RK which refuses to budge under any circumstance. The axle is out and I've applied lots of heat and copious amounts of WD40 into the chassis. The only option left, I think, is to use something like a scaffold pole as a drift which I hope will stick out of the front of the car, and hit it with a heavy hammer. What do you think, would it work? Alf

Location: Hampshire

Alf,
I used a long bar and a 7lb sledge driven from the front along the lines you are thinking of. It worked for me on my RP but took some heavy blows to shift it. Just make sure that your drift is not going to get itself wedged in the chassis rail though.
Good luck

Location: NE Peak Corner

And try to miss the radiator with the sledge hammer.

Location: Wessex

There speaks the voice of experience!

Location: Gard, France 30960

Driving around to loosen the spring as suggested previously is not an option if like me you discover a broken bottom leaf - mercifully still held together by that all important clip. The only way to shift the spring on my 4 Seat Tourer was to buy a long length of 1 inch bar, remove the number plate and get a mate to drive it out from the front with a big sledge, whilst I held the bar. I made sure it was long enough to be well clear of any missed swing of the hammer!
It took some mighty blows before it shifted leaf by leaf each with a sheared off piece of rivet inside! Thankfully no damage was caused to the chassis rails. The really good new was being able to locate a spring with an exactly matching set amongst the many held in the BA7C spares shed. The broken top leaf on this spring was replaced with one from the old spring, and a new rivet made and fitted.
The bar is available for hire at three shillings per hour.
Ron

Ah what you should have under your seat is a pair of rear spring U bolt plates together with 2 lengths of 3/8" stud bar and 4 3/8" nuts which make a useful get you home clamp if you should break a rear spring leaf.

Good point Dave. Luckily I was at home when I discovered the break and yes, I now carry a clamp made up much as you describe. I mentioned the clip holding up the leaf together; the significance being that the clip prevented the broken bottom leaf from dropping down on to the road where it would have kicked into the tarmac, probably with nasty consequences!
Ron