Springtime

[tarquin]

My suspension, infact the leaf sping, is making an awful racket when turning. I seem to have lost the rubber bush which separates the 3 leaves which is on the outer ends of the spring (NOT the spring eye bushes). I have looked throught the catalouge and cannot see them listed separated from the whole spring. Any ideas?????

[tarquin]

Item marked 'X' still having no luck:
www.perception-graphics.co.uk/spring.jpg

Ta, Matt

[baz]

i seem to remember a thread about this a few months ago have a look with the search engine for front spring and see if you can find it
they were talking about using something else but i cant remember what

[tarquin]

Sorry, cant find it, does anyone know which post I am looking for?

[baz]

read from this 1 on
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3762

[tarquin]

Thanks Baz. I have spoken to Opel GT Source, they dont do them but he thinks that Parsget (opelgtparts.com) do them, sent them an email....still waiting.

[vicefal]

If it can help, http://www.splendidparts.de/ is currently selling pu bushing for leaf spring. ( in the newsletter). I have a look to the ones sold by opelgtparts and I think they are rubber made.
In case they are not the bushing you are looking about, please tell me as I am interested to know which bushings it can be.

Michel

[nobody]

It's not really a bushing but a slip area for the ends of the springs. I have a great idea but need the thickness of the original ones to be sure.

[tarquin]

The second pic looks like the ones, I have actually got some coming from Opelgtparts.com 40€ ish. I will let you know how I get on.

[tarquin]

Hi guys, wonder if anyone can help. I have been having a clunking from my front supsension when I put it on full lock or go up driveways. I have replaced the rack...still have the fault. Everything such as ball joints/shocks/discs/pads/bearings/rubbers are new.

On closer inspection, I noticed that when I rebuilt the front unit, I binned the rubbers that go on the ends of the leafs, and keep them separate. They were so knackered I did not bother. I now have some new ones, can anyone tell me if:

A. you can replace these by letting the spring eye bolt off and slide them on
B. If I have to remove the complete unit
C. If anyone has had a similar problem.

I know that you are supposed to use a special tool to let the spring go, but when I rebuilt the unit there was not that much force on it and could easily jack it back into position using the weight of the car.

Thanks in advance

Matt

[jordan]

The spring eye bushings can be replaced by preloading it with a jack, remove the bolt *carefully!* and have the jack set perpendicular to the car (legnthwise with the suspension) because the jack will need to roll with the arc of the spring. Then the new bushings can be installed and jacked back into place, be extremely careful with the process because it is dangerous.

[tarquin]

Hum, yes as I thought, but I dont need to replace the spring eye bushes, its access to the leaf spring rubber end cap/separaters I am after.

Do I need to remove the spring or the lower arms to replace these?

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

It would be a lot easier to replace the spacers if the spring were out of the car. But it may be possible to do one side at a time, the only problem I foresee is the car would have to be jacked up pretty high to get the spring fully extended or relaxed enuff to get the spacers in between the leaves. I think, when I did Willit's front spring there were 7 spacers total between the leaves, but I could be wrong, you know how senior moments creep up on us "retarded" folks.

[tarquin]

The leaf spacer, rubber things are all fine, its just the end caps, I am hoping that I may be able to just slide them on once the spring eye bolt it removed. They will prob be obstructed by the lower arm.

[tarquin]

Well finally got round to fitting the spring bushes, no change.

Had a good look round and found the problem....

...sub frame/whishbone bolt were loose, give em a good tightening and all is well!

The bolts are the ones that attach the whole front suspension unit to the chassis legs. Hope this might help others.