Bottom bushes on shock absorbers..fitting

Todays dillema,

Bought a set of new shocks for the 2a today started on the left rear tonight (just as it was getting dark)

Got it on ok until i got to the bottom bushes, its an armstrong shock and comes with 2 top and two bottom conical bushes.

The bottom ones go on to pin then a washer then insert split pin, now there was no room for anything let alone bloody great split pin , tried g clamping the washer and compressing the washer but that didnt work (span off on one side)tried wedging drift in split pin hole and pressing the bushes in that does work but the drift is then in the hole i need to fill!

Is there a tool for this or some thing simple that is beyond me at moment.

As i walked away i noticed the driver side shock has a bloody great nut on the bottom of the shock and not a split pin, is that normal.?

Any help appreciated getting up at dawn to try to get this job finished.
Thanks as ever
Matt

Dunno about a 2 but my 3 has washers and pins. When I replaced the shocks I had to remove a couple of washers from the inside of the bushes - they'd been added to take up slack in the bushes and had rusted onto the chassis so weren't obvious at first. When removed all fitted reasonably well.

Had a similar prob with disco... although a nut on them... had to squeeze the bottom bush with a big ring spanner to get it on... may work for you.

The way I did it was to cut a slot in an old socket, and G clamp this over the bolt with the slot lined up with the hole for the split pin. When you tighten the clamp, the pin should easily slide through the slot in the socket and through the hole. I don't why one shock has anut instead of a split pin. Both of mine have pins.

Return of the old post - top tip Martin, literally saved me minutes of head scratching!

tje reason why your front shock is on a bolt is ,,the old spring hanger mounting has wore away and the shock bush probaly slopped about so the p oprobaly cut the old shock mount off then welded a bolt of same size to the hanger ,job done ,,
the old spring hangers are no longer available anymore ,but tbh its not a bad bodge ,because as the bush gets loose u can nip it up on the nut ,hope this helps