Series 3 Lower shock absorber fitting

Hi all. Busy fitting the new parabolics and shock absorbers to the galv chassis. Anyone got any tips as to fitting the lower end of the shock? I'm thinking I'm going to have to cut up a suitable sized piece of tubing to act as a combined press and aligner so that I can squeeze the bush/washer in far enough to be able to get the split pin back in. I reckon if I cut a slot across the diameter of the pipe, and get it in the right orientation, I can use an f clamp to squeeze the pipe/press sufficiently to clear the pin hole. Am I making too much of this/missing a simpler way?

This is the one I'm rambling on about.

Something wrong, this should just slide on and clear the hole without any problem.

Mine were a bit tight l used a modified G clamp and tube as you have said but a Valve spring compressor might do it. Needed to squash the rubber bush by about 6mm to get split pin in.

My method

layfin said:

Something wrong, this should just slide on and clear the hole without any problem.

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Disagree with that. Mine needed compressing as well. I cut a slot out out of a suitable sized cheap Chinese socket and used a gclamp to compress the buck enough to slide the split pin in. Very common problem, and very easy “special tool” to make and have in the top of you box.

I may just have been lucky I guess.

The first time I did these I used two small G Clamps to compress the bushes enough to get the split pin through the hole.

When I fully rebuilt the vehicle, I ground the worn corroded pegs off the spring plates. I made up some longer lengths of 3/4" diameter steel bar with a 3/4" UNF thread on the ends. I welded these to the plates in place of the ones I ground off.

I used a 3/4" threaded Nyloc nut and washer in place of the split pin. This compresses the bushes as it is tightened, removing the need for any special tools.

I don't recall needing a lot of force, yes they had to be compressed a bit, but it was as much about pushing the bushes in fully as compressing them. The split pin can't hold a lot of shear force so if they are pushing back hard something is not on right.

rob1miles said:

I don't recall needing a lot of force, yes they had to be compressed a bit, but it was as much about pushing the bushes in fully as compressing them. The split pin can't hold a lot of shear force so if they are pushing back hard something is not on right.

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should be a struggle to fit as you should be compressing the bushes, its the compression that holds the shocker eye snug

I recall I was able to get one (the longer) tail of the split pin into the hole fairly easily, and then rotated the split pin (using it a cam to compress the bush) to allow it to mostly go through, then rotating it again to get the end out the pin out at the other end. So not a lot of force needed, but it certainly didn't drop straight through.

If the lower shocker arm can move in the bush that was always an MOT fail.
Had a failure with that once as pin was worn fitted thicker washer to get better compression and passed MOT test.
Have replaced the plates with the pin on since , had intended to do the mod suggested earlier with stud arrangement but the second hand parts I got to alter where in prestine condition so just got fitted. Have the old once in store to do the mod too.

Did OK with mine but I had to put all of my ten stone behind it Any worse and I'd have had to use my other arm anorl.

I'd probably have reached for a plank of wood if I was a big girl