When I started taking things off, the old limit strap was still holding on by a couple of strands. When I looked at the bottom bolt, it did not look like it wanted to come out and so I chocked things under the shock absorber bottom cup so that it would all stay in line.
As you say, could probably just have dropped the swing arm a bit further, but again didn't want to put things too far out of the position they were in, in case I couldn't get them back in position.
The next ones I do will obviously be much easier and I shan't bother with the spring compressors.
John
Suspension limiting straps
Re: Suspension limiting straps
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !
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Re: Suspension limiting straps
I'm now half way through swapping out a broken check strap on my 1970 LWB (rear right, i.e. RHD NSR), and whilst the bottom end was easy to do - just required jacking up & removing the wheel - the top bolt is proving to be a nightmare. Looks like I will have to remove the inlet manifold system as there is insufficient space to get a socket drive on to the nut with it in place. Grrr. It is also going to be a 2 man job (one in the engine bay and one below) so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Ho Hum!
Julian B
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
Re: Suspension limiting straps
Julian,
Do not remove the inlet manifold - There is no need! (and I think it will cause you a lot of extra work)
If yours is anything like mine (bar the heat exchangers - I think)?
There is a rubber bung in the engine bay which, by the sounds of things you have found.
A pair of needle nose pliers to remove the split pin.
I definitely found I had to remove the spring in order to get at the top end of the shock absorber nut and split pin.
2 swan neck spanners would be good, but 1 would allow you you get to the nut via the engine bay. An ordinary open end spanner will allow you to get at the other end.
As for two man job - definitely easier with two people, but possible with one. You just have to be creative on getting the spanner you are not holding on to to stay in place! I ended up with the open ended spanner up against the platform, some Gaffer Tape to hold it in place long enough for me to get to the engine bay, put some torque on the swan neck spanner. (Actually, I have a "bolt pass through" socket set and the sockets and ratchet are shallow, so I could use that instead of the swan neck spanner) -
If you give me a call, I could pop up after work with some of my tools and give you a hand.
John
Do not remove the inlet manifold - There is no need! (and I think it will cause you a lot of extra work)
If yours is anything like mine (bar the heat exchangers - I think)?
There is a rubber bung in the engine bay which, by the sounds of things you have found.
A pair of needle nose pliers to remove the split pin.
I definitely found I had to remove the spring in order to get at the top end of the shock absorber nut and split pin.
2 swan neck spanners would be good, but 1 would allow you you get to the nut via the engine bay. An ordinary open end spanner will allow you to get at the other end.
As for two man job - definitely easier with two people, but possible with one. You just have to be creative on getting the spanner you are not holding on to to stay in place! I ended up with the open ended spanner up against the platform, some Gaffer Tape to hold it in place long enough for me to get to the engine bay, put some torque on the swan neck spanner. (Actually, I have a "bolt pass through" socket set and the sockets and ratchet are shallow, so I could use that instead of the swan neck spanner) -
If you give me a call, I could pop up after work with some of my tools and give you a hand.
John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !
Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
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Re: Suspension limiting straps
Thanks John - embarrassed to say that I never thought of a swan necked spanner - I have only ever had flat spanners and sockets so using one never occurred to me. 
Will borrow one tomorrow and let you know how I get on!
Will borrow one tomorrow and let you know how I get on!
Julian B
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
Re: Suspension limiting straps
It never ceases to amaze me how much easier jobs are when armed with the correct tools 
I bought a swan neck / offset spanner this morning and managed tho swap out a u/s check strap with really very little bother at all. The old castle nuts were beyond repair, so had to use some new ones, and drill out the old dowels from the bolt.
Two MOTs booked for next week - here's hoping for some nice weather ...
I bought a swan neck / offset spanner this morning and managed tho swap out a u/s check strap with really very little bother at all. The old castle nuts were beyond repair, so had to use some new ones, and drill out the old dowels from the bolt.
Two MOTs booked for next week - here's hoping for some nice weather ...
Julian B
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
Re: Suspension limiting straps
You can use the castellated nuts to shear off the old split pins if you can't get access to the them to pull them out normally. The only problem you have then is that you no longer have a hole to put the new split pin through. Julian, I see you found that out too,
What I have done in the past is use the left over bit of wire from a suitably sized pop rivet, find the sheared off split pin and use the pop rivet wire as a punch to knock the remains of the split pin out. Sometimes that doesn't work to well, but usually enough to make the equivalent of a centre punch mark to then be able to use a drill on the remains of the split pin.
Julian, How did you solve the two man / one man problem? The swan neck could probably be wound round until it locked on a piece of body work.
John
What I have done in the past is use the left over bit of wire from a suitably sized pop rivet, find the sheared off split pin and use the pop rivet wire as a punch to knock the remains of the split pin out. Sometimes that doesn't work to well, but usually enough to make the equivalent of a centre punch mark to then be able to use a drill on the remains of the split pin.
Julian, How did you solve the two man / one man problem? The swan neck could probably be wound round until it locked on a piece of body work.
John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !
Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
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Re: Suspension limiting straps
Simples. Borrowed a friend for 10 minutesheinkeljb wrote:Julian, How did you solve the two man / one man problem? The swan neck could probably be wound round until it locked on a piece of body work.
Julian B
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
W Sussex, UK
| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |