I am working to return a 1962 7E7 Champ pickup to roadworthiness. The truck has approximately 165K miles and from all appearances still has the original shock absorbers. I would like to replace them, and have removed one to take measurements for a suitable gas charged Monroe match.
The question I have is this: Did the original shock absorbers come with the steel sleeves bonded to the I.D. of the rubber bushings at each end, or were the sleeves a separate piece that simply slipped over the frame and axle shock-mounting bolts?
I have some experience doing suspension design engineering at Ford and that background tells me that the sleeves were probably bonded to the shock bushings (the bonding keeps the shock bushing from walking along the O.D. of the sleeve). However, when I removed this unit, the rubber bushings slid off of the sleeves relatively easily and the sleeves themselves are stuck "pretty good" on the shock bolts/pins on the frame and axle.
Follow-up question: If the sleeves were indeed a part of the shock absorber itself, are the shock bolts/pins at the axle and frame attachments literally just SAE bolts that fit through clearance holes in the mounting brackets and clamp the sleeve with the shock nuts? And if that is the case, how in *$@#! do you put a holding wrench on the head of the upper shock bolt when it is so close to the box floor? The shop manual and parts catalog are sadly lacking in illustrating this assembly.
Responses are greatly appreciated.
Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY
The question I have is this: Did the original shock absorbers come with the steel sleeves bonded to the I.D. of the rubber bushings at each end, or were the sleeves a separate piece that simply slipped over the frame and axle shock-mounting bolts?
I have some experience doing suspension design engineering at Ford and that background tells me that the sleeves were probably bonded to the shock bushings (the bonding keeps the shock bushing from walking along the O.D. of the sleeve). However, when I removed this unit, the rubber bushings slid off of the sleeves relatively easily and the sleeves themselves are stuck "pretty good" on the shock bolts/pins on the frame and axle.
Follow-up question: If the sleeves were indeed a part of the shock absorber itself, are the shock bolts/pins at the axle and frame attachments literally just SAE bolts that fit through clearance holes in the mounting brackets and clamp the sleeve with the shock nuts? And if that is the case, how in *$@#! do you put a holding wrench on the head of the upper shock bolt when it is so close to the box floor? The shop manual and parts catalog are sadly lacking in illustrating this assembly.
Responses are greatly appreciated.
Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY
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