Frame / Springs: Sad Story about a Spring Perch

[clarkwd]

My Yellow 53 coupe was sagging on the drivers side so I was thinking of changing out the spring set. When I replaced the floors, I also replaced the body mount that is next to the front hanger of the rear spring. The springs were all assembled in the frame before I set the body down. Unfortunately, I didn't drill an access hole in the body mount for the spring bolt to come out. There are ways around this, but they are all pretty ugly.

[bezhawk]

Saw the bolt at each side of the bushing, and remove. then you can put it back together correctly when you replace the spring.

[clarkwd]

Yup. The one on the left is a car that has the hole in the body mount. The one on the right does not have the hole. Sawing the bolt off will get it apart, but without the hole in the body mount there is no way to get the new bolt back in. Another solution to the sagging is to leave the main leaf alone and just add another leaf.

[Captain Billy]

Angle drill?

[Corbinstein0]

die grinder?

[bezhawk]

It looks like plenty of room for a quick plasma cut. It's a 30 second job if you can find someone with one.
Every shop should have at least one.

[clarkwd]

The plasma cut is tempting, but I have a friend who just burned his house down with a torch. I'm taking a couple days off and will attack it with my angle drill and die grinder when I return.

[Corbinstein0]

grinders put out sparks too. remember that. always keep a fire ext handy. And recheck after an hour or so to be sure the trash can isn't burning.

[clarkwd]

My sad story had a happy ending. It took about 20 minutes with my nice little no BS Ingersall Rand hand grinder to to carve a hole in the body mount bracket big enough to get a socket on the head of the bolt. Another 20 minutes or so and the old spring was on the floor and soon another set of leaves was mounted up. Now the car sits level. Thanks to every one for your moral support. Bill

[dpson]

Nothing better than a happy ending.