New tool for old problem

[rutger kohler]

I have just replaced the rubber bushes on my 280SL rear axle rear suspension links.  I also replaced the lower rear road spring insulators (the top ones were fine).  This post describes a home made tool that can not only be used to remove the 36mm pivot bolts but can also be used to tighten them up again usuing a 1/2" torque wrench.  I found the Haynes reapir manual very good in terms of removing the rear road springs and replacing them.

I had heard horror stories about undoing the 36mm tabbed nuts on the rear suspension to rear axle pivot and decided to buy myself a 36mm socket.  As my socket set was only 1/2" drive, and the socket is 3/4" drive, I bought a 1/2  to 3/4" drive reducer. However when i assembled the whole apparatus plus the 1/2" tommy bar, it was too long to fit in between the 36mm nut and the exhaust (although it worked well on the inside nuts. I noticed the socket was far deeper than required and so set it up in my lathe and parted off as much as I could.  See first photo

When I again tried the socket it was still just too long however I realised that the parted off piece of socket was long enough to give good cover on the 36mm nut itself. I then welded this (Stainless steel electrodes) to a heavy piece of scrap bar and used it to take the nuts off (with a large hammer).  If you don't have a lathe you might be able to carefully use a metal cutoff saw to do the same job?
see second photo

The parts were all cleaned up and painted and the 3rd and 4th photo shows one of the rear suspension links in a 12 tonne shop press having the rubbers compressed to fit the wire circlip on.  This is not a job for the faint hearted and I would have preferred to machine a tube that was slightly loose on the threaded pivot and drive the circlip down with this,  I am fairly confident that the wire circlip would have snapped into position and stayed there when the pressure came off, but others may have a more elegant solution than this?

The final photo shows how I drilled a 1/2" hole in the centre of socket on the home made spanner and carefully filed it square to be a snug fit on the 1/2"drive  torque wrench. (only allowed 4 pics so will make another post

If anyone in NZ or Australia wants to borrow this I would be happy to post it to them for several weeks.  Hopefully I will never need to use it again.

I did find fitting the new rubber "doughnuts" to the front of the rear suspension links frustrating.  There is a lip on one side of the suspension link that hold one side in but the other tends to "blooch out as the trolly jack raises the suspension link.  I made a wide 16mm washer out of 1/8" scrap plate and got this on with the 16mm nut and cranked it up.  I also put a thick mix of soap and water onto the metal ball on the underside of the car that the doughnut goes onto.  Not an easy job.

[rutger kohler]

Soory folks, couln't get the last two photos on, here they are

[ja17]

Hello rutger,

Yes, I have my own drawer of home-made tools for this job also. I did not use a press for the rubber bushings but a screw-down clamping assembly.

[Benz Dr.]

There's a small wire clip that holds the plates to the threaded bushing. We made a jig from a piece of pipe with a section cut out so that the wire clip can be accessed. You need the pipe to compress the rubber bushing enough to release the clips.

I found a socket the right size in 1/2 inch drive and then used a chop saw to cut it in half. Works nicely.

[rutger kohler]

Hi Joe & Dr Benz, great ideas, I particularly like the idea of using threaded rod to compress the rubber bushes up, most guys could do this, even if they don't have a shop press.  With regard to using a pipe with a piece cut out, I did think of this but thought that the circlip might come off at the back and I might not be able to access it.  Must work though. 

Regards the 36mm socket with 1/2" drive, I saw the socket I got, secondhand, on Trademe (Kiwi type ebay) and assumed that they only came with a 3/4" drive because of the large size.  A 1/2" drive socket could have saved some time I guess.

 How about a tip on how to keep the rubber doughnuts on on the front of the rear suspension links, as you bolt them back onto the body?