Right on Doug!! It makes it a lot easier to go to sleep at night. Don't matter what other folks do, we have to live with our actions and sooner or later, it all comes around.
Cue up Willie Nelson...I'm on the road again. I was dreading this job. Getting the spring hooked back up working off of short jack stands with the fenders on by myself can be a real PITA. I was sure that I'd need another set of hands to catch the shackle plate while I pried the **** out of it. I got it done. I'm so old and fat...I can't get close enough to my work. I only did the one side. I didn't want to press my luck. I gave it a try today hoping to drive it this coming weekend to the Jalopyrama. It looks like I'll make it. Fortunately the Redskins play tonight.
Glad to hear you're back on the road man...I'm wary of any stainless parts used in high stress situations without knowing for sure that it's certified grade stainless...lots of places use cheaper grades of stainless just so they can add a few bucks to their sale price, while sacrificing part strength and integrity...stainless is somewhat soft, and as if flexes it work hardens itself and creates stress fractures...you're much better off with forged steel, there's a reason OEM's use it...replace that other perch ASAP...
Tommy glad you and your ride are alright, that said, I am looking at the first pic in section 22 the best I can. That taper on the wishbone end looks to be in real bad shape, preventing the perch bolt from seating nicely into on its taper. I could be wrong due to the picture, BUT, if the taper on the perch bolt was not a good fit or mate with its concave taper of the bone end, that will lead to harmonics and ever so slight movement that after time caused a fracture and failure. The lack of a sign of any or much contact on the taper on the perch bolt, somewhat confirms what I am seeing. The taper on the perch bolt almost looks new. BDM.
I just read a article about jay leno stopping to change a flat for a lady,when he was finished the lady said darn i will be late for work ,jay said oh were do you work she said i work for conan obrien.( oh well)
Tommy, you need to change them both. You know the otherone is gonna break. You are going to be impressed with the ride if you can get your shackles to work. My T has those plastic/nylon bushings, too. And rode really stiff. I was thinking that lubing them would help them move. If the shackles can't move it's like not even having a spring. I started by just using WD-40 before every ride and quickly saw a big improvement. Since them I've taken everything apart (shackels and bushings) drilled for grease fittings and give a shot of grease every couple of weeks. This made a huge improvement in the ride. Did the fronts and rears. I have the small bolt shackles so I didnot drill the shackle pins for grease, I drilled the spring eyes and the perch body, tapped 1/4-28 and put in fittings. Frank
great story Tommy, one time while we were on our way to a rodrun my Dad's roadster started to make different noises,we pulled off in a shopping center,pulled the valve cover and realized he had bent a pushrod. while we were working on it and thinking about how to get it home(this was way before cell phones) a guy stopped by and asked what went wrong, we showed him and he said "hell, I got some of those in my shed" . he ran home and got them and gave them to my Dad,he wanted nothing for them, he said he just wanted to help fix a cool car. that was 20 yrs ago and I still remember that guy and I'm pretty sure that pushrod is still in the car!
Yeah I probably will this winter. Right now I want to make the Jalopyrama in my P/U this weekend. I've never heard of one breaking before.
Some things just happen for a reason and taking that wrong exit may be one of them. reading this story sure beats the hell out of reading a Tommy crashed his roadster story. Looks like it is time to pay it forward too. A year ago I was stalled with my truck in the big middle of rush hour traffic on Mercer street in Down town Seattle while pulling my sailboat and a gent going the other way asked the lady next to me if I needed a jump. He went a couple of blocks out of his way pulled in a bank parking lot and got close to the curb so he could give me a jump. When I offered him what cash I had on me he just said "pay it forward, that's what I just did". I sure hope you change the one on the other side pretty soon though as that could be something to worry about.
" I've never heard of one breaking before. " That's why I'm thinking you need to change them both. The first one might have broke cause all the extra strain on it from the bushings not moving. Or would the forces be the same? I think it's trying to shear off the bolt if the shackle can't move. Frank
Looking at the fracture it looks like a casting. I would not consider continuing to use the other one if it is the same. Not that a cast part is the problem, but the material used in that part is not adequate.
Replace the other one ASAP..I have a buddy with a collection of those (3 sets) off a 31 ford...Stainless is not good for suspension parts......I have a bueatiful motorcycle frame as a wall decoration to prove that...was built by somene else, was very well crafted, but would NOT stop cracking /breaking...no matter how much it was reinforced...Shawn
Tommy. I really liked you til the Redskins comment.. I never use speedway shackles... those bushings are hard as a rock. You'd be better off with stock shackles and bushings...
Tommy ...we had one break. Ours broke at the begining of the threads. The car came with the parts so we had no clue where they had come from or if they were abused previously. Clark
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