Changing rear swing arm bushings

[spyderwerks]

Just finished changing the swing arm bushings on my 63 coupe. A recent purchase with full docs since new.it has covered 236 k miles and the bushing were shot and should have been changed years ago. The bushing holes were elliptical and the swing arm cover and and swing arm tube were scored from worn & hardened 60 yr. old bushing producing Mondo squeaking .

Set the unloaded swing arms to 14.5 deg , both sides for a little decambering. This was a trying job for my first attempt and found the biggest challenge was getting the swing arm on the inside of the axel mounting flange. With the axel tube fully toward the rear I had to raise both the axel and the swing arm independently to find the best area for the transfer of the swing arm over the axel mounting flange.Once this was found I had to lay on my back and kick the brake drum rearward to allow the swing arm to clear the flange and lay on the inside. Not an easy job and especially difficult on the drivers side? I'm thinking of taking some material off the back edge of the swing arms ( 1/8" ) to help facilitate this procedure in the future.

Squeaking resolved but had some occasional clunking on the drivers side. I decided to redo the drivers side and check both rubber bushing and also remove the torsion bar to check the splines on both ends. All looked good so reset the arm to 14.5 degrees and again completed the assembly.

Still minor clunking so need some suggestions.

Thanks Max H

[S.J.Szabo]

Mr.H:

Just a couple of suggestions/ideas that I hope might help...

Do not remove any material from the axle tube. There's a sweet spot where the axle drops into the trailing arm fork, but you have to be in the process of raising the end to make it happen.

This process is made a little easier if you remove the brake drums.

With that kind of mileage (a car loved is a car driven), "thunks" could be many things; wear of the inner bushing pocket, wear in the diff., wear in the fulcrum pieces, wear in the axle splines, a tired axle bearing, etc.

Only a person with his hands (and ears) on the car can narrow the probabilities, so those who are remote can only offer possibilities, not certainties. Sorry.

On the other hand, there are many more learned minds here than mine for whom the solution may be obvious.

[bbspdstr]

Just did this last week. For the 'next time':

IF you can just get the spring plate end off and keep the t-bars in the inside splines, electric pencil or cold chisel a mark on each torsion bar at 12 o'clock for reference....yes, 50 year old t-bars can 'take a set' and make random reinstall a living hell for side-to-side adjustment if one gets upside-down. I like to start fresh with $300 of NEW!

The drums come off, the parking brake gets unattached at both sides. The left side is a bear because the heat exchanger on the J-pipe is more forward on cylinders 3 and 4, so you'll note a 'dent' in that one. Some machinist's wire will hold the axle back and up using the (removed) shock's upper eye and the rear fender brace.

Only then will you have the clearance and freedom to get really frustrated with how the trailing arm and torsion bar will not come apart on the outer end, just come out from the inner splines like they are one unit. Do NOT upset any coating on the t-bar getting them apart, just patiently wiggle and use your hands.

I have gone as far as taking out the end 'freeze plug' of the spring plate and the rocker plug so as to tap with a drift on the t-bar end while having help prying the spring plate off.

It helps to use a white pencil BEFORE it all comes apart, marking across the top of the spring plate onto the inner body to make for easy reference going back together even before the protractor is used.

As for the clunking, the worn t-bar inner or outer donuts are the typical cause. After that, a shock bushing or top rubber or a dead shock are next, a delaminated inner round trans mount has been found, one side of the trans hoop has left it's boss with a loose bolt, a muffler pipe hits the cone it enters to go through the bumper guard, a bumper guard or it's top is loose, the bumper end or bracket is loose....or, those sounds can fool ya...and be from the opposite side/end. Could be...as posted earlier....anything. Just yank, tug, touch everything that can be hit by something else until the sound is recreated or the radio is up loud enough.

Good luck!

-Bruce

[spyderwerks]

Thanks Bruce ,, lots of Fun. Maybe it's old age biting me in the ass. I remember doing this when I was around 27 and it was a piece of cake, haven't had to do it since. This car came to me with 230 k miles. The 2nd owner had it for 50 years and had every receipt from new including the original window invoice. It was very well maintained with everything rebuilt at least twice but no mention of swing arm bushing replacement . The car was orig. purchased in San Francisco at Atlas Motors off Mission St. Then the orig. owners moved to San Bernadino county (east of L.A.) where it spent its entire life . A great place for an old 356 to live , very little rain , a nice dry climate.

I understand completely re the heater box with the dent on the backside . The factory should have made that dent a little deeper and I would have found more joy. Even with the axel as far back as possible and the spring plate in its best position , no way would they allow an easy passage. All I needed was a miserable 1/8' to find bliss.

I got to thinking about this last night in bed and thought about if I left the spring plate cover off maybe one could push back on the spring plate tube ( toward front of car)and get that extras few mm necessary for allow the spring plate to cross over to the inside of the axel flange. Seems logical whadda think . Btw I did this with drums and parking brake cable intact . I did however loosen the brake hard line attachment on the axel tube and slide it toward the brake drum to get that extra needed clearance toward the heater box indent.

Unlike Franny I cussed more with this effort then with most projects I've done in the past 40 years. The factory manual leaves out most of the details necessary to do the job.

[spyderwerks]

Ok I've looked at all possibilities and still get a clunking noise , it's not constant but show s up when the car is driven slowly over uneven surfaces. I've taken this thing apart 4 times , inspectd at all the components, spring plate inner splines, spring plate cover, torsion bar and splines, all the obvious stuff. Lubed the bushings with silicone grease. I removed the torsion bar to give it a good inspection, both end splines look good, lubed up very good and reinserted . I'm not sure of the torsion bar however, it's stamped on the outer end with a P and then a VW stamp. I thought they were stamped left and right ? Not sure what the P stands for? It's red and I didn't measure the circumference. Anybody know what I have here, it's the drivers side.

I've spent too much time on this problem .

[356JAGER]

Max,
Sounds like a bad shock or shock mounting/bushing. Tried just tightening up the upper and lower shock mounts ? Check the rubber stops in the wheel well ?
Loose engine sheet metal or exhaust ? Anything dropped behind the fan shroud ? Just spitballing here, but I have experienced all of the above as 'bumping' noises at one time or another. Keep us posted. Anything loose in one of the hubcaps ? So many possibilities. Loose rear seatback ? Something loose in the rear of the center tunnel, or perhaps a rear shift coupling in need of new bushings or just loose.
Cheers,
Joel

[Jack Staggs]

Have fun.

[spyderwerks]

Ok guys put on your thinking caps this ones a bitch. It's not the shock but that was a good guess. Not the shock mounting rubbers or anything related. I swapped shocks problem doesn't move. It sure sound like it's coming from the spring plate bushing area. A groaning deep creaking noise. As mentioned I've been in there at least 4 times, checked everything all looks good. The only difference I noted between this side and the pass. Side is the spring plate is closer to the body it looks like it maybe close or does rub ounce the spring late is unloaded ,in its most downward position. Once loaded it clears the inner body by appr. 1/8 " the pass side is about 3/8 ". The first attemp I used dry graphite as a lubricant and it works just fine on the pass side. I was told the best llub was silicone paste lubricant so purchase a small bottle $33.00 and used that on the drivers side. I'm running out of ideas and am convinced it has something to do with the spring plate , it's cap or possibly a bad bushing . I did note that the original inner bushing was a little thicke than this one . I called international merchantile and Kerry's son said they are all the same as the one he sent me. I wished I was closer to ypu Jack but unfortunately I'm 500 mi. N of you.

One thing I forgot to mention is the differential is a limited slip , torque biasing one. I've heard they had some problems with some from GT Guard and I believe that's where this one came from when done. 6 years ago. Dam this thing is really a pain , welcome to the club of 55 year old cars....."are we having fun yet"

[spyderwerks]

With a little help with a stethoscope Ill try and locate the source of noise.

[AMP]

A thought but you probably looked - what's in the trunk or under the floor boards.