Rear spring U-Bolts

[Old Dave]

I am having to cut the floor of my 1932 Box to get the old U-bolts out (and the new ones in).

Does anyone have an image of the required "slot" and its position relative to the main spring bolt.

Obviously whoever rebult the car in the 1970's thought the U-bolts wouldn't need to come out again.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Dave

I think this was covered in Steve Bryant’s thread “The start of my van body build”

Cheers

Howard

[Old Dave]

Thank you for that Howard - pretty well answered my needs. I have saved the relevant photos. I will measure under the car to get the actual distance from the centre of the main bolt back to u-bolts and busk it from there.

With the floor in the car I am not going to end up with a slick result like Steve Bryants's but I will try my best.

Thanks again - Oh! and also for pointing me to a great thread.

Cheers

Dave

[Robert Leigh]

If you use a small hammer on the right part of the floor you will soon find where it sounds solid as you hit the U-bolt. If you tap around that area you will be left with a slightly high bit compared with the surroundings. After that the use of a small sharp cold chisel will give you the required slot.

[Robert Foreman]

You don't need to cut the floor. Just slacken/remove the bolts holding the body down in that area and gently jack up the floorpan. You can then slide the    bolt backwards and off. Then slide the new one in.

[Old Dave]

Thank you Roberts (plural) for your suggestions. I will have a go one way or the other.

At least a small cold chisel sounds less severe than an angle grinder!!

I am guessing that quite a few bolts would need removing to jack the body far enough to do the deed. It looks as though the u-bolt needs to go UP a fair way before it can go back.

Happy days - thanks again

[Robert Foreman]

The 1934 schedule of repair times says to replace one U bolt the complete operation takes 1¾ hours.

[Old Dave]

That’s interesting Robert. It seems a long time. If the original slot is already cut in the floor then it is only two nuts to remove and whatever washers have been used. Then the u-bolt lifts out and the new one drops in.

I have completed the one side and removed the u-bolt on the other side before deciding on a rest for the day. I did find that the u-bolts lifted easier if the car was jacked up to take the weight off the spring.

I hope the second spring comes out tomorrow a lot easier than the first one. I bet the schedule of repair doesn’t allow 10 days to get a spring out!!

I resorted to careful measurement and cut the slots with a small angle grinder. I can’t claim the work as my own as it was done by a friend who knows little about A7’s but a lot about metal. I owe him a pint or two.

[Old Dave]

Thanks for all the advice. Spring and u-bolt are off on the near side now. Hopefully it will progrees fairly quickly. BUT I have posted a new thread (pun intended) which should relate to the only barrier to getting the job finished.
Cheers

Dave