Technical Panda classic 4x4 engine swop ?
- Thread starter Dippydave
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Technical Panda classic 4x4 engine swop ?
Pretty rotten ! Today's issue is I looked at rear leaf spring mount bolt and thought I will never have access like this again to this bolt. Remove it clean it up, copper slip it all and pop back in. Well not gone to plan, the nut came off but the bolt won't budge as its seized into the metal tube that runs through the rubbers.. Have to sort this before I can weld up now,,,,,,,,, any ideas or advice ?
damn that is rusty.. yeah them bolts.. they are a nightmare.
you can get them out but its pretty destructive. you can just get an angle grinder up between the bush and mount.. then just cut it out each side.
you'll have to get a new bush though :/
if you can i would just leave the thing in.
you can get them out but its pretty destructive. you can just get an angle grinder up between the bush and mount.. then just cut it out each side.
you'll have to get a new bush though :/
if you can i would just leave the thing in.
I'm gunna grind/saw down both sides I reckon as its never gunna be this easy access wise, reason being is there buggers for snapping leaf springs and if it goes I will kick myself up and down my street. Are the bushes and bolts etc still avail from fiat ??? As for body rot I'm a fair welder fabricator and I will save this panda.
Anyone got any bushes for sale if fiat don't do em any longer ???????
Dave
Anyone got any bushes for sale if fiat don't do em any longer ???????
Dave
Your photos all look very familiar!
I had the same trouble with the leaf spring. It had a snapped leaf and the bolt was seized into the bush, I cut either side of the spring with slitting disc on a 4 1/2" grinder, you can just do it with a new disc.
Have a look at my recent thread for info on bushes:
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/420288-4x4-leaf-spring-bushes.html
The bolt is a 12mm thread and 120mm long. They are originally fine thread but a standard thread will be fine. Easily available from a fastener supplier.
Look forward to seeing the progress
I had the same trouble with the leaf spring. It had a snapped leaf and the bolt was seized into the bush, I cut either side of the spring with slitting disc on a 4 1/2" grinder, you can just do it with a new disc.
Have a look at my recent thread for info on bushes:
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/420288-4x4-leaf-spring-bushes.html
The bolt is a 12mm thread and 120mm long. They are originally fine thread but a standard thread will be fine. Easily available from a fastener supplier.
Look forward to seeing the progress
Panda1408 I could kiss you, been sat sulking like a five year old all day lol. Checked the link and it's good and will be buying some. There just under £12 each and I'm gunna do both sides as the side I'm currently repairing is my pandas good side !!!! Yep they really do rot that much (pics eventually). Now if my order exceeds £25 the posts free, if not its £5.95 postage ! Now it's not that much more money to buy 3 bushes lol. If you buy 5 or more bushes the price drops again and it's free post so.........
Are there 5 bushes required out there ??? Make a purchase all clubbed in together I'm deff having 2 bushes so need to shift another 3 anyone ?????
Dave
Are there 5 bushes required out there ??? Make a purchase all clubbed in together I'm deff having 2 bushes so need to shift another 3 anyone ?????
Dave
i would not mind a set.. and i can pick them up from you if you ever want me to visit!
pandamaniac
Established member
Dippy dave, this is another dippy Dave with a 4x4 in Walton Chesterfield.
Pm me as I may have bits you want or maybe even a car to sell with a shed loads of bits
on the edge of somersall park S40 3DU
Pm me as I may have bits you want or maybe even a car to sell with a shed loads of bits
on the edge of somersall park S40 3DU
I'll take two bushes for stock please.
Well that's 6 bushes so we're there for cheapest price ! Will leave it open for others another day or so then sort out ordering and getting the ££££ together. I may even be able to get those bushes to Liverpool for free as have a friend at uni there.
Update.......
Managed to use cutting disks on my grinder both sides ok enough but when I went to shackes at rear there seized worse than front !! Aaaarrrgggh. So they got the chop to so I now need rear shackles and the bush for the rear of the leaf springs.......
Moving onto where they clamp to top of the axel, 3 bolts of fine one snapped even after plus gas and taking lots of care so now I need one off those nuts and bolts to.
Anyone offer advice or places to buy new parts or offers of used bits ?
Cheers Dave.
Managed to use cutting disks on my grinder both sides ok enough but when I went to shackes at rear there seized worse than front !! Aaaarrrgggh. So they got the chop to so I now need rear shackles and the bush for the rear of the leaf springs.......
Moving onto where they clamp to top of the axel, 3 bolts of fine one snapped even after plus gas and taking lots of care so now I need one off those nuts and bolts to.
Anyone offer advice or places to buy new parts or offers of used bits ?
Cheers Dave.
Bartpanda
Established member
The company from Italy , Birth makes not only big front leafspring bushes but both complete shackles with rubbers, or just rubbers( 4 short and 4 long bushes for both shackles} for panda 4x4.Try Birth representative in UK from where the big bushes have been ordered.
Try Birth representative in UK from where the big bushes have been ordered.
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those leaf spring bolts always snap. i replaced them with stainless steel ones. come at me rust.
pretty much every bolt i take off my pandas gets replaced with stainless ones... or totally covered with copper slip. will be handy for when i get/make a suspension jacking up kit
i love copper slip.. should put it on from factory >_<
for most panda parts.. it is always worth searching ebay for the name of the part (or what the part does, or where it is) in italian.. like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...kw=SUPPORTO+BALESTRA+panda&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=3
supporto balestra basically means support spring. or with us lot we would call it a spring support.
its like searching for replacement sills.. there's no word for "sill" in italian so they just call it the name of where it is... "underdoor" (sottoporta).. it is what it is i guess haha
pretty much every bolt i take off my pandas gets replaced with stainless ones... or totally covered with copper slip. will be handy for when i get/make a suspension jacking up kit
i love copper slip.. should put it on from factory >_<
for most panda parts.. it is always worth searching ebay for the name of the part (or what the part does, or where it is) in italian.. like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...kw=SUPPORTO+BALESTRA+panda&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=3
supporto balestra basically means support spring. or with us lot we would call it a spring support.
its like searching for replacement sills.. there's no word for "sill" in italian so they just call it the name of where it is... "underdoor" (sottoporta).. it is what it is i guess haha
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