General Leaf spring mounts

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General Leaf spring mounts

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Sep 4, 2011
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Has anyone got a tried and tested way of getting them off ? I've spotted some dreaded rust just outside both mounting blocks. Removed spring in minutes and managed to get one mounting off after an hour (!) But the other one simply won't budge. Something to do with aluminium Vs steel ?
 
Hi, you could try applying some localised heat to the aluminiun block,as steel and aluminium will expand at different rates this may free them.
 
The main problem is getting movement started when the mount has corroded itself to the retaining stud. Be very careful if you decide to use heat to try and free off the mount--some underseal is bitumastic based which burns very easily! Another way to remove the mount is to VERY carefully, with a small angle grinder, grind away the mount the length of the stud, thus exposing it and taking the load off it. I have had to use this method and it does work--but you do have to be careful as you don't want to damage the thread of the stud. You will of course need to fit new mounts. When re-fitting/fitting new mounts I (a) file an angle on a section of the mount that sits up against the body-work which will allow you to use an old chisel or screw-driver to start the mount moving should you ever need to take it off again and, (b) liberally cover the stud and the base of the mount in 'copper-slip'---this will help prevent corrosive reaction between the steel of the stud and the alloy of the mount. When you fit/refit mounts don't forget to give the stud a very good clean to remove all corrosion prior to fitting/refitting a mount. This will also fractionally reduce the diameter of the stud which will also help prevent interactive corrosion.
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