What tool do you need for the front top damper mount?

[Steve Wright]

What kind of tool do you need for the top mounting bolt on the front spring/damper assembly? (1996 De-Dion K-Series road car)

 

I have read about the need to "form" the side skin to allow access but still can't get a socket or ring spanner square on to it.

 

I somehow managed to replace the offside one using a tall 1/2 inch socket but the alignment looks slightly different on the nearside (The front wishbone mount gets in the way to a greater degree than on the offside)

 

I now have one new spring damper on the offside and one old one on the nearside, so any tips will be gratefully received

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Edited by - steve wright on 20 Aug 2011 17:37:44

[Paul Deslandes]

I'm afraid this is the most diabolical arrangement and, unfortunately, the newer design with separate damper top mount is not much better. You need a 19mm or 3/4in ring spanner and a 3/8in Allen socket tool for the cap head bolt plus a long thin extension. If you can't get hold of a 3/8 Allen tool, you can cut off a couple of centimetres from a regular Allen key with an angle grinder and use it with a 3/8in socket.

 

All you can do is protect the paintwork as much as possible. I'd tape some toughish plastic sheet over the area. Masking tape on its own can tear and if the protection is too thick it just makes matters worse. Try and get the tools onto the bolt and nut and press away the panel with your thumbs as you work. An assistant with strong thumbs would be a great help. As well as covering the paint work its well worth wrapping the tool in a couple of layers of masking tape in case you slip.

 

Even if you distort the panel slightly its mostly hidden by the wheel/wing (and completely if you have flared wings) so it won't be too obvious so long as the paint isn't damaged.

 

Hopefully whoever put it together used lots of Copperslip and the bolt will be free to turn in the bush sleeve.

[Steve Wright]

Hi Paul

 

Many thanks for your thoughts on the subject. Mine was assembled with a 1/2 inch AF bolt (Inserted from the front) and a nyloc nut at the rear. This is as opposed to a caphead bolt which may have been easier to deal with possibly? The difficulty is that the mounting bracket has flanges that partly cover the bolt and the nut. I can get a ring spanner on the nut at the back though there is no room to rotate it. OK to hold it while I rotate the bolt though, if only this were possible.

 

Mine does have a seperate mounting for the spring/damper though.

 

The car was assembled by Classic Carriage Company at Mallory Park, later taken over by Caterham Midland.

 

I think I need a 1/2 inch AF socket without the normal chamfering of the leading edge inside the socket. Maybe I'll grind one down to get more purchase on the bolt head.

 

I kind of hoped there might be a Caterham tool that would do the job!

 

Thanks also for the tip about protecting the paintwork with thick plastic sheet.

 

Any other thoughts welcome

 

[jonboylaw]

Handy hint, cut open a 4 litre milk bottle (empty 1st) and tape strips of this to the body work to protect the paint....

[Paul Deslandes]

Top tip Jonathan 😬

 

You obviously have the later suspension arrangement. Maybe your 1/2" socket is a bit too thick and you need a thinner walled version. I'm pretty sure my Halfords socket fits the bolt head ok. I'd be inclined grind or turn down the diameter if possible rather than just remove the radiused end. If you're using a 1/2" drive version you may find that a 3/8" drive would be smaller overall and fit more easily. Either way the socket will fit properly onto the bolt head.

[Mankee]

I had this problem over the weekend on my pre-96 chassis with a common upper damper/wishbone mount. I used a crank-neck 19mm spanner to get to the nut from the inside and a allen key on the outside. A few taps of the hammer to crack them loose and ages of turning them a few degrees at a time. I had to undo the nut for the upper wishbone front mount to give just about enough room to remove the large bolt. I'm just glad that my car is quite battered in terms of bodywork anyway...

[Steve Wright]

 

Job now completed

 

Thanks to Paul for the advice and to Jon for the tip about strips from a milk container. Perfect for the job! The comment about emptying the milk container first made me smile at a time of stress. Thanks.

 

Hope your paintwork isn't too bad Mankee.

 

The solution was to use my tall 1/2 inch 3/8 drive tall socket that I bought ages ago from Halfords. It's thin enough to get it in position though not quite square onto the head of the bolt. So I ground down the face to eliminate the internal chamfers. This gave enough purchase on the bolt. Car just needs a road test now 😬. Should stop raining soon.

 

Thanks also to Steve Parker for your offer of help. Top man.

 

 

[jonboylaw]

Well done that man, Bravo. It is one if the worst jobs to do on the Cat, you always think you are going to bend or scratchthe body work.... Just have the confidance and bite the bullet.

[Mankee]

Steve, it's great having a car with battle-scarred bodywork as you don't have to worry about chucking tools at it! 😬

 

Also, Steve Parker = legend.

[Dee Pee]

I've just done this bush replacement job on both sides of my 95 Supersprint.

I had to do the job when a lorry driver in a laybye spotted that the top arms were coming off the rubber bushes on each side, as the front washer on the through bolt pressing on the arm to retain it, had never been fitted at initial assembly!

That was a frightener! 'Twas an awkward job and I agree wholeheartedly with the previous comments.

[elie boone]

Some chassis from arround 1990 had a recess so that the bolt could easy'ly pass or was this an option ?