Suspension dismantling - balls and shafts

[Lynn Eades]

If you can push the ball down the rod against the spring, and get som oil, or clean up the rod, the spring will push the ball the other way. So I found that by compressing against the sping enough times that eventually the spring pushed the ball back, and freed up. Obviously yours are in a worse state to start with. Some are so worn, that they will never rust up.
Keep in mind that, that ball runs in a fibre cup in the bogie casting, and if the ball is not in fairly reasonable condition , it will destroy that bearing. There tend to be more suspension bits around than carriers now, so throwing stuffed bits away (when you have others) is not such a crime.
I have been lucky enough to be able to pick the best from a pile of bits.

[cantankrs]

Hi Lynn,

Thanks. You mention that the cup lining/insulator is fibre - do you have any thoughts on whether the cup linings could be replicated? Are they leather? Apparently some of these linings are in a bad way already. They're riveted to the cup aren't they?

I've taken note about what you wrote re the ball heads should be pretty smooth to protect the cups - do you know what the balls are made of? Since they've been heated so far already, perhaps the heads could be bronzed up and smoothed off to restore their surface?

Thanks

Alex

[Lynn Eades]

The balls are quite hard. The cups are like a brake lining - may even be ferodo.
Yes they are riveted in. I put mine in with Araldite - not yet proven
Alex if the balls are nbg, why dont you put the word out, and ask about the cups at the same time.
I think the cups would be hard to make, because of the shape, unless you found a modern material, in a sheet form, that could be pushed into shape. I think thats a big ask.

[motto (RIP)]

I would suggest that durathane for the cups might be a practical material. It makes excellent suspension bushes and is machineable. May cost a bit though.
David

[mkc2862]

Hi,

I'm new here so please forgive me if I sound stupid...I wonder if you couldn't have new ball ends and rods made instead of going through the drama of trying to re-use rusted ones? I'd imagine you would have thought of this though and I suppose it might be expensive. A CNC would spit them out quite quickly...

I'm also curious if you have thought to make up drawings of these and other components so that spares might be made.

I am interested in carriers, but my finances would only support a tamiya 1/35th scale. It has crossed my mind however to obtain drawings and maybe - as a long term project - build a carrier.

Michael

[cantankrs]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your input. Welcome to MLU, and all the best with any future projects.

You are quite right in that trying to free up rusted bits is a questionable route. With the cost of Oxy these days, and the amount that we and a lot of readers probably go thru, and the amount of time making special tools to hold or disassemble parts, whether to salvage or manufacture is a valid question.

On the other hand making a part involves money (in materials if you do it yourself, and in the cost of labour as well if you farm it out). Also it requires some thought and research into the particular materials required.
We've gathered over the years more machine tools and equipment than the average enthusiast so we figure we might as well use it. Also turning and welding (especially stick welding) if we do it ourselves, are very time consuming tasks. We tend to do 99% of jobs with the 4 jaw chucks rather than swap the not particularly accurate 3 jaws into position, so setting up in the lathes takes time not to mention getting things right for thread cutting. Setting up in the mill takes time too. So we try and rescue what we can.

Having said that Bruce has bought some hi-tensile rod with the view to making some rods up. I'll keep you all posted on that.

Scratch building something is a big job. Making something to be identical to the original without detailed, accurate, drawings or at least loaned parts to copy from is pretty impossible. If you want a carrier then gradually tracking down bits or buying them if you come across them (if the price is acceptable) is the most practical way to go.

Regards

Alex

[cantankrs]

Dad cut the rods with the oxy after finding a spot he could get between the springs. He slipped some RHS over each end leaving just the spot to cut visible and did the deed and the ends flew off in opposite directions with a LOT of energy. David Ellery mentioned in his thread that the springs were a real handful (dangerous) to reassemble until he rigged up a suitable tool to contain them. Bruce'll be doing something similar.

He also cut and shut a pair of return roller axle lugs from a rusted out bogie onto a bogie he's restoring, then blasted and primed them. Also since his sandblasting gear is located over a hundred miles away he took the early opportunity to blast one of the cut rod w/ rusted ball before he'll get time to drill out the rod remains. Pics below. The first pic was the bogie doner! Note the floor is in two sections - inspection of the floor shows it wasn't cut apart - it cracked right across. Happened sometime between about 1992 and 2007 because when I first tracked these remains down it was cut down to the same extent but the floor was still together. Mike Cecil commented in Keith's Year of the Carrier DVD that cracking of aged ABP-3 in Aust built carriers was a problem for restorers. Also on a further side note I've read in 'The Role of Science and Industry' (Mellor, I think) that the steel used in the Australian Cruiser tank (Sentinel) hulls that were cast by Bradford Kendall were derived from the ABP-3 formula, along with special heat treatment as well, to achieve the resulting acceptable ballistic properties. A fantastic achievement by BK.

Alex