Removing rear Springs '53 Hudson Hornet

billbateson

Hi,
I'm having difficulty removing rear springs. The front bolt does not seem to be able to come out. Also are some threads on rear bolts Left hand Thread?
Bill Bateson

Uncle Josh

It's been a while, and the memory is a little foggy, but I happened to take a pic of the parts when I did my 47 pickup. 

You want to disconnect the rear shackles and raise the car to remove any spring tension.  The lower right pic is the original pin with 2 T-shaped rubber bushings facing each other.  The pin has a large end which fits in the frame bracket, with a threaded nut and washer on the other end.  Remove the nut and washer and drive the pin out and remove the bushings from the spring eye.  They may not be re-usable.

Mine was too trashed to replace so I used a standard bolt with a lock-washer under the head to mimic the large head on the original pin.  I cut a piece of hose (probably heater hose) for a bushing and 2 rubber washers (probably from a truck inner tube to mimic the T-ends of the bushings, and re-assembled, inserting the bushing into the spring eye, and the bolt with rubber washers in the frame bracket.  Finish with a lock-washer and nut.  (upper right pic)

I don't think I used the pipe, and may not have had to spiral slice the hose.

Yes, the left rear shackle is left-hand thread.

There is a detailed removal/assembly procedure in the Hudson Shop Service Manual, section 14 Which Alex had put on our HET Website.

billbateson

Thanks Guys,
My main problem is getting the bolt out of the front end of spring. It doesn't appear to have anywhere to go inside the frame of the car.
Bill B

Geoff

Only the top pin of the shackle is l.h. thread.   I have no idea why this is, Does anyone know?

bob ward

I've had trouble removing those step-down rear spring front pins in the past. The pins are pretty much just a RH nut and bolt, the tricky part is that the bolt head is round rather than hex and is knurled to be a flush grip fit into a matching hole in the chassis. Time and rust makes the bolt head an even tighter fit. 

If violence alone won't make the pin come loose, judicious use of oxy on the head will assist your cause. 

RichardD

Glad I have air shocks on my '53 for any sag that might happen. Can run different shock pressures on either side if needed for a 'tilt'. Monroe MA727 for the '53.