I tried to keep track of the time I spent on the brakes and rear
springs. It took about 10 hours for the brakes and 15 hours for the
springs. Most of the time was spent dealing with all the rust in the
way. I also could have saved some time by starting with the
reciprocating saw to cut the front spring bolts off - using cutting oil
helped with the process.
The problem I had in lining up the axle and the top spring plate was
resolved by jacking up the front of the differential. I disconnected
the driveshaft (no, not for towing) from the differential to try to get
more play but it made the problem worse, which pointed me in the right
direction.
I took the car for a little ride in the rain yesterday, so I'm back on
the road again. Thanks to everyone who offered advice along the way.
I'm just about through the backlog of parts waiting for installation, so
it's time to start shopping again.
--Steve (1980 MGB)
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