> 1. What's a neat way to force the single bushing out of the eye on the
> front of each spring?
I don't know of a neat method.
> Can you push/hammer/press on the inner
> metal sleeve of the silent bloc bushing, or must all the force be placed
on the outer metal
> sleeve?
It's a piece of junk, doesn't matter if you tear it up. That said, I think
pressing on the center sleeve is just likely to rupture the rubber (which
may be a good thing). Hammering will accomplish nothing at all, the rubber
will simply absorb the blow. My center sleeves were already broken away
from the rubber, so I didn't get to try this option.
> Will this require 20 tons of presure if rusted? Is heat
> an option?
Gentle heat would be OK, enough to burn the rubber, but not enough to
appreciably help with removal of the outer ring. You don't want to damage
the temper in the springs. One trick I've used on similar things :
burn/melt the rubber out, then use a hacksaw blade to cut through the outer
ring (without cutting into the spring eye). With a cut most of the way
through the ring to release the pressure, it should tap out with a hammer
and drift.
> 2. What are the pros and cons of dismantling the leaf springs
> to clean and
> grease them? Bad idea? Great way to avoid or relieve squeaks?
> Why bother?
In my case, it made a big difference in how the car rode, lost a lot of that
teeth-jarring harshness. It's gradually come back over the years, so I'm
planning to do it again.
> 3. What are the tell-tale signs indicating replacement of the link
> connecting the shock lever to the spring plate? The upper "ball
> joint" on mine seems kind of loose.
If it feels loose, it's probably failed. When they're in good condition,
you can just barely move the stud in the ball end, and the other stud not at
all.
> 4. What kind of "feel" should the lever shocks provide to determine if
> they are serviceable? Should it require considerable effort to
> move them up and down, or just moderate effort?
Should take fairly heavy effort and even then it takes several seconds to
move a complete sweep. Also should be perfectly smooth through the entire
range.
> What kind of oil provides the best balance of
> shock action?
No opinion.
HTH
Randall
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