Bearing Supports

[John_Galt]

What's your favorite (or least-dreaded) method of getting springs on your bearing supports?

I remember a long time ago when I changed a spring by myself without taking anything else out of the pit. I must've withered since then because... it aint happenin' today!

What do you do?

C

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: Bearing Supports

Chaddo: If i read your post correctly and interpret what your saying correctly you are talking about the front roller hindge springs. Welp...The stahls tool works great because it holds the tension in its little womb there and then i can just slap it right back on without stretching the spring and sliding it down a carriage tube.

Think i put more than one answer in that paragraph. Wow..it must be late.

deadwood

[Mike Stalker]

Re: Bearing Supports

I still remember in Shelby, Ohio, Tom Niedermeir reminding our 82-70 class that no matter how much we talk about safety in class, someone from class always gets bitten by the front roller bracket. Sure enough one guy had to have stitches.

I have a nicely shaped piece of conduit for sliding my springs back onto the pin. The stahls tool is okay but I do not like to keep the spring stretched for a long period of time.

Like Chad I do not remove the springs unless I pull the entire pit.

I can come up with a much better design for the bearing supports though. I'm tired of the way that they wear and the support slowly disappears.

[8270king]

Re: Bearing Supports

I use a finger grip insert puller.

A 5/8 socket inside the puller and a long extension.

Jerry

[Louie_IV]

Re: Bearing Supports

I found a way that made it pretty easy. You need a rubber rivet pulling crank (a crank shaped bar with a hole in one end) and a piece of small chain about a foot long. Put one end of the spring on the bolt that holds it, then put the other end of the spring through the hole in the hinge. Take one end of the chain and stick it through the hole in the rivet crank, bring it around and bolt it to itself with a little bolt. Stick the other end of the chain on the end of the spring that is through the hinge. Now stick the end of the rivet tool down right behind the pindeck and rest it up against the angle iron that goes across the bottom of the pit. Now just turn the crank until the spring is stretched far enough to put the hinge on the stud. The mechanical advantage of the crank is so great that you can hold the spring stretched with one hand and use the other hand to put the hinge on the stud. I did this with nothing out of the pit but the front roller. It sounds complicated, but it is easy if you could just watch me do it. It makes stretching the spring very easy. It only took me about 5 minutes to do.

Louie

[Lampie]

Re: Bearing Supports

Just use a big Phillips screwdriver, put the point in the hole where the spring must be while the spring is on the shaft of the screwdriver, push the screwdiver towards the pindeck and with a little practice you will reach an avarage of one out of three that the spring will be in place within five seconds.

Smart-ass

[TheGMan143]

Re: Bearing Supports

Originally posted by Dirty '30:
Just use a big Phillips screwdriver, put the point in the hole where the spring must be while the spring is on the shaft of the screwdriver, push the screwdiver towards the pindeck and with a little practice you will reach an avarage of one out of three that the spring will be in place within five seconds.

Smart-ass

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I do something similar to that, too... I have a big slotted-head screwdriver with a notch cut into one side of it that I use to snap springs back on if one breaks during a league...

I pull the carpet back, hook the spring on the bracket, then put the other end into the screwdriver notch. Slip the head of the screwdriver over the rear post, and pry towards the wheel. The spring slips down the screwdriver and catches on the post. Usually it will pop on in about 2-3 tries... It is a bit of a nutbuster if you don't have decent arm strength, but for me it's faster then some of the alternatives.

There used to be a pinchaser in a nearby house years back that became a bit of a legend around here... the guy was built like an ox. He would pull springs on by hand, and assemble cushions without a rivet bar... he'd just grab the tail of the rivet and yank it through barehanded. Yikes...

[Louie_IV]

Re: Bearing Supports

Originally posted by TheGMan143:
There used to be a pinchaser in a nearby house years back that became a bit of a legend around here... the guy was built like an ox. He would pull springs on by hand, and assemble cushions without a rivet bar... he'd just grab the tail of the rivet and yank it through barehanded.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img]

Louie

[cobow]

Re: Bearing Supports

There used to be a pinchaser in a nearby house years back that became a bit of a legend around here... the guy was built like an ox. He would pull springs on by hand, and assemble cushions without a rivet bar... he'd just grab the tail of the rivet and yank it through barehanded. Yikes...[/QB][/QUOTE]

he would be very handy for those pesky ones behind the weldment [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]
cobow [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: Bearing Supports

Well, for that respect, I have another little homemade "tool" that might make it a bit less difficult... again, one of these days I'll remember to take the camera down there and get pics of it (I'm going to just take all the pictures I've been meaning to, and post them all in one message...)

1) Get a straight piece of 1/2" round rebar stock (a piece of black iron 1/2" pipe will work, too) about 30-36" long.

2) Take an old 12-point 1/2" or 9/16" half-inch drive socket (whichever fits better) and slip it over one end of the rebar/pipe, and weld it in place.

3) On the other end, weld a cut-off piece of a short 1/2" drive extension, or a 1/2" drive socket adapter.

You've just created a very long 1/2" drive socket extension bar (which can come in handy on other things, too.) If you can buy one this long, you can save the trouble... but they're hard to find, and pretty expensive. Now for the rest...

4) Get a piece of solid 5/8" round rebar stock about 3-4" long. Slip it into a 12-point 3/4" half-inch drive socket (grind it down a bit to fit if needed), and weld it in place.

5) Drill a hole very slightly larger than the tail of a cushion rivet through the middle of the round stock, leaving about 1" of metal below it. Round off the sharp edges with a file or grinder wheel (Dremel) so they won't cut the rivet.

You now have a socket that will pull rivets, just like your carpet bar does. When combined with the long extension, you can push a rivet through the cushion by the bracket, hook your new knucklesaver to it like a carpet tool, and stand up above it on the catwalk or sideplate, and crank it through with a 1/2" ratchet... keeping your knuckles and forearms well out of harm's way, and saving a lot of profanity for other tasks (like pulling on carpet tensioner springs).

[cobow]

Re: Bearing Supports

great idea G.Man , i will try that. thanks
cobow [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Lampie]

Re: Bearing Supports

Bump

[old-school-mechanic]

Re: Bearing Supports

Stahl's has a pair of tool's that make that job VERY easy.The Spring tool part # 000-021-204T. The bracket remover tool I have no part # for. But with both of them it's easy to get the job done in a matter of minutes. Without shedding any blood. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

NO I dont work for Tommy,&amp; dont get a comission :p

[amfpinboy]

Re: Bearing Supports

My 2nd mechanic, pulls the front roller supports on and off by hand.(after the pressure is released) We lost the spring tool, so he just pulls the bracket supports back on by hand. He can also carry a cushion assy. on his shoulder.

[Lampie]

Re: Bearing Supports

Originally posted by amfpinboy:
My 2nd mechanic, pulls the front roller supports on and off by hand.(after the pressure is released) We lost the spring tool, so he just pulls the bracket supports back on by hand.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">After reading G-mans post I gave it a try too, it's actually very easy if the bounce plate is removed(and I don't look like Schwartzza'necka')you all should try it for fun once.
Martin