Several weeks of inactivity due to family stuff (both good and not good) this month. Finally got a couple of hours to do something yesterday... and what a job it was! Loads of effin' and jeffin' from me, as I bashed, ground, pounded and pummelled the suspension off a donor chassis to replace the knackered set that was on the van (the spring tubes were rotten).

This one was stuck fast. Had to grind off the inner nut, and the bump stop:


This end came out OK:


This one came out OK, too, although I had to grind off the nut:


This one didn't. Nut and bump stop got the angle-grinder treatment (and even then I had to give it some serious hammer to get it out):


Quick question. Assuming these springs are still usable, how much vegetable oil should one pump into the spring tubes for quieter operation?

I think 100 cc in each will do !

I used Castor oil .

Thanks Geert!

Just dug out the suspension threads on this forum. Very helpful indeed! Especially:

All about: 2CV suspension

Filling up suspension spring cans

Wonder if we should recommend certain threads to become "stickies"?

The first link is already a sticky but not the second. I think to recommend a post for it you just need to PM a mod and make your case.

Ah, I see. Actually, when I said "sticky" I meant placing it at the top of the first page, like Russell's "2CV Buying Guide" on the Technical page.

Haynes mentions "some "Castor Oil .
I think 4x 200 cc as quoted in the first link is generous.

Geert,
a friend of mine in Australia did some in-depth investigation regarding the characteristics of various vegetable oils which would be suitable for this application and came to the conclusion that the high resistance to oxidation of castor oil make it the best choice, especially in hot climates.
On the other hand, if you use something cheap and cheerful such as sunflower oil, the fact that it oxidises (and thickens?) sooner than castor oil means that it coats the internal surfaces of the spring canister and also the springs, acting to prevent rust in our cold northern climate...

About 250ml per canister, especially if they're as dry as the ones which Russell took apart?
They can always be topped up or rotated later if there's still any groaning & graunching.

@ Smiffy,
I don't know if you're planning to open the canisters, but if so, is it worth mentioning that you only need to remove one end cap on each canister, unless you're planning a full rebuild?

Also, it's "long rod & shorter spring to the rear, short rod and longer spring to the front" for standard canisters.

Thanks Geert and Ken. Will take a look inside the cans in the next couple of days. Should only need to remove one end.

Meanwhile, here's another question for you experts. I've just been having a look at the Paris-Rhone alternator. The bushes etc look OK. The internals look a tad grotty, though. Not sure if they're beyond saving? What do you experts think? Is this alternator worth keeping?





(And yes, Geert, the Mrs was out of the house when I part-dismantled, cleaned and oiled this piece of equipment on the kitchen table! Shame she came back early! )

This alternator is probably savable.
I would clean it,check the bearings, eventually replace them .
And I would fit some new bushes .

The only thing that could cause problems, and what you cannot see now is the copper cylinder where the bushes make contact.
I do not understand why you oiled that alternator, you can't oil the bearings that way .
You should take it apart and clean it inside and out , but not oil the bl. thing.
When open you can see if the copper cylinder is usable.
I bought some Ducellier Alternators , they where all in bad condition, but after replacing the bearings and bushes and cleaning I had some usable alternators.
One of them is in my AZU, one I gave to my brother and the other one is sitting on a shelf as a spare.

Your missus has probably the same attitude as mine.
as long as I clean up after I finished , it is no big deal.
Mind you, she makes teddy-bears and restores old teddy's That is a messy job, our livingroom sometimes looks like there are hamsters living, with all the wood wool on the floor.
Fortunately we own a good vacuum cleaner.

Ha-ha! When I say "oiled", I mean I just oiled the rusty screws and bolts, not the alternator itself!