I love pictures and I haven't found any good ones so I will try.
First of all I am using orignal struts with all the old bushings material removed. I understand as built, in 63 and other years, the rubber bushing was bonded to the struts. New replacement from GM have a outer shell mad of steel and are pressed in. I did measure the bore of my strut rods and the outer shell of a Group 5.417 Part #3775762 bushing. In my case the hole in the strut was .015 smaller than the Outside Diameter (OD) of the bushing. I understand why you need a press with this much interference fit.
Theory:
I understand the outer shell is stationary in relation to the strut and the serrated inner race is made to grasp the steel of the bearing housing on the lower outboard end. So the inner race is stationary with the wheel bearing housing lower clamp. The all of the effective movement take place inside the rubber in the insert. To keep from pre-loading the rubber in the insert the clamping bolts are not tightened till the car's weight is on the wheels.
The lower and outboard side of the strut fits into the shock mount and the ID of the busing and the OD of the shock mount are the same size. No washers are used here.
The upper and board side of the strut fits into the mount attached to the differential. The ID of the busing and the OD of the shock mounting bolts are not the same size. Washers that fit the bolt are used on both sides of the bushing..
below is the parts in assembled order:
The washers fit the adjuster bolt. The cant be installed on the lower ,outboard, side because the bolt is larger than the hole in the washers and there is no room for the extra width.
One can see the discrepancy in the size of the upper bolt and the bushing below;
Adding the washers takes up the extra space between the two side of the upper mount. If they are left out the sides of the mount would collapse in till they contacted the bushing inner race, at the serrated end of the bushing.
It is not easy to figure out why the spacers/washers were used by GM in the first place. The bolt could have been the same size as the shock mounted side and their would have been no need for the washers. Typically the hardens inner shaft uses the serrated ends to retain the bushing to the shaft it is installed into. It seems to me the washers would have a tendency to slip in service if this happens you would have steel on steel wear and noise.
The washers have to be so the serrated ends didn't take a set in the top adjuster. This way the adjusting bolts can be rotated, in small increments, and avoid falling into the old matching holes set into the bracket side. Still it does not adequately explain the two different diameters, the bushing ID and the upper adjusting bolts OD.
A picture of the busing being pushed into the bracket for assembly is show below;
I am confident this is correctly assembled. Some items, like this, don't make complete scene. Might help if I had an engineering prospective . However adjusters function well and I am good with that.
Feedback appreciated.
Rick
First of all I am using orignal struts with all the old bushings material removed. I understand as built, in 63 and other years, the rubber bushing was bonded to the struts. New replacement from GM have a outer shell mad of steel and are pressed in. I did measure the bore of my strut rods and the outer shell of a Group 5.417 Part #3775762 bushing. In my case the hole in the strut was .015 smaller than the Outside Diameter (OD) of the bushing. I understand why you need a press with this much interference fit.
Theory:
I understand the outer shell is stationary in relation to the strut and the serrated inner race is made to grasp the steel of the bearing housing on the lower outboard end. So the inner race is stationary with the wheel bearing housing lower clamp. The all of the effective movement take place inside the rubber in the insert. To keep from pre-loading the rubber in the insert the clamping bolts are not tightened till the car's weight is on the wheels.
The lower and outboard side of the strut fits into the shock mount and the ID of the busing and the OD of the shock mount are the same size. No washers are used here.
The upper and board side of the strut fits into the mount attached to the differential. The ID of the busing and the OD of the shock mounting bolts are not the same size. Washers that fit the bolt are used on both sides of the bushing..
below is the parts in assembled order:
The washers fit the adjuster bolt. The cant be installed on the lower ,outboard, side because the bolt is larger than the hole in the washers and there is no room for the extra width.
One can see the discrepancy in the size of the upper bolt and the bushing below;
Adding the washers takes up the extra space between the two side of the upper mount. If they are left out the sides of the mount would collapse in till they contacted the bushing inner race, at the serrated end of the bushing.
It is not easy to figure out why the spacers/washers were used by GM in the first place. The bolt could have been the same size as the shock mounted side and their would have been no need for the washers. Typically the hardens inner shaft uses the serrated ends to retain the bushing to the shaft it is installed into. It seems to me the washers would have a tendency to slip in service if this happens you would have steel on steel wear and noise.
The washers have to be so the serrated ends didn't take a set in the top adjuster. This way the adjusting bolts can be rotated, in small increments, and avoid falling into the old matching holes set into the bracket side. Still it does not adequately explain the two different diameters, the bushing ID and the upper adjusting bolts OD.
A picture of the busing being pushed into the bracket for assembly is show below;
I am confident this is correctly assembled. Some items, like this, don't make complete scene. Might help if I had an engineering prospective . However adjusters function well and I am good with that.
Feedback appreciated.
Rick
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