Rear axle access on a 224:
I keep looking at Mungo’s body and thinking about access to the rear axle swinging arms. Personally I am convinced that I will not be able to remove the rear axle assembly when the body is fitted to the car; although it might be an option for a twenty something limbo dancer, it’s not for me!
Modifications and repairs to the body are now complete and I am just about ready for final paint, but this rear axle arrangement is bugging me. Whilst I appreciate that the chances of anything going wrong are extremely unlikely I don’t like the idea of taking the body off to access the rear axle sometime in the future.
The choices are rather limited but include removing sections out of the bodywork on either side and covering with bolted on aluminium or stainless plates. Unfortunately Mungo’s original chassis is now buried behind the bottom garage. I hadn’t realised that a 2CV chassis was so heavy and I struggled to get it down to the bottom of the garden, it will not be resurrected unless I decide to make a new aluminium body, in which case I will use it as a jig.
My new Ken Hanna chassis is still a couple of weeks away from being ready for collection so I am not in a position to trial fit the body to the chassis (so I can envisage the appearance with cut outs in the body) additionally I don’t want to paint the body now and then cut chunks out of it later.
To cut a long story short I’m in a bit of a catch 22 situation. Has anybody cut away the bodywork to give access to the rear swinging arm mountings? If so can you post a couple of photos.
An associated problem is that I would like to have ‘Rocking’ rear mudguards (i.e. attached to the swinging arms and not the bodywork) has anyone tried this? If so again any advice would again be appreciated.
Alan
Rear axle access on a 224:
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Re: Rear axle access on a 224:
Alan,
I had to remove the rear arm from Victoria (pembleton) and I had to cut a part of the bodywork out and make a removable section.
As you know the rear beam is welded in place on a pembleton, but extracting the arm was impossible with the body in place.
If you can make a well hidden removable section on each side to extract the arms I think that would be enough, as then the beam could be removed separately.
I had to remove the rear arm from Victoria (pembleton) and I had to cut a part of the bodywork out and make a removable section.
As you know the rear beam is welded in place on a pembleton, but extracting the arm was impossible with the body in place.
If you can make a well hidden removable section on each side to extract the arms I think that would be enough, as then the beam could be removed separately.
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hutchii
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Re: Rear axle access on a 224:
Alan.
I think it very unlikely that you'll have to remove a suspension arm in the future if you take the opportunity, with the body off, to ensure that the bearings are adequately lubricated and correctly adjusted. The brake pipes too, if in good condition now, are unlikely to require replacement.
In my opinion, the easiest way to mount "rocking" rear mud guards is to attach them to the brake back plate. 2 pieces of 25 x 6mm arranged to form a "vee" can be bolted to the back plate with the head of the bolts located in the recess that runs around the plate behind the brake shoes. 5mm dome or low head cap screws will clear the rim of the brake drum and an extended nut will enable spacers and a suitable length bolt to be used to achieve correct spacing of the guard.
Hope this is helpful.
I think it very unlikely that you'll have to remove a suspension arm in the future if you take the opportunity, with the body off, to ensure that the bearings are adequately lubricated and correctly adjusted. The brake pipes too, if in good condition now, are unlikely to require replacement.
In my opinion, the easiest way to mount "rocking" rear mud guards is to attach them to the brake back plate. 2 pieces of 25 x 6mm arranged to form a "vee" can be bolted to the back plate with the head of the bolts located in the recess that runs around the plate behind the brake shoes. 5mm dome or low head cap screws will clear the rim of the brake drum and an extended nut will enable spacers and a suitable length bolt to be used to achieve correct spacing of the guard.
Hope this is helpful.
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cmwbob
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Re: Rear axle access on a 224:
Alan,
attached is photo of original 224 rear cycle wing brackets.
Not sure when/if Lomaxcars.co.uk propose to restart production of them but believe Graham does have the raw parts.
attached is photo of original 224 rear cycle wing brackets.
Not sure when/if Lomaxcars.co.uk propose to restart production of them but believe Graham does have the raw parts.
- Attachments
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- rear mudwing brkt 2.jpg (103.07 KiB) Viewed 11843 times
Re: Rear axle access on a 224:
Hello gents and thank you for your comments, all of which are useful.
I appreciate that a correctly restored and set up back axle is extremely unlikely to give problems but the whole idea of having bits that can’t be accessed goes against my engineering background.
At the moment I have good access to metal fabrications and getting two polished stainless steel plates laser cut with stamped holes for fastenings is relatively simple, so that is the route I have decided to pursue.
For the same reason I will be fitting an access plate (retained into riv-nuts) above the fuel tank sender unit, to facilitate annual changes of the short fuel hose connection pipe should the use of E10 fuel make it necessary.
I like ‘rocking’ mudguards for the rear and was considering making up special brackets to attach the front to the shock absorber mountings as per the Pembleton Brooklands, but photos of the guards located purely on a section of the swinging arm by the stub axle looks neat, although I will take the opportunity to weld on dedicated brackets rather than use the ‘U’ clamp arrangement.
Alan
I appreciate that a correctly restored and set up back axle is extremely unlikely to give problems but the whole idea of having bits that can’t be accessed goes against my engineering background.
At the moment I have good access to metal fabrications and getting two polished stainless steel plates laser cut with stamped holes for fastenings is relatively simple, so that is the route I have decided to pursue.
For the same reason I will be fitting an access plate (retained into riv-nuts) above the fuel tank sender unit, to facilitate annual changes of the short fuel hose connection pipe should the use of E10 fuel make it necessary.
I like ‘rocking’ mudguards for the rear and was considering making up special brackets to attach the front to the shock absorber mountings as per the Pembleton Brooklands, but photos of the guards located purely on a section of the swinging arm by the stub axle looks neat, although I will take the opportunity to weld on dedicated brackets rather than use the ‘U’ clamp arrangement.
Alan