Beam Strip Down, Come To A Halt

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

made a good start on stripping my old beam including a complete dismantle of the rear hubs, but i've come up against a little hitch:

 

i started winding a bolt in the arb end piece and the ends started coming off but then come to a comlete stop i didnt want to go any further for fear of stripping the treads i also didnt try and do the other side as there is still the plastic? plug in the hole and i wasnt sure how it came out?

 

so it thought i would try and remove the torsion bars: i removed both offset washers and the other end nuts and tried the well used method of a long bolt and socket the try and prise it out but neither end will budge (i have had them off a s i lowered the car a couple of years ago abd replaced a torsion bar too)

 

what my next best step? take it out and bash the hell out of one of the trailing arms until they come off?

 

i'm not too fussed about ruining the beam as i'm sure its fubar anyway but wouldlike to keep the torsion bars and arb for a new beam tube

[Anthony 1,002]

You do sometimes need to use a fair amount of force turning the M12 bolt in the end of the ARB endplate to free it off - in my experience, so long as the bolt is definately winding in square then the threads won't strip. The plastic bung in the other end should be a T40 torx and it just winds out, although many don't and need to be removed using BFI methods - just be careful not to damage the thread whilst doing so.

 

Once the ARB endplate is off, knock the arm from the beam with a suitable lump hammer, which will usually bring the torsion bar out still in the arm. You can then try the puller on it and it will hopefully free it off (only trying to free one rusted spline then, rather than two) otherwise pop it in a press and it'll come out - sometimes they need 8+ tons though!

[gti-si 0]

How do you mean tried to prize it? You used the bolt and socket as a puller by winding down the nut yes? Not tried to use it to lever it out? Daft question but sound a little sus from your description. Failing that, aslong as you've wound in the stud on the opposite end ofthe torsion bar*, and you've taken out the arb then you can bash the trailing arm off, then remove the torsion bar's in a vice if need's be.

 

Make sure that you wind in the stud onthe TB though.

Edited August 13, 2009 by gti-si

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

thread on the bolt i used for the arb plate stripped off so i'm sure the tread in the plate will be ok, with regards to the plastic bung thing, there is no torx hole left to speak of so i'll just try and bash that out gently.

 

and yes i wound an m8 nut in on a socket to pull the tb out (last time though i trashed the thread and had to cut the tb in half to remove it hence a new tb being fitted) so i'm a little hesitant this time.

 

when you say wound in the stud on the other end (tb stud yeah?)what do you mean? how does winding it in help?

 

should the arb come out without removing the trailing arms then? i guess it should

[Anthony 1,002]

should the arb come out without removing the trailing arms then? i guess it should

Yes - indeed, I'd go as far as to say that you'll have difficulty in removing the trailing arms with the two ARB endplates still in place if the beam hasn't been apart and greased up of late.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

furry muff, i'll get hold of another m12 bolt tomorrow and get on with it, i take it all that is holding the plates on the arb is friction on the splines?

i'm guessing the beam has never been apart given the plastic bit still in one end? not really supprised its seized solid

 

why in the refurb guide on the main site does it say to use a ford wheel bolt in the arb plate? stonger thread possibly?

Edited August 13, 2009 by pugpete1108

[welshpug 1,655]

which end are you trying to remove?

 

Its the right hand side ARB lever that should be removed firstly as it doesn't sit fully on the splines, the left hand end is pulled until it stops when fitted so there's a bit more resistance usually.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

which end are you trying to remove?

 

Its the right hand side ARB lever that should be removed firstly as it doesn't sit fully on the splines, the left hand end is pulled until it stops when fitted so there's a bit more resistance usually.

 

dunno? right hand as in drivers side? ,if so then no i'm trying the passenger side. the drivers side still has the cap in it

[welshpug 1,655]

yup, remove the plastic bung and give it a go, the side you've tried already would probably be quite stubborn if the bung has been missing for a while.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

i had a similar problem when i had my beam apart , so i chucked the threaded m12 bolt in the lathe, took al the threads off it, re inserted it into the hole then whacked it with a lump hammer till it came out,

 

Not the most precise method but it worked, so if you have a 11ish mm piece of round bar spare give it a shot lol

 

Paul

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

right i got it apart today with the help of a .....sledghammer!!

 

i took the cap out and tried that end,no joy so i kept trying the other end and got it to move about 5mm,then nothing more

 

so i took it outside and hooked one end up against the kerb and smacked the other with a sledghammer, i took some doing but got one end off (non seized end) but the other side,jesus christ it must be actually welded to the tube as i took the trailing arm off the shaft before the shaft came out of the tube :

 

 

guess the beam is scrap but at least i saved my tb and arb, just need anew tube and some bearing etc. and i'm away.

 

i also think i lost about two litres of sweat whilst doing it as it is red hot outside, and what must the neighbours have thought?

[jimistdt 1]

Bloomin' eck!! That takes some doing old lad!

 

 

I know that geographically you couldn't be any further away really, but if you can arrange it I've got a base model tube sat in my shed redundant at the minute, no ovalling at all, yours if you want it.

 

Just let me know.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Bloomin' eck!! That takes some doing old lad!

 

 

I know that geographically you couldn't be any further away really, but if you can arrange it I've got a base model tube sat in my shed redundant at the minute, no ovalling at all, yours if you want it.

 

Just let me know.

 

i know my bl**dy arms ache now!!

 

would you be prepared to courier the beam if i can arrange it? as i really dont want to have to strip another one ever again

[jimistdt 1]

No probs. Just let me know when and I'll stick it in the boot, wrap it and they can collect it from my work. Sorted.

[welshpug 1,655]

did the other side come out? I'd be tempted to get it to a machine shop/forge and see if you can get the shaft pressed out.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

did the other side come out? I'd be tempted to get it to a machine shop/forge and see if you can get the shaft pressed out.

 

yeah the other side came out ok in fact it was moving freely up and down the 5mm gap i managed to get

 

jim, any idea how much a bare beam tube weighs?

 

i do love this forum such a helpfull bunch

[jimistdt 1]

yeah the other side came out ok in fact it was moving freely up and down the 5mm gap i managed to get

 

jim, any idea how much a bare beam tube weighs?

 

i do love this forum such a helpfull bunch

 

At a guess, 15Kg's, thereabouts. I'll stick it on the scales tonight if I remember.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

At a guess, 15Kg's, thereabouts. I'll stick it on the scales tonight if I remember.

 

legend, cheers mate

 

as long as its under 30kg it should be good, i'll sort you some beer tokens out too

 

pm me the details if you dont mind

Edited August 14, 2009 by pugpete1108

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

jesus christ it must be actually welded to the tube as i took the trailing arm off the shaft before the shaft came out of the tube :

 

 

guess the beam is scrap but at least i saved my tb and arb, just need anew tube and some bearing etc. and i'm away.

 

The centre tube is scrap imo so i wouldn't bother trying to get it out.

 

If the bars are stuck fast the radius arm shaft can sometimes come off easier than getting the bars free.

 

Bloomin' eck!! That takes some doing old lad!

It takes less than you might think, the same thing happened to me when I stripped Dreamweavers old beam & also onthe beam from my 88 white 1.6 GTI.

 

A centre tube weighs under 10kg's iirc.

 

Graham.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

i was just going to pm you graham, can you supply beam bearings and seals etc.?

 

if so can you drop me a pm with prices and availability?

 

cheers

pete

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

i was just going to pm you graham, can you supply beam bearings and seals etc.?

I haven't got any spare, just order them from Peugeot to get same price as I'd pay.

 

Graham.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

I haven't got any spare, just order them from Peugeot to get same price as I'd pay.

 

Graham.

 

ok mate will do.

[jimistdt 1]

A couple of pics of the beam, Pete.

I'll probably take the brackets off to make it less bulky, it just needs a clean inside and out, and as a precaution I'd definately change the front bushes. Otherwise it's spot on.

 

 

Good tube

 

Cheers

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

cheers, yeah whip them brakets off i have still still got mine here so dont need them anyway

 

i did plan on doing aal the rubbers anyway but cheers for the advice

 

will be in touch, i will pm you my adress now just so you have it ready

 

pete