I know this has been dealt with before some years ago. And here we go again.
The rear shock links on my 52OTS are tired and worn out - actually they are on their way out.
I have new links and bushes for this but as I can understand the way this is designed it will only be a matter of time before the new ones comes of. SO -. what to do?
My question is really - how to get the old ones of and the new ones in???
I have planned to fix one side at a time since I only have one floor jack. But do you need to decompress the absorber before you can take of the link and put the new one in?
When it was on a lift - I could not remove the links cause the suspension was hanging and therefore the absorber was stretched.
Or - if you have another idea to just have the old links stay put so they do not fall off?
Mine were also “finished” but I decided to solve it in a (slightly) different way, partly using the old components.
Picture below shows the disintegrated “Link and Pin” construction.
If you keep the new rubber slightly longer than the bushing, the large washers at both ends will compress the rubber and create a good fit.
Just like Rob, I drilled a hole in the original Pin and tapped it and then screwed in a bolt (with a large washer under the head) to keep the rubber in compression mode…
Of course, using new pieces of rubber is not the same as the original rubber-bonded construction. But if you accept the additional large washers, this is a safe and functional solution that will last for many many miles (or kilometers in your and my case).
