Pesky Spring Plate Removal

[viejopatron]

Help! I need to hear some "lessons learned" re: removing those pesky old bushed spring plates.

This car is a '71 911T with original suspension. The plate moved approx 3 mm and stopped. Is it T-bar or inner bushing? I'd like to finesse it if possible, however I not against doing the "Godzilla" thing.

I like to hear from those who've run into this and what the solution was in their case.

Thanks.

[Randy Webb]

Sounds like it is stuck on the splines?

Use a bigger hammer. My finesse was to hit it so as to make it go in a few times before returning to making it go out with more hammer blows. If the T-bar comes out also, you can always use a press to separate them. Be sure and mark the angle before you take it all apart.

Replace rubber bushings now unless they are new. Have fun!

[KTL]

Lay something like a shim of wood against the chassis and then insert a large pry bar between the shim and the spring plate. Pry the plate out of the housing.

They don't come out easy. The rubber bushings are a tight fit in the housing. If there's a bit of corrosion on the bar splines, that's going to make them a bit tough to come out.

If it doesn't want to go, you go over to the other side and take the other side off (hopefully that one comes out easier). You then can insert a long object like a broomstick and drive the bar out the other side?

Good luck.

[Joe Bob]

Yup....took a lot of pulling and yanking on the two sets that I have done. When ya put it back togther, clean everything out....you will not believe the crud in there....

[viejopatron]

Both plates are now off.

I went to the driver side, removed the plate from that side [the bar came with it... so then I removed the rocker strip, opened the access and drilled into the endcap. Found a suitable sized punch and with my trusty 2 Lb hand sledge wacked out the bar], and then basically repeated that process on the other side.

Thanks for everyone's input!