I've been having a loud "clunk" noise from the left rear when driving
through a pothole or over a road ridge. Over the winter I inspected the gas
shocks (had Aldan rebuild one due to stiffness -- their lifetime guarantee
is terrific !), replaced the rear engine mounts (w/ hose clamps around
rubber to increase stiffness a bit), and inspected the transmission mounts.
All this resulted in little or no improvement of the occurance. It almost
sounds as if something is loose, but repeated inspections of the shock,
wheel & axle mounts find nothing evident.
Has anyone else had the opportunity to solve a similar problem? --TIA
=========
> Reply by Bilgey:<
While it's hard to tell without seeing the car itself (and even then it's a
challenge), could it be that your stub axles have "ovalled out" the hole
where they mount into the oscillating arm. Apparently this is a very common
source of "thunking." While a replacement of the oscillating arms and stub
axles might be advised in the case of truly advanced decrepitude, you might
also be interested in a "quick fix" described by Billy Syx at Amphicar.net's
"Parts Tips" pages at
http://www.amphicar.net/partsinfo.htm , excerpted here
just below:
Owner_FullName: Billy Syx (East Coast Amphicar)
Owner_Email:
eca@amphicar.net
Owner_Website:
http://www.galloweb.com/~amphicar
Original_Amphicar_Part_Name: Pinch bolt for rear axle oscillating arm
Original_Amphicar_Part_Model_or_Type: Hexagon bolt M 10 x 75 S DIN 931 - 10K
Original_Amphicar_Part_Number: 1.309 15.00 (Amphicar Parts Catalog, 4/1 --
Item 11)
Replacement_Part_Name: Any manufacturer
Replacement_Part_Model_or_Type: 2 1/2 x 3/8" SAE (Minimum Grade 5, but the
higher the grade the better)
Replacement_Part_Number: Common U.S. hardware
Manufacturer_or_Source: Any decent U.S. hardware store
Actually_used_the_part?: I have actually used this part
Price: $3
Price_from_Gordon: n/a
Date: October 26, 1999
Modifications_Needed_or_Other_Comments
Also purchase matching washers (2 per bolt) and nut. The original Amphicar
bolt was a much softer steel with a very coarse thread. With this new
stronger grade steel replacement and its finer (SAE) thread, it may be
possible with a little "heave-ho" to tighten down a loose oscillating arm
onto the stub axle, thereby vastly improving handling and safety, to say
nothing of avoiding that $700 bite for a new oscillating arm assembly. The
old original soft-steel bolts will usually snap if one tightens them down
hard. Use of a thread locking compound like Loctite on the nut or
double-nutting (tightening a second nut against the first) is advised.
=========
As an aside, Bill & Crusty have certainly enhanced the general public's
awareness of the Amphicar. We first heard about their near tradgedy as we
pulled into a gas station in South Dakota. Now it seems that at every stop
people recognize the car and ask about the situation. We're pleased that
safety pervailed and no one was hurt! Has a retrieval plan been finalized
or implemented?
=========
> Reply by Bilgey:<
Todays' the day when they're supposed to give the recovery their best shot
with the help of a local marine salvage company. If you would like to help
defray the costs of the rescue, estimated to be about $4,500, please DO give
what you can to the "Save Old Crusty Fund" at
www.amphicar.net . On a
related note, I'd have to admit that "Old Crusty's" predicament has
certainly thrown Amphicars into the limelight. Both amphicar.net and the
Club's amphicar.com domains experienced about a three-fold increase in
traffic on and about July 2nd, when the news hit the stands.
~Bilgey~
Linear Mode
