Bantam Suspension.

[scousebantam]

I think everyone knows by now that I have a barn find 1955 Plunger suspension Bantam, I have stripped most of it down to have the frame painted.
I cannot get either the front forks or the plunger units out of the frame, workshop manuals are not available at the moment and I have searched ebay for a workshop manual, got to page 41 and gave up.
Has anyone got a workshop manual that they could copy out for me to tell me how to remove the front forks and the plunger units please.
I have tried what I thought I should do but they won't budge, not sure if it is something I have not done or it is just age related, ie totally rusted in. Many thanks in advance for any help.   

[Spaceman]

The front fork mounting is conventional as far as I can see with a pinch bolt in the lower yoke and a taper on the end of the stanchion and a top but. After loosening the pinch bolt, you need to loosen the top nut a few turn and then hit it with a soft mallet to break the taper. However, you need to remove the central cover from the nut first.

[Spaceman]

Looking at the Bantam Haynes manual, it says you have to loosen the upper and lower rear suspension pinch bolts and then drift out the central column. You then have to grip the covers and compress the springs to allow them to be removed from the frame.

[scousebantam]

That was a very quick reply Spaceman thanks, I have tried what you suggest but neither front or back units are budging, I guess it's age related lying in a barn for heaven knows how long, I will try a bit of heat I think.

[Spaceman]

With both suspension units, its worth opening the pinch clamps with a screw driver after removing the pinch bolts. For the front fork legs, its normally just a case of giving the slightly loosened top nut a sharp tap to break the taper. Alternatively, do up the lower yoke pinch bolts again and, after removing the steering column top nut, deliver a few upwards sharp blows to the top yoke to dislodge it from the fork legs.

I've never done one before, but it does look as Haynes says that you need to tap out the central columns after undoing the pinch bolts top and bottom. Opening the pinch clamps with a screwdriver should make it easier. 

[scousebantam]

Well what can I say? I have spent a couple of days now trying to get the rear suspension units out. I know they went in in the factory but,
after 68 years on the road getting them out is a different matter.
I have tried compressing them with coil spring compressors that I change the springs on my Landy, but it doesn't work, I have tried hammering out the central shaft but it sounds solid, don't want to hit too much in case I damage something.
Has anyone actually removed these unit before, if so I could do with some inspiration.

[JulianS]

This is the service sheet for removing the plungers.

[Spaceman]

I've never taken a plunger rear suspension apart and was going purely via the parts book which I now realise I slightly misinterpreted in terms of the construction - I thought there was just a single centre column but now realise thanks to Julian's Service Sheet that there is an outer sliding tube to which the axle bracket is clamped.

If the rear suspension is solid with no up/down movement possible then the sliding tube has probably seized on the centre column. I assume this is the case otherwise the centre column should have been easy to drift out. If the sliding tube is seized then you could try penetrating oil or heat if feasible but, otherwise, you may have cut through the centre column on the upper and lower spring sides of the frame clamps. If the sliding tubes can't then be freed from their centre column you will then be looking at having to replace each pair, unfortunately.

[Spaceman]

Just to clarify: if the sliding tube has seized on the centre column, you have the equivalent problem that people have when a swinging arm pivot bolt seizes on Silentbloc bushes or needle roller journals. In each case, the only solution can sometimes be to saw through the pivot bolt, or centre column in this case, to free the assembly from the frame.

Normally, with a seized swinging arm, you then have the problem of trying to remove the pivot bolt or what's left of it once it has been separated from the frame. In the case of the D1, you should at least be able to easily remove everything off the sliding tube once it's out of the frame. As said, if you can't then free a sliding tube off the centre column, you can at least replace both in principle.

[scousebantam]

Cheers guys, I think that answers my questions, I know what I have to do now.

[scousebantam]

I have finally had time to have a serious look at the plunger suspension on my Bantam. Wow what an idiot. It was my interpretation of the instructions, I have been trying to remove the main pin by knocking out from the top. Read the instructions again and turned the frame 'upside down' and drifted the pin out with a couple of light blows, easy. Thinking about it the pin is slightly tapered, the top being slightly thicker than the bottom, obviously.
Have to go back and learn how to read instruction manuals correctly. Thanks for the help guys.