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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2017 15:47:40 GMT -5
Ok,I bought a para rail suspension for one of my sleds.What is the best way to take it apart? How much tension is on the 2 springs on the front? It looks like I have to take out all the bolts on one side of the bogie rails,as once the bolt is loose,the other is still tight.3 sets of 5 bogies,good grief.I don't want to screw this up,I want to take the whole thing apart,inspect & replace parts as needed. Thanks.
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Post by oldscorpman on Dec 15, 2017 19:18:28 GMT -5
welcome to the world of para-rail. 7 of my 9 scorpions have this suspension and i have been working on these for 45 years. you will learn to sting together many swear words and even invent some along the way as you work on this. the design is great, the problem is you need to take the suspension apart every other year if it is used in snow(grass draggers dont have this issue)and clean and re-grease everything or it freezes up. the front springs need to be pushed down and out at the same time , i made this tool for that project out of some scrap metal. obj1 has a much nicer one but mine works good,the next problem you will face is getting the boogie wheels off the shafts,a pulley puller just bends the wheels so you get to make another special tool that goes up and over and behind the bogie wheel. once you get the outer wheels off you can attempt to get the side rail off the axles with a rubber hammer. the h-frame in the back normally doesn't want to give up the axles shafts unless you remove and grease them every other year a can of pb blaster and a torch is usually needed. the tubes that are on the shafts will be corroded tight and your best bet is to lightly cut into them to split them and just make new ones. the tube is available at menards for $8.00 for 3 feet.
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Post by weverat on Dec 15, 2017 21:55:45 GMT -5
The best part is, you get to free up those 3 shafts on the back, 2 steel shafts in the weldment, and 1 aluminum passing through the rear idler wheels.
You have to be careful not to booger up the threads etc. I have my best luck with a little heat, and your favorite penetrating lube.
Then all that shit is usually bent out of alignment, so you have to kind of straighten and tune everything to fit descent again.
Upon assembly, I mix light grease with never seize, slather over all the shafts, and inside the pipes.
Oh ya, the pipes, they are a fricking mess too, I use a round wire brush of the correct size, and a cordless drill to clean the rust out of the pipes.
They are an all day affair. Take your time, stand it on it's side, and start spraying it with lube for a few days, maybe even add a little heat, and spray it some more.
Keep us posted!
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Post by weverat on Dec 16, 2017 8:17:06 GMT -5
Dan, oldscorpman's tools are very handy!, I seem to never have enough patients to weld one up, but it is not hard to take apart if you have a helper in the shop. You can stand on the arm, or use a bar to compress the 2 springs, and at the same time use 2 flat bars to hold the springs up and free from the cross shaft and they come free. This now allows you to pull the shaft and lube it all up good, then it is the same bitch to put back on, just have a good partner and a selection of bars. Ok, I do not completely disassemble my para rails, only the shafts at the front and the back. I only replace the real bad bogies, and use a needle greaser on the rest of them. This is good enough for me, as us old guy,s are not going anywhere with these old sleds anyhow. Now, oldscorpman is a master of total concourse restoration, and is never afraid to go "Full Monte". Me?, I just want it to roll so I can go give it a damm good beating. A couple more things, that roll pin that holds the shock mount in place can be very stubborn, seams like I wind up drilling it out, and it is hard steel. Better to use the right size punch, heat,and fluid, tapping back and fourth, you know the drill. Often they are broke, or become broke, but they are available on e-bay etc. for about 20 bucks. Then I use a bolt rather then a roll pin. The other thing is these para rails come in all flavors, different lengths and widths to fit Scorpion tracks. 72,73,74,75 Stingers used 14 1/2" tracks. Stings, and Whips had 15 1/2" tracks. Make sure it will fit in the Rupp tunnel.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2017 13:49:36 GMT -5
Ok,the shaft with 2 bogie wheels,will that drop out after the end bolts are taken out? Are the bogies pressed on the shaft?
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Post by oldscorpman on Dec 16, 2017 18:22:09 GMT -5
Ok,the shaft with 2 bogie wheels,will that drop out after the end bolts are taken out? Are the bogies pressed on the shaft? the boogies are not pressed on, But due to corrosion the will weld themselves to the shafts also the spacer tubes between the boogies will corrode onto the axle shafts making pushing the shaft out a pain. that is why as i suggested before to split and remove the spacer tubes and just make new. it will speed up the disassably process.HEAT AND PENATRENT.
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Post by 80sting440 on Dec 16, 2017 19:24:07 GMT -5
This is all good stuff to learn just in case I need to join you Para-rail guys one day.
Rene
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2017 0:00:28 GMT -5
Para rails are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun,NOT!! I started taking the bogie assemblies apart.
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Post by 80sting440 on Dec 17, 2017 0:09:39 GMT -5
I bet it's kind of like hitting your head against the wall...it feels soooooo goooood when it's over.
Rene
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2017 0:23:01 GMT -5
I'm at a loss on compressing the springs on the front.The first set of bogies are through the rails,the springs on the rod connect to the aluminum bars that attach to the rail.How the hell do you compress something if both are stationary?That boggles my mind.Guess I'll leave the front till last,tomorrow work continues on the back. Of the 4 sets of bogies I took out,two aluminum shafts were bent,but I managed to straighten them back out.One was seized,but it finally gave up.I'm glad I gave up drinking,cause this is a job that could cause someone to start.Nah. Ok,when I start putting this back together,should I put lock tite on the bolts that go into the bogie shafts?It sure looks like there was some on them.
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Post by weverat on Dec 17, 2017 7:01:48 GMT -5
Nitroman, That front arm pivots, and the springs are not all that stiff, yours must be stuck.
No lock tite for me, I do the opposite and use grease or never seize.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2017 13:54:48 GMT -5
Ok then.I looked the para-rail over,turned it upside down,to put pressure on the 2 arms.Wife had to stand on the rail for weight,while I took 2 flat bars & wedged them in between the shaft & on the spring.Then I pushed the spring down to disengage it from the axle or what ever the hell it is.Worked great,but putting it back together might involve a different strategy. Now,on to the back.Do ALL 3 shafts have to turn free? I see right now,the blue flame wrench is needed to get the 2 flat arms off the STEEL shaft.I'm off to see the wizard,the wonderful wizard of.............
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Post by oldscorpman on Dec 17, 2017 14:52:50 GMT -5
Ok then.I looked the para-rail over,turned it upside down,to put pressure on the 2 arms.Wife had to stand on the rail for weight,while I took 2 flat bars & wedged them in between the shaft & on the spring.Then I pushed the spring down to disengage it from the axle or what ever the hell it is.Worked great,but putting it back together might involve a different strategy. Now,on to the back.Do ALL 3 shafts have to turn free? I see right now,the blue flame wrench is needed to get the 2 flat arms off the STEEL shaft.I'm off to see the wizard,the wonderful wizard of............. yes all 3 shafts should turn free, the design of the h-frame is to pivot on the shafts allowing the suspension to compress.
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Post by 80sting440 on Dec 18, 2017 6:12:11 GMT -5
Are shocks still available for these?
Rene
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Post by weverat on Dec 18, 2017 7:02:34 GMT -5
Yes, some of these become damn near molecular bonded with rust. The shaft with the shock mount often is really stuck. I have cut the shaft in order to save the H arm weldment.
It helps to start with at least 2 complete suspensions.
The next one you find will come right apart with minimal effort.
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Post by obj1 on Dec 18, 2017 10:55:27 GMT -5
weverat, I am looking into eliminating the rear "H" part completly and adding a scissor type with a adjustable shock and idler shaft like in a polaris 121 skid. maybe someone has done it before. there is alot of real simple skids out there, just need to find the one that fits the best.I just think it would be awesome to keep the pararail with a better rear suspension.
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Post by weverat on Dec 18, 2017 11:46:52 GMT -5
I tried connecting the rear idler assembly from an old bogie wheel suspension to the Para-rail. It all looked good on paper etc., but upon assembly I found out as the suspension moved up and down, the track tension would change.
That H arm on the back seams to hold track tension at all angles?
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Post by weverat on Dec 18, 2017 12:03:40 GMT -5
Here it is, bolts right onto the back of a para-rail, and it is light weight. Maybe if I were to lock the front swinging arm in position so it can not travel, then the track would hold it's adjustment. For drag racing, just a little travel is enough? Check out the UFO, What your seeing is the shadow, left click on the pic and you can see it. Seems like they show up when drinking Heinekin during the day, those cheap Bud Lights are for the neighbors.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2017 19:11:51 GMT -5
I did manage to get this apart & cleaned up.I greased EVERYTHING as it went back together!! I found/saved enough useable parts to do this,just have to attach the front springs to the front,black painted mount.That should be fun.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2017 11:18:49 GMT -5
I want to pre-fit para-rail & track in my Rupp chassis.I'm at a loss here,as I have never done this.First step is to put the track in tunnel & put the front drive shaft in? Would it help to tip sled on its side when putting para-rail in? Just asking. Then finagel the front of para-rail into track[front & back],then fasten the front mount to tunnel,then fasten rear axle assembly? In my mind,I'm not seeing the whole picture here.I could use a plan that is really simple to get this done.Ya,I really like pictures.Pictures probably help more than words.Ok Steve,explain as you just did one.Thanks.
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