Once I removed the leaf springs Milady showed very clearly why she leaned left.
One of the blades of the spring was broken at the suspension.
Fortunately, I had new springs ordered through Jaco on Thursday and Jaco himself delivered them on Monday at the appointed time, late afternoon, to the campsite.
I went straight to work to assemble the left leaf spring, the car was already jacked up.
After a few hours, I had to throw in the towel. The bushes of the new springs appeared to be really too small for the bolts that carried the old leafs. I had two bolts almost as far as they came through the bush, but beyond that they wouldn’t go. A night’s sleep would do me good. During the eveing I still had contact with Jaco, he promised to arrive Tuesday early morning to see what the damage is and what parts I need extra.
This morning I went (risen to 6 AM) back to the bolts with the puller but this fails unfortunately. Then I dismount the one side of the spring suspension. I’m just done when Jaco arrives coming to see how I am doing.
We come to the conclusion that the bushes are indeed too tight and Jaco sends his driver to get new buses (4 pieces) and two new bolts for those I have beaten in the cramped bus. I saw off both bolts so that the other parts are usable.
Unfortunately, last night I also have forced things such that a few welds have succumbed to the front spring suspension. Jaco will provide a welder so that I can do the welding myself (there is no welder available throughout Windhoek according Jaco). Perfectly I manage that, even thoug it is just a welder with welding electrodes.
The new bushes brought by Jaco and his driver can be mounted fine to the leaf springs .
Yet I am eventually assembling u til 3 PM to get everything right and decent.
But then everything is fine, the new leaf springs are a lot stronger than the old, and the test ride into town is quite prosperous.
Tomorrow we will leave fot Botswana.