Thanks to all for your advice. I ended up replacing it in situ as some suggested. It was no problem. Used a floor jack to press the backing plate into the arm, placed a long socket on the jack and set the plate with spring on it and pressed it in. Grinded down the tips of a pair of needle nose pliers to use to squeeze the C-clip.
Thanks again to all for the help. And I had the great joy of putting my 11 y/o Black Lab to sleep while doing all of this. Fun stuff. NOT!!!

Sorry to hear about the dog. I've had two of them and miss them both.

Peace,
PT

Ditto on the dog. That is harder than some human funerals for me, I have an 11 year old bassett that is getting there...

I stinks big time. I have another Black Lab that is 9 and is wandering around the house and yard looking for her buddy, that makes it even harder to take. Sorry to get off the main subject.

I stinks big time. I have another Black Lab that is 9 and is wandering around the house and yard looking for her buddy, that makes it even harder to take. Sorry to get off the main subject.

Dude, it's your thread...take it where you want.

Go to the shelter, get another adult lab and rescue it. Your surviving dog needs a buddy. She's probably sad too. :(

Dude, it's your thread...take it where you want.
(
Well then here is a pic of my buddy Sierra taken last week. She was my running and hiking partner, ski partner, mt. bike partner and good dog to my two kids.

looks like it's crying. :(

Dude, it's your thread...take it where you want.

Go to the shelter, get another adult lab and rescue it. Your surviving dog needs a buddy. She's probably sad too. :(

If you don't replace her best friend, you run the risk of losing both of them.

It happens to people and dogs as well-death by broken heart.

I always wonder why I get a new pet, knowing the pain they will put me through when it is time to end their pain. Life's a risk.

Peace,
PT