88 replies to this topic

[Gedi]

Thanks for your input Arno, I think I'll take your advise and switch back to OEM bushes.

Damn it, I thought I was £300 better off for a while then

[Gedi]

I've started stripping and cleaning the front suspension, still quite way to go yet until I get it looking like new. Not sure what to do with the bump stops as they seem to absorb dirt, and I don't think it's possible to clean them

 

 

 

The springs are at the powder coaters and are being done in turquoise as per the original Nitron colour.

 

 

I've also now stripped the front brake calipers; pistons, seals and dust caps are all out and ready to be replaced with new.

I can confirm the part number as being correct for this caliper kit. You get new 4 piston seals, 4 dust covers, 2 bleed nipple seals with 2 new o-rings You don't get pistons though, so extra care is needed when removing them to avoid damage.

 

I've started cleaning them but I was just using Gunk and it really isn't powerful enough to clean them to the level I want. Anyone got any ideas for something better? 

 

 

I'm gonna touch them up (there's a couple of chips), and then polish and seal them. Hopefully they'll be easier to clean in the future.

[Nev]

Try brake cleaner perhaps, it is quite aggressive on stubburn grease marks.

[Gedi]

I'm gonna try a bit of white spirit tonight and if that doesn't work I'll try some brake cleaner

[Gedi]

The project has been on hold for a while now as I dislocated my shoulder a while back I'm currently resting it until it's strong enough to mess with cars again...

 

Anyway, quick update; once I'd had all the suspension parts shot blasted we noticed that one of the front lower wishbones was bent. It looks like the damage is from some kind of hard knock on the road, maybe a pothole. You can see how much it's moved from the red lines I've added to the pic.

 

 

I've given the chassis, suspension, etc a once over and everything else seems to be fine. Is there anything I should double and treble check??

 

My mate offered to straighten it, but I'd prefer to get a replacement instead. What are my options? They're £200 from eliseparts, I really didn't wanna blow that much on a fecking wishbone.... Is it safe to get a 2nd hand part from ebay?

 

[fezzasus]

Completely safe to get a second hand part, that's essentially what you're doing by reusing your other parts anyway.

[TazN]

Had to replace both my n/s rears due to a dink and a bent wishbone. PM Liz, it's more of a nuisance with time delays getting shot blasted, at least you noticed prior to powder coating them...

[Gedi]

I've not had any time to work on the car recently, hence the lack of updates. I have however got the parts back from the powder coaters, and all my suspension refresh parts have arrived from Seriously Lotus.

 

You'll notice in the pic that the lad that sprayed the hubs didn't mask them off, so the face where the bearing bolts to now has a layer of paint on there. Is it okay to leave it there or would I be better to remove it?

 

[haggi961]

Everything wants to be cleaned off where it makes contact as stuff won't sit right once everything been torqued back up.

[TazN]

Mine where masked off, think most people advise for the above reasoning.

 

Seeing suspension bits brings back horrible memories. Good luck with putting it all back together!

[Gedi]

yeah, I kinda already knew what the replys would be, but thought I'd ask anyway

I have a sharp scraper which should take the paint off just as neatly as if I'd carefully masked off, so it's not a problem.

 

Seeing suspension bits brings back horrible memories. Good luck with putting it all back together!

 

 

 

It might be a bit of a nightmare but they look very pretty, which definitely makes it all worth doing.

 

I was expecting some eagle eyed suspension refresher to have pointed out the problem in the above picture, but no one's picked up on it

Edited by Gedi, 08 October 2013 - 03:40 PM.

[techieboy]

Identical lower wishbones?

[Gedi]

Identical lower wishbones?

 

  I knew it'd be either you or JG to spot it.

 

I got some spares done in case I bend any. I only realised I'd put the same 2 in the pic after I'd taken it

Edited by Gedi, 08 October 2013 - 03:44 PM.

[leevx2.2]

To remove paint I would just get a electric sander on the face it will soon remove it

[Gedi]

I'm planning on pressing the bushes and balljoints back in this week, it's strangley exciting.....

 

I'm using ACF-50 as a lubricant to get everything back in, but I'm wondering if it's worth coating the balljoints in duralac as well or is it just a waste of a rather expensive paste?

I've read both good and bad things about duralac

[fezzasus]

It's steel on steel so you won't get any galvanic reaction. It's not really needed.

[Gedi]

Cool. I wasn't sure what the ribbed areaof the balljoint was made from, hence the question.

Cheers Fez 

[fezzasus]

It'll be zinc coated steel. The zinc coating is to minimise any corrosion before it's inserted.

[Gedi]

Slowest project ever ....

 

I've decided to move the car to a large, nice warm garage for the winter, but there's no front end on it at the moment so I need to get cracking. I'm gonna loosely bolt the running gear back together so I can roll it onto a transporter and then I'll be able to get it back up on stands in its new home , then I can re-strip it all down again

 

This is the ball joint tool I drew up and had made at a fraction of the cost of the eliseparts tool. (drawing is here if anyone wants to make one http://www.vx220.org...ll-joint-tools/ )

 

 

 

 

 

The bushes pressed in easily in the vice, there's no need to buy the overpriced eliseparts tool. The only problem is that metal bearing in the inner part of the bush pushes through ahead of the rubber section, which means it bottoms in the vice jaws before the rubber section has pushed in all the way. A socket of 32mm would sit around the tube which the bush sits in and allow the steel bearing to be over-pressed until the rubber pushes home. I had an old bent wishbone lying around, so I cut the end off it and used that instead of the socket. 

 

 

 

 

[Foxy]

What is the cost of such powder coated beauty?