103 replies to this topic

[haggi961]

If your getting the zinc plating done on the wishbones and uprights you have to used a T-wash afterwards on the zinc otherwise paint or powedrcoat won't stick to it. With the hubs I would recommend keeping your own ones if there's nothing wrong with yours as I'm hearing more and more people saying the less then oem ones are failing as the quailty isn't there. If you do replace I would buy oem now.

[cookster501]

Nobody tried tuffriding on suspension components it's ten times more corrosion resistant than zinc they use it a lot on oilrigs For parts that spend there life on the seabed.

[Arno]

AFAIK the Tuftride process needs the parts to be heated to around 600ºC which is tricky with the closed tubes on the wishbones that probably want to blow up. You'd need to drill holes in the tubes and even then probably you'd need to be careful with distortion/warpage on the parts/tubes during the process. I guess it could be done, however it probably needs someone with good knowlegde on the process to look at the parts and determine the feasability though. Bye, Arno.

[GaryK]

Yes, on reflection, I'm gonna 'keep it simple stupid' on the suspension parts, probably blast and plate. Is it really necessary to powdercoat/paint if that's purely cosmetic when the parts are zinc plated? It'll all be well hidden so I'm not that fussed about the cosmetics.

 

I just want to be able to drive with the confidence that something isn't going to give... At the moment, I don't have that confidence as it's all very tired under there and I  have knackered bushes NSR at the very least. My existing bearings are fine even if they do look like they've been left in the sea.

[GaryK]

Got the car back from Demand Engineering a few days back now. A proper sound bunch and I'm absolutely delighted with the work they've done. I asked them to basically rebuild me a Miltek in T304. My Miltek was a total write-off; I wish I'd taken pictures after they cut it open. Two of the baffles had come away completely and had moved to the other end of the box along with all the stuffing!

Despite that, once warmed up there was no denying it was a quiet box that didn't sound too bad. That's why I effectively asked for the same again please. I want to take this on track so wanted to keep with a proven quiet design. The finished article is definitely a significant improvement.

Pics below... I have a replacement oem grill to be put on over winter when the clam is off which will finish it off nicely. God knows how this one ended up in such a state.

Edited by GaryK, 20 October 2015 - 07:36 PM.

[D-DAWG83]

Not a fan of the tips, but glad they did a good job on it for you. Can I ask how much they charged, as my Miltek has had it, and id like some nice polished tips, but exactly the same as the Miltek's if possible

[GaryK]

It was £575 fitted. The tips were my own choice - they had a shelf of shiny bits to choose from.

[Foxy]

My old number plate. Just sayin'

Edited by Foxy, 21 October 2015 - 10:58 AM.

[techieboy]

My old number plate. Just sayin' too.

[GaryK]

Also James141... Looks like the plate had as many previous owners as the car!

[Foxy]

I was first

[techieboy]

I was first

 

But it looked better on my car.

 

[Foxy]

I was first

  But it looked better on my car.  

That must be 'shopped...the wheels have never turned that fast in real life

[FLD]

 

 

I was first

  But it looked better on my car.  

That must be 'shopped...the wheels have never turned in real life

 

EFA

[ChrisS1]

 

 

 

I was first

  But it looked better on my car.  

That must be 'shopped...the wheels have never turned in real life

 

EFA

 

 

Be fair, it could have been on the way to have an exhaust fitted.  

[The Batman]

I have that photo of techies car in my hallway on canvas!

[cookster501]

Just been to collect all my suspension parts from tuffriding works really well no problems with distortion at all you just have to be brave and try something new still can't convince the wife😜

[FLD]

Just been to collect all my suspension parts from tuffriding works really well no problems with distortion at all you just have to be brave and try something new still can't convince the wife

 

Great news.

[Rosssco]

 

 

I was first

  But it looked better on my car.  

That must be 'shopped...the wheels have never turned that fast in real life

 

 

They've just shopped out the tow rope - dead give away is the towing eye left in by mistake...

[GaryK]

I put the car up on stands a month back to begin the stripdown for refresh. It’s been one hell of a slog. I took a long weekend off work to get started, with the assistance of my dad. We didn’t get very far because of stubborn or rounded off bolts, which was pretty frustrating. Day 1, got the car up on axle stands and started to remove the rear clam. It all went pretty much OK until we got completely stuck by the front bolt on the passenger seat runner because it was rounded and corroded. We must’ve wasted over two hours on that one bolt before calling it a day.

 

 

Day 2, I got fed up and took a hole cutter to the seat. I am going to get them reupholstered anyway…

 

 

Once the seat was out the rest was easy. The rear clam came off and I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it looks under there:

 

 

We spent the rest of the day (minus a trip out with the kids) attempting to remove the front clam. It was the same story: one bastard bolt costing us hours. This time it was the one holding down the clam at the NSF wheel arch.

 

 

The following morning, I dremelled a cut across the washer so it could be chiselled it out from underneath the bolt. Front clam off:

 

 

So there we were, on day three, and only just got the clams off! We started on the rear suspension. It was a pig. Every bolt was a total PITA to remove. We managed to loosen the ball joints and toe links, but kept it all bolted together while trying to remove the HCBs. Unfortunately, this is where we got completely stuck and had to give up for the weekend.

 

I only had one T50 star bit, and it twisted on the second bolt. I really didn’t want to round off the bolts, so we stopped at this point.  I ordered a few extra T50 and T55 bits and regularly soaked the bolts in Plusgas while waiting for them to arrive.

 

Over the next couple of weeks, I only managed to pop into the garage for the odd half hour. I managed to get a couple out, but one of the bolts had been replaced with a bolt that was too long:

 

 

This laziness cost me HOURS. Despite trying to clean the threads, because the years of rust and dirt, the bolt completely seized when I tried to remove it. I ended up rounding the bolt and was then completely stuck. I bought a blowtorch to see if that helped release it, but the bolt was too badly rounded for me to get any purchase on it.

 

Earlier today, I finally managed to get the ****er out. I got grips on it and whacked them with a lump hammer. I had to do this about 50 times to get it out, but job done. The rear hubs are now free to be removed from the drive shafts, then I suspect I’m gonna have just as much fun removing the wishbones…