73T - Brake & Suspension Refurb - Part 1 - Dismantling

[Highfield]

Looking good Ian

Only downside is 1 hour into your first drive all your new shiny bits will be filthy again

However knowing every bit is sorted is a great feeling

I will make sure I only drive on dry roads and will be escorted by a road sweeper to ensure everything stays clean and dry

Seriously, it is the knowledge that things will be new or refurbished and that the car is 'a good one' and I can show evidence of work done over time, that and the enjoyment, although hammer on knuckle doesn't always inspire such thoughts.

Ian

[Highfield]

I have decided that it is simply too much work to contemplate removing the control / banana arms, given that the bolts are facing the transmission and would therefore need and engine / transmission removal project first, and that just isn't going to happen. Even cutting them off would still leave no room to replace with new ones, so the next best thing is to paint the control / banana arms on the car.

To do this, I wanted to remove the driveshafts and then the parking brake components, leaving just the rear hub in place, and that can be cleaned and painted around.

As with all my work this week, the one side takes an age, and then the other follows in no time.

So, what do I need to remove the driveshafts, apart from reading and re-reading Wayne Dempsey and Haynes books ?

Ian

[Highfield]

The way I did it, a very very very long socket extension and a breaker bar, plus a length of steel pipe and a hammer.



The key was holding the hub in place (I used a cloth on the threads when exerting force) whilst removing the four bolts on each inner CV. This is where the pipe came in handy.



You need to rotate the driveshart to expose the allen bolts in a suitabel location to get the allen key socket on, and have the driveshaft inclined downwards.







With the inner flange released, the outer is done in the same way but with a shorter socket and a small rubber mallet and the same long pipe. Be careful as the driveshaft is heavy when you are catching it under the car. The CV / flange is gently levered off the two guide pins with a screwdriver or plastic wedge, leaving just the flange on the transmission and the hub.



As with all these jobs, they take me ages compared to the pros, but in the end the shafts are off and can themselves be painted and re-greased ready for the rebuild.

All that remains is to disconnect the parking brake and remove the pads and mechanism, and then the control / banana arm can be painted.

I am likely to use Hammerite smooth in a satin black - thoughts ?

Ian

[912uk]

no I did all this on the 12 thought it was the dogs nuts to do it in Hammerite 2 years later half of it's come off!!!

I now use a 2pk satin black from my local car paint place I don't spray it so it can't kill me and I mix it in a glass jar and paint it on by hand.. much tougher.. also drys quicker.

[hot66]

as Mark says, hammerite is crap. I use Por 15.

Also, remember when re installing teh drive shafts, there is meant to be a 'paper' gasket between the CV & the drive flange.

[Highfield]

Used POR15 on the interior and very nice to use

Anyone have a spare tin to sell in black as I have 2 in silver

Ian

[Highfield]

Although I am not able to remove the control / banana arms, I want as much of the arm visible for painting as possible, and decided that I should remove the handbrake pads and mechanism.

Straight forward using Wayne Dempsey project or Haynes, the only difficulty being one of the springs that pushes the pads back, as try as I might it would not compress and twist off. One cup of tea later and voila, one spring removed.

Final job was to scrape off some of the accumulated muck and clean with Swarfega Degreaser (the black mucky tube is the one that goes on the end of the handbrake cable, and is seen in the last photo as a silver / grey tube).

Before I do any painting, I am going to get a good degreaser (Jizer ?) and spray it over the whole of the bottom of the rear of the car (engine / trans also) and then get it steam cleaned (looking for a mobile commercial chap to do it) to remove old waxoyl etc. before I set to with new paint - thoughts on Chassis Paint (Black) from POR ?



















Ian

[Sebring]

I think id use either chassis black (which you can get for not much money from your local paint factor in 5ltrs for about £25). I have also used a product for my engine tin wear called origiplate, the person who sold it to me said its Kephos and the same as most OEMs use for that satin black type finish. I got it from Ken and Lyn. Tel/fax 01298 814813 Mob Ken 07778 165966 and Lyn 07779 143188. They are at Chapel en le Frith in Derbyshire.
I use Frost metal ready underneath after wire brushing or blasting and then Bonda Primer followed by chassis black or just metal ready and the kephos (origiplate).

Cheers

Mark

[Sebring]

The way I got years of muck off my car was to use a parafin gun on my compressor, filled with a mixture of boiling water and jizer (20%). This did wonders as the heat helps to melt the grease. You can get cheapy compressors for not much money and they are so useful for all manner of tasks!!

Ta

Mark

[Classic]

The makers of POR15 have a paint called "chassis coat" leaves a nice satin black finish, you can brush or spray and it won't fade with UV.

I can't tell you about durability, i haven't got that far.

Tony

[Highfield]

OK, so I changed my mind

I sold my steel front crossmember and rear spring plates on Ebay to a chap who is building an FIA car, and needed the steel parts. Transpires he also needs steel arms, so a deal was done to swap my steel arms for his 1977 alloy arms with the correct socket attachment for the ARB.

He very kindly allowed me to take the alloy arms home so I can compare with the steel and swap over any parts as required - I will post a new thread with queries on this.

So, how do you remove steel arms where the bolt has been inserted from the transmission to the outside of the car ?

Answer, with much much much hack sawing in impossibly confined space - beats a workout at the gym any day.

The nut was tight, and a spanner alone wasn't going to move it. So, with the arm loose, you lift the arm as high as it will go, put the spanner on the nut, fit the spanner under the arm, and then use the arm to pull down and twist the spanner - presto one loose nut.





The bolt can then be pushed through as far as it will go to the transmission case. This is where the fun (read hard work) starts. You have to hacksaw the head off the bolt, then push the bolt through some more, and then hacksaw more off. You can now pull out the remainder of the bolt and pull out the arm.



Ian

[Highfield]

I was lead to believe that the 72-73 model year cars had the control arm bolt inserted from the outside towards the transmission, and thus a 'ding' was made in the torsion tube to permit this.

My torsion tube has no such facility, so I am now committed to removing the engine and transmission to replace the bolt with the refurbished alloy control arms.

Can anyone throw any light on this ?





I have at least now got an empty wheel arch area to fully clean and paint







Here are some comparison shots between the steel and alloy arms.







Ian

[impmad2000]

I'm pretty sure that the drive flanges are different on those hubs.
Check it out carefully before swapping the arms out Ian.
Cheers
Tim

[impmad2000]

OK, seen the other thread now

[hot66]

i think the 'ding' in the torsion tube to allow removal of the a-arm bolt only appeared in around Feb / march '73 ..... this is the info given in the RS book