Where to start!
JtC had set aside all day and night to kill as much work as possible. Thankfully on Friday we were able to source all the rigid brake line, brake hoses and brake hardware required to get stuck into the brakes today (see previous post).
Joe cleaned the the front cross member and hit it with a bit of black acrylic. While that dried, the LHF stub axle assembly was assembled... so that means all front brake slave cylinders are in, all front wheel bearings are in and both front brake/stub axle assemblies are complete.
With the brake lines out of the way, a quick clean of the steering box was prudent. Now it looks a treat!
Next, the long rigid brake line was installed. A bit of fine adjusting in the bend department got it settled in the locating clips on the cross member and lined up with the distribution block on the LHF and brake hose on the RHF. With the RHF hose attached, the brakes look brilliant! Definitely starting to come together now.
Out came the compressor which was used to blow-out the brake distribution block.
The next part was the concern leading into today; installing the front springs and getting the base of the spring engaged with the lower control arm (LCA). At full sag, the bottom coil remains caught on a boss on the LCA with a bow in the coil (see previous post:
"Spring Compressor"). We would need to compress the spring slightly and bend the base of the spring to engage the boss on the LCA.
Using the jack, we compressed the spring and retained it in a compressed state using the spring retainer we bodged up earlier. Drop the jack away, bolt up the LCA, then moment of truth... can we flex the base of the spring - while compressed - to mate up with the LCA?
Piece of cake! We were worried about nothing... bonus!
Managed to forget to install the ball joint into the LCA, so went to bolt it in and the holes wouldn't line up
.
Out the LCA came and "massaging" of the LCA and ball joint mounts on the bench soon ensued. Levering and hammering did the trick and soon the ball joint was in. So... back under the car, bolt up LCA to the chassis, bend spring to LCA, marry LCA and spring, jack up the LCA until the drum assembly could be installed and the ball joints done up... nice!
But of course, one of the lower ball joints had a long bolt head to act as a steering bump stop - and the other didn't. Did we pay attention and get them around the right way? Nooo...
At this point I departed with Kath and the kids go out to leave Joe to keep at it.
He swapped the bolts over, then stuck in a K-Mac shock absorber from his Monaro which means the RHF is done (aside from nipping up some bolts that need the car dropped on the ground)!
He even attached the restraining wire rope to catch the engine in the event that an engine mount breaks...
JtC continued to install the short LHF brake line, the brake line to the MC and the LHF brake hose. All that is needed now brake-wise is connect the LHF hose to the LHF slave cylinder (when the LHF stub axle is installed) and bleed away!
The last task of the evening was bolting in the centre link to the pitman arm and idler arm. Phew!
HUGE thanks to Joe once again for a massive effort and I was glad to pitch in a lot more than I have been.
Next:
- Shock absorber bolt (one has gone missing)
- Black paint (we are out)
- Tie rod end boots
- Paint LHF upper cntrl arm
- Fit LHF upper ball joint
- Paint sub frame RHS (mask spring/shocker)
