Grizz’s Purgatory, Rezin Rockit 🚀 SUMMERTIME FUN 18/09/23

So the weather forecast said rain.

A fair amount of it.

And I must be honest, it got worse, amd left me really thankful for this structure.



Lodger came home around 13.00……… a bit wet.



A big part of the time spent is just cleaning, matching, restoring, replacing, painting etc.





Two dots to remind me how it goes back together later.





Bushes cut to fit over the bar as ends are rather large.

Also added copper grease on every opened surface to protect and enhance movement.



First bit reassembled.



Followed by the steering rack bushes, after a bit of a fight to get them loosened up, they came off.

Both were split when fitted.

So still on the right track.







Though fit is a major problem.

The bushes are actually too small for the job in one aspect (fitting around the steering rack) and too wide, fitting in the prerequisite spaces, so the bench grinder helped.

Followed by BFH encouragement and Fairy Liquid in copious amounts.



And after a bit of a struggle to get both ends captive, it was all good, Nylocs and split pins back in place. The nut fixing. Plates need to still be folded up.




Then I started on the next set of bushes, on the top control arms.

More castle nuts and split pins.

Undid one, started to drive it out, not sure what the referred energy would be from the springs………

So with one end disengaged, it was time to panic and stop, as light was failing and I may need to approach this a different way.

Note the difference in height already there.



Is that a curve I see in the spring, or is it just happy to see me ?/



At this point I decided walking away till tomorrow was a wise move.



So I packed up tools and went into the garage and painted the roll bar a second coat of Hammerite Red as well as the rear shocks, mainly to see what they look like in red once refitted when planning the lowering, as I have red springs from kevins to go in there.


No Bootfair tomorrow as it has been raining most of the day, and will continue overnight.

So maybe a Sunday morning lie in in bed ?/

Unlikely.

These things seem to be popular in Scotland, yet another one popped up
www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/373041247878008/?ref=facebook_story_share
Ttfn Glenn

I wouldn’t ever use copper grease anywhere there is mechanical movement other than a brake pad or shoe. It’s anti-seize not a friction reduction compound like grease. I’d get proper PU safe grease and wash the copper slip out if it were me.

I rarely “give up” on jobs.

Today I did give up and changed direction for a while.

Sometimes you need to change place and pace to survive.

I had hoped to get the bushes completed and even the chassis partly reassembled.

Sousing a Mercedes Benz spring compressor which was not a Ford item, meant I ultimately failed to disassemble the upper and lower control,arms.



Unfortunately too big to successfully clamp and deactivate the springs so that I could get the arms off.



So once I gave up on the springs, having tried them three ways, I decided that reassembled parts made sense.

Problem with the poly bushes, was that even when completely wound in, they hardly give way, compared to the units removes.



VS

The old



So the space is taken up differently.

Looking at the parts next to the wheel you can see I had too much bush.







Minus the two steel eyes that this threaded though I was still dismally short in bolt thread.



So I took the 8 small bushes and ground about 3mm off each of them to create some space so that I could thread on, and tighten the nut.

Once completed, I felt a bit better about failing.

Despite the control arms still having to be done, possibly when I cut the front springs, or buy some correctly specced shorter front springs and shocks.



I am hopeful that I will be able to do this as soon as I have time to get to it.

Todays weather was decent in fact, starting out cold, but dry all day.

Weekend is over, work again tomorrow.

Life is good though .

Might be wrong but it looks to me like you’ve got some of those washers the wrong way round. From memory cupped washers like the anti roll bar links and tie rods usually have the cup facing out towards the nut rather than towards the bush. Might help gain a couple more threads as well.

Cracking progress as usual 🙂

Morning mate,

Well spotted, you are correct.

The big ones certainly will need to come out and be refitted, not sure if it makes any difference to performance or function.

Looking back at the history in photos, the small ones were cupped inward before, but these guys certainly were not.





What difference would the direction of the retaining washers make?

Other than me not being able to wind them in as much, as you lose space on the thickness of the new bushes being rock hard and not moving much.




Once again, a reason for loving the input from all of you, keeping an eye on the little slip-ups that can happen.

Worked in Woolwich all day yesterday, and was knackered when I got in around 5.00pm so did not even go look at the chassis.

Something I do every da as it makes me grin seeing the slow painful progress.

But, Progress is Progress ehhh??

I have not considered it Nick as it would mean finding a bunch of clamps.

I did however find my own basic set of clamps.

Not sure if they will work on my springs as space is tight.

I will go grab a pic later. On a Teams meeting most of the day.

After several extended laughter filled and teeth gritting exchanges with Paul Y he sent me a picture to explain what has to be done next.

Create a simple threaded bar spring compressor in order to release the springs safely and rebush the upper and lower control arms.

After knocking out the lower Ball Joint.




Fingers crossed that I have fingers left to cross once I get this done after work tonight.

It seems a good time to start thinking of fitting some strip lights up in the carport roof right now too.

And plan for heating etc.

Winter’s a-coming.

I've done similar things in the past, my tips would be to grease the thread and when you let the tension off make sure the rod doesen't turn and undo the nut on the other end.