Started tearing down my front suspension, finally, found a few things,
nothing terrible, or $$ that I hadn't already purchased.
A few questions:
1. My ball joint boots had long since expired, just become a massive
ball of rubber/grease. But when I get down thru the ball of grease and
expose the ball joint surface, there is a washer right above that, larger
enough ID to clear the shaft, small enough OD to fit under the boot. Is
this a remnant of the old boot (some sort of metal piece that rode at the
top of it), or is it one of parts #19/20/21 in the diagram, and is meant to
go between the b/j lower surface and the mass of grease, acting as some sort
of metering device?
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/Images/38.gif
2. I am lucky in that this area has been visited by the PO before, so
no bolts are shearing or massively frozen. I know this as well because I
discovered a set of KYB Gas-a-just shocks, that can easily be re-used. The
only drawback to the ones removed is that the threaded rod was left sticking
thru the lower a-arm a bit too far, and was bent at a 20-30 degree angle by
some curb (or maybe a stone on a cow pasture, but that is a story for
another day) Any preference as to using the Gas-a-justs vs the GR-2s I had
purchased for install? (spirited road driving is the goal, no cone killing
in my future)
Some of the other notes collected from the teardown (only one side so far)
Suspension:
1. Going well, one wheel completely down to bits. No terrible things
found, in fact, some rather alarming but minor things.
2. No need for new shocks (which I had already bought). There is a set
of KYB Gas-a-just already in there, dirty but completely functional (in fact
very stiff), only downside is the bolt which protrudes downward - the lower
attachment - was bent ~30 degrees by some curb impact a while back... maybe
it was a large stone?
3. The "no need for new shocks" means "someone has been here before",
so I am lucky in all of the bolts are releasing their grip, not shearing
off. (no blood letting yet)
4. The lower ball joint isn't BAD as expected by the tire wear. The
upper A-arm pivot, which is held in by two bolts, well, the rear of the two
bolts was loosened, with like 4 threads exposed, and had been that way for
quite some time, so that when you grasped the wheel when jacked up, the
whole a-arm canted fwd/back. Scary if it had ever let loose, in one loud
bang, followed by a loud pronouncement of "s#$%t, this is going to hurt."
5. Don't work on suspension bits in shorts. Axle grease on your shins
is a bear to get off, and doubles the time spent if you have to clean the
shower floor.
6. Don't ever run out of oil absorbent, it will always be at an
untimely moment.
7. Need to get a good heavy vise for the garage, as now I have the
lower a-arm loose, dismantling it is a bear if not tied down.
8. Pat Mahoney's bolt packs are a jewel to work with, all clean,
labeled, plated.
Fergus O
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