I am about to commence installing a GT6+ Rotoflex suspension
in my GT6 MkI. I took everybody's advice and ordered new
rotoflex joints (they weren't as expensive as I had expected),
new bearings, seals, bushings, etc. I have finally managed
to get the donor suspension torn down and ready to media blast
to prepare it for painting (I used Krylon semi-gloss black on
the front suspension, it seems to hold up OK). The suspension
came off a fairly rusty car apparently owned by a DPO who had
never heard of anti-seize compound and who hired a gorilla to
tighten things up. One of the bolts holding the wishbone to
the vertical link was rusted in place. After beating
on it, soaking it in kerosene for a couple of days, trying
to break it loose with an impact wrench, heating it with a
propane torch, etc., I took it to a machine shop and went
next door for a doughnut while they pressed it out (10 minute
job). I also had them press the hubs off the splines on the
axles. Here's my problem:
I have a factory shop manual (the red vinyl one) and a Haynes
manual. Both emphasize the importance of getting the end
float on the rear wheel bearings between .0005-.0025". The
factory manual, of course, recommends using the appropriate
Churchill tool. The Haynes manual seems to require assembling
everything dry and checking it. I don't want to put the hubs
on since I would probably have to rent a hub puller to get
them off again, but it seems that that is the only way to do
it, right?
Here is what really concerns me. Both manuals refer to a spacer
that comes in several different thicknesses ranging from .139-.155"
and .003" shims for fine tuning. These apparently slip over the
splines and control how far the hubs go onto the splines. Mine
measure .120" and I didn't find any shims. Is this the same
part or did something get lost at the machine shop? My VB and
TRF catalogs are at the office. Do they sell these in case I
am missing something? What keeps the hub from just squashing
the spacer against the big metal doughnut-looking piece that
fits against the flat metal stoneguard and keeping the axle
from turning at all? Has anybody done this job recently?
Dave
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