1145 replies to this topic

[Gedi]

There's a knack to getting the top wishbone in, once you've cracked it, it only takes a few minutes.

Here's what I do:

- Tackle the front bush first. Put the snubber and washer on the backside of the bush and offer up to the chassis.

- Put the bolt in through the washer and snubber and half way into the bush

- Put a temp bolt through the other bush to hold it square.

- Using a flat bladed screwdriver, tap the other 2 washers on the other side of the snubber into place. Do both washers at the same time. Wiggle the bolt around while pushing it through. Easy, one side done.

 

- Now take the temp bolt back out of the other side and get 2 smaller washers.

- turn the wheel to move the steering arm out of the way

- Put a bolt into the hole from the steering rack side so it just sticks though by a few threads.

- Pull the rear wishbone prong towards the front of the car (to give the bolt some clearance), and hook the two smaller washers onto the threads. This is a bit fiddly but not too bad.

- Let go of the wishbone prong and push the bolt into the bush, making sure you don't knock the washers off.

- Now for the final hard part, getting the 2 remaining washers in. Here, I put a long wooden stick between the last wishbone prong and the chassis and gently pry it the opposite way to push the bush up tight against the 2 washers you just put int. I kinda hold the stick in place with my shoulder while tapping the two remaining washers into place. I push a bolt from the opposite direction to help to line them up, and when they are I push the correct bolt through, pushing the temp bolt out of the way.

 

I had my wishbones in and out quite a few times last weekend, it was frustrating at first, but now I can get them out and back in in around 5 minutes.

Edited by Gedi, 02 May 2014 - 03:41 PM.

[Graeme Lambert]

Christ this needs an update...

 

Managed to squeeze in a few nights and days inbetween work and play so have made some more progress here. And thanks for the info Gedi, a slightly out of kilter wishbone was making life difficult, but it's all sorted now.

 

So first of all I decided it was about time I got the damn thing finished. Tada!

 

And for a bit of context, I basically got bored waiting for Matt for something so grabbed the Sharpie and doodled on my door

 

 

 

Right, back to the proper stuff

 

Some wishbones in place

 

 

And one inch ARB greased up ready to be fitted

 

 

Hubs, ARB, brakelines and bumpsteer kit on

 

 

 

 

Bumpsteer kit is lovely bit of errr, kit

 

 

Front-end nearing 'normal' again

 

 

 

[Graeme Lambert]

Managed to grab a couple of shots of the B207 with my decent camera while I was there as well.

 

Still to be opened up and 'built' with the cams and valve springs etc from the states

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to start building the dampers.

 

Springs on, preload set and bearings attached.

 

 

 

 

Without wanting to get into a Scuffers debate, I can so far at least tell you they look uber cool and feel like proper quality kit in my hands...

 

 

 

 

 

[Gedi]

You wanna scrape the paint off the machined edges, especially the front of the hub before you bolt the wheel bearings into place.

 

Love the drawings! Wish I could draw like that.....

[Graeme Lambert]

Even managed to get the front ones fitted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duralac'd the mounts as well, for anyone who is/was worried

 

 

And Lee convinced me, like I need any help, to spend more money   and fit new wheelbearings rather that use my old ones. So they've arrived and need fitting

[JG]

Make sure you clean up the mating surface of the upright before you attach the hub.

 

You need new hub bolts too, the ones usually supplied with new hubs dont fit (depends where Hubs are from)

 

Where are those steering arms from? I need a set of those

[chris_uk]

Why is there no thread coming out of the bottom of the nut on your bump kit?

Put a longer bolt in.

I sorted mikes out like this

[Graeme Lambert]

Next task was to get the old fule tank out, which of course was relatively easy, followed by fitting the new Pro Alloy 60L tank (not so easy).

 

Anyway, shear panel off

 

 

 

Some fuel left in - now in someone elses car!

 

 

Old versus new

 

 

And un-wrapped

 

 

 

 

 

 

60L tank is a tight squeeze in a VX. Had to manouevre the main loom 'out of the way' to get it to squeeze in. Not sure if it's the same with a 48L model. Definitely easier with two people to get it perfectly into place though - had a couple of times on my own (had it 'in' and out a couple of times) where it wasn't perfectly aligned with where it should be.

 

Anyway use of jack to support it helped

 

 

Finally in

 

 

 

 

[Graeme Lambert]

And then it was back to the exciting hateful stuff of wrap removal.

 

Whatever you do kids, if you want to preserve your paintwork on the VX DO NOT WRAP IT

 

Heat gun made it easier, but still some surprising amount of lacquer/paint lift

 

 

 

 

 

Oops

 

 

 

[Graeme Lambert]

Back to red

 

 

Think this corner might need a little more than a touch-up stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're now completely orange-free

 

 

 

But any thoughts of not having a full respray are well and truly out of the window with this car now...

 

 

 

[Graeme Lambert]

Talking of painting, I gave the old servo a rub down and a lick of paint.

 

 

I bought the new paint from memory though, and turns out Vauxhall Leaf green doesn't have the requred amount of brown in it to match the old OEM colour

 

 

In the end I couldn't stand it any longer (gave it a couple of tries, with some black mixed to tone it down) but had to just go with gloss black in the end

 

[Graeme Lambert]

Make sure you clean up the mating surface of the upright before you attach the hub.

 

You need new hub bolts too, the ones usually supplied with new hubs dont fit (depends where Hubs are from)

 

Where are those steering arms from? I need a set of those

 

Duly noted, from you and Gedi (below)

 

Steering arms - as in the bump steer kit? From Elise Parts. Come pick some up when you bring up my filter and make my fuel lines

 

You wanna scrape the paint off the machined edges, especially the front of the hub before you bolt the wheel bearings into place.

 

Love the drawings! Wish I could draw like that.....

 

Yup, as above, will do.

 

I did 'study' transportation design back in the day, so I should be able to doodle stuff like that really. Not picked up a pen in anger (for images rather than words) in a very very long time though

 

Why is there no thread coming out of the bottom of the nut on your bump kit?

Put a longer bolt in.

I sorted mikes out like this

 

Don't worry Chris, we've got spacers to add etc as well, they're just 'acttached' for the moment and we'll sort all that out when we set the geo etc.

[smiley]

What color will the car be?

Edited by smiley, 12 May 2014 - 01:14 PM.

[Graeme Lambert]

What color will the car be?

 

Something along the lines of a metallic orange/red/copper is favourite at the moment. I'm changing my mind all the time as to which exact shade it will be, though I drove something in St Tropez (yes that's work) on Thursday and Friday that is current favourite. Complemented by some subtle carbon and anthracite details.

 

G

[JG]

not orange, everything else is fine.

[Graeme Lambert]

not orange, everything else is fine.

 

Even the carbon?

[Gedi]

A dark metallic purple would be my choice

[fezzasus]

A dark metallic purple would be my choice

 

nope. not allowed.

[Tony H]

Was there any trouble fitting the brake lines?

[JG]

 

not orange, everything else is fine.

 

Even the carbon?

 

 

Well no, not that either, but that doesn't count as everything else.

 

that goes in the bloody stupid catergory