Cliff\'s 1st Gen Purchase - Goldie

ossie747 · February 09, 2011, 09:44:04 PM

Sorry for interupting your thread Cliff. Ian, I emailed you yesterday, just wanted to make sure you received it ok?

CHC (RIP) · February 09, 2011, 10:52:57 PM

Quote from: Ian65;741658Â£170 is worse case scenario if duty and vat get\'s charged.... purchase and shipping only is Â£130 for one person purchasing... as above, less if shipping is combined.
I looked at Superpro, both importing them and buying them in the Uk but was put off by the price and I had also read on a couple of threads that the \'full kit\' was purchased but then additional bushes had to be bought to make it a true full kit. Maybe these instances were \'one offs\' but they put me off buying at the time.
At the end of the day, poly is poly and all poly bushes for the 1st gen are a rip off no matter where they come from or who they are made by.

Must agree with you on this.

CHC (RIP) · February 09, 2011, 10:57:27 PM

Quote from: CHC;741159had next to no time working on Goldie this weekend but did manage to grind out the inserted plate in the rear offside of the boot area. This has exposed the rust lurking underneath which should have been removed before the plate was welded into place. Never mind, I take a few fotos and put them up.

And here are the photographs ....

CHC (RIP) · February 10, 2011, 05:22:00 PM

Quote from: CHC;741535Bush kit ordered and paid for - being sent out today so I might see it for the weekend.:mmmm

Well guys - I\'d call this bl**dy good service, Bush Kit arrived this afternoon, this calls for a :guinness to celebrate

Steve-A · February 10, 2011, 05:35:35 PM

Yuk, what a nasty patch job that was!

That was quick on the bushes

Have fun getting the old ones out

CHC (RIP) · February 10, 2011, 08:13:26 PM

Quote from: Steve-A;741825Yuk, what a nasty patch job that was!

That was quick on the bushes Have fun getting the old ones out

I call these \'half a job\' patches. I don\'t object to people cutting metal out and patching on top rather than insetting to keep the panels flush, this has to be better than leaving the rusty bits in to contaminate the new pieces - it\'s amazing how some people think that corrosion just disappears once you\'ve put a patch over it and that nobody would think of looking underneath. But the most worst aspect is that they never treat the new metal before or after it is welded either.

Very fast delivery with the bushes - well pleased. Now I just have to drop the relevant links etc, etc and remove the old bits, clean up and make good before fitting new bushes.
The only trouble is it won\'t be this weekend either. You had trouble with your gazebo recently, well last weekend the gusts of wind decided that my carport roof had been there too long so it must have thought "let him have a new one this year" and whoosh - smashed to pieces. So need to spend a bit of time on the carport to make watertight so that I can work underneath it if and when it rains.

CHC (RIP) · February 13, 2011, 11:33:06 PM

Only managed a few hours this afternoon preparing the susupension parts for stripping out. So cleaned the bolt threads with wire and copper brushes and then soaked them with WD40.
Despite soaking, the studs for the rear anti-roll bar were extremely tight (especially the two housing the main bushes. I found it easier to support the retaining clip in place so that the stud unscrewed without taking the retaining clip with it.
The two forward links were a doddle to remove the lock nuts but the upper bolt very stubborn - so removed the brackets too. Now all I have to do is remove the upper studs and then get these cleaned up and painted.
Next will be the lower and upper links.

CHC (RIP) · February 13, 2011, 11:37:45 PM

Steve - when you removed your suspension, did you find it easier to remove the lower and upper links before or after the watts link?

Steve-A · February 13, 2011, 11:40:46 PM

Yeh some of the bolts holding suspension together on the back of Rexanne were very very stiff even with the wire brush and WD as you\'ve done! Good luck and all!

Watts link first for sure

because if you remove the lower and upper links then the axel can twist which causes the watts to bind up and its then really awkward to remove.

CHC (RIP) · February 14, 2011, 11:03:49 AM

Quote from: Steve-A;742552Yeh some of the bolts holding suspension together on the back of Rexanne were very very stiff even with the wire brush and WD as you\'ve done! Good luck and all!

Watts link first for sure because if you remove the lower and upper links then the axel can twist which causes the watts to bind up and its then really awkward to remove.

Good info on the Watts Link there Steve - thanks.

When I took off the rear anti roll bar and the supporting two links, found fair amount of corrosion with the bolts

so I might replace them instead (better to find out now rather than later) - justing looking for some now.

CHC (RIP) · February 15, 2011, 10:28:14 PM

Quote from: CHC;742545Only managed a few hours this afternoon preparing the susupension parts for stripping out. So cleaned the bolt threads with wire and copper brushes and then soaked them with WD40.
Despite soaking, the studs for the rear anti-roll bar were extremely tight (especially the two housing the main bushes. I found it easier to support the retaining clip in place so that the stud unscrewed without taking the retaining clip with it.
The two forward links were a doddle to remove the lock nuts but the upper bolt very stubborn - so removed the brackets too. Now all I have to do is remove the upper studs and then get these cleaned up and painted.
Next will be the lower and upper links.

Here are the photos after taking out the rear anti-roll bar.
Seeing the condition of the degrading bushes at the stabilizer links alone justifies the expense for buying the Superpro polyurethane bushes.
Incidentally, if anybody else is considering purchasing these Superpro Bushes, I have the contact details for Ross so that you get the same discounted price as myself - just PM me for details.

CHC (RIP) · February 15, 2011, 11:12:54 PM

Spent an hour this evening loosening off the bolts and nuts for the suspension linkage - well actually only 4 of them:-
The upper linkage rear nut & bolt - just need the front end now.
The Watts Link central bolt - now that was darn tight - WD 40 fluid, a 21mm socket with tommy bar and a 4lb hammer to persuade it to move.
The lower link of the Watts Link too - both bolts extremely tight, 14mm socket with tommy bar and hammer.
Even managed to finish the night without getting any hammer rashes.

Just need to decide now how to tackle access to the upper link front bolt, hmmm..... remove the spring to permit access with socket and tommy bar plus extension tube for leverage - what you reckon Steve, any ideas?

Steve-A · February 15, 2011, 11:25:13 PM

If I remember rightly, I loosened and removed the 4 bolts holding both the upper and lower links to the diff. Then I tried to remove the Watts link and wished I\'d done that first! But once I\'d freed the Watts link, I removed the axel before I\'d even cracked the bolts holding the suspension links to the body, which meant access was not an issue.

My gut reaction would be 21mm spanner on the inside of the link, braced against a section of chassis or the axel, and then a 21mm socket and big long bar on the outer head of the bolt and crack it that way.

Judging by the pictures of your roll bar bushings they are actually worse than mine! Which is kinda impressive

CHC (RIP) · February 16, 2011, 10:41:01 AM

Quote from: Steve-A;743098If I remember rightly, I loosened and removed the 4 bolts holding both the upper and lower links to the diff. Then I tried to remove the Watts link and wished I\'d done that first! But once I\'d freed the Watts link, I removed the axel before I\'d even cracked the bolts holding the suspension links to the body, which meant access was not an issue.

My gut reaction would be 21mm spanner on the inside of the link, braced against a section of chassis or the axel, and then a 21mm socket and big long bar on the outer head of the bolt and crack it that way.

Judging by the pictures of your roll bar bushings they are actually worse than mine! Which is kinda impressive

Already took your advise on the Watts Link with 60% completion on that, hopefully might finish this tonight - understand why you\'d wished you had done this one 1st - what a tight so n\' so it was.
I\'ve also already slackened off the upper and lower link bolts at the axle on the o/side and started on the n/side.
I wasn\'t really planning on dropping the axle but possible \'time out\' on that issue as this shall depend upon accessibility to the upper link body. Currently I have limited access to that nut due to the spring position - hence my thought of removing spring to facilitate access of spanner. I\'ll have another look tonight and let you know.

Yeah - bushes pretty shot at all round (all of a similar condition)

so wasn\'t even prepared to try and get these through a road test, I would have thought that the deterioration is mainly due to where the body had been left to rot or should I say \'parked up\'.

CHC (RIP) · February 16, 2011, 10:47:04 AM

Yeah - bushes pretty shot at all round (all of a similar condition)

so wasn\'t even prepared to try and get these through a road test, I would have thought that the deterioration is mainly due to where the body had been left to rot or should I say \'parked up\'.
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Having seen the condition of these bushes - just think what the stabilizer spacer is like? Pretty bad :Hammer - hence why I looking for newuns.