Fall/Winter/Spring Projects 2012/13 for Fiona RESOLVED

[4uall]

Thanks, going for round 2 tomorrow Keep you posted

[kilrwail]

Jay - Sorry - I just saw this. I could have helped you with this, having just completed mine last month. Unfortunately now I'm tied up with family business. I used a bottle jack on the centre sway bar mounts to compress the rubber far enough to get the nuts started. And yes, your ball joints should be inside the control arms.

[4uall]

No problem, I am going to give it my best tomorrow. I have been soooooo frustrated with the whole parts fiasco however, the end is in sight & I have had a great learning experience with misrepresentations, good/bad client services, overcoming issues etc etc etc. When I was trying yesterday I found the center mounts easier however the sway bar bushings on the control arms look like they are going to give the most resistance.

And yes, your ball joints should be inside the control arms. ?

[kilrwail]

As wizard124 pointed out, you seem to have mounted the ball joints on the wrong side of the control arms. They should be mounted on the top of the lower arm and the bottom of the upper arm (i.e. the "inside" of the arms), which may explain why you had to reverse a couple of bolts. The bolts should be inserted from the ball joint side, through the control arm, with the nuts on the "outside" of the hub area. Capice?

[4uall]

Thank you both so much (Warren & Peter) you may have already saved a life I will make the corrections tomorrow ( I am slowly becoming an expert at disassembling & assembling these things)

Not sure
Have these been installed correctly? If so, that would be at least one side I do not have to do again

[kilrwail]

Jay - It's hard to see the upper, but I think so. My previous message was wrong. Both ball joints go on the lower side of their respective control arm.

[4uall]

Okay, I think I've got it this time Is this the correct installation?

Upper




Lower

[kilrwail]

Jay - The upper one is correct, the lower one is not. They should both be mounted on the under side (lower side) of the control arm. See my last message - I led you astray yesterday - sorry. Think of all the tension in the spring pushing on those three small bolts on the lower ball - they're not big enough to handle it and if they break, there would be a big problem!

[4uall]

Done


& done


I tried, tried & tried some more to install the sway bar with the new bushings and have given up Hopefully the garage will be able to install it after they do the alignment

I looked out my garage after giving up to see this

[4uall]

The snow went away and I decided to try and give myself a little reward With fingers crossed I decided to try and start up Fiona............................................. she turned over on the very first try and idled @800 rpm as she came to life the radio was on and It's a kinda magic by Queen was on (which was very appropriate) Without the front sway bar on and after two fan cycles I decided to venture out into the neighborhood. Brakes are a little soft, she pulls to the left, and there is some rubbing on the drivers front wheel so I promptly returned her to my garage. best drive ever Will deal with the rubbing tomorrow after work. It was nice to have that familiar smell of oil & gas back in the garage

[courtenay]

Well remember those spring days in Ottawa, Jay. It's been 18º C here during the day,with bright sunshine, for the past 3 days. I've had a lot of trouble figuring out whether I should be golfing, fishing, or driving my Fiat...so I've done all 3!!
Wait another month or so - you should have a few days of Spring before the heat and humidity of summer hits...

[4uall]

You bastard!

[kilrwail]

Bruce - some day, some how...we'll get even. Maybe we'll move to Victoria!
Jay - I'd suspect a sticking caliper piston on your left front, with the symptoms you described.

[narfire]

Maybe we'll move to Victoria!

What...and go through a bunch of renos/painting again...
Come to the Okanagan...no ferries and always increasing ferry fares. Went over to the rock last weekend and car and trailer 34 feet total with driver and passenger...$157.00 one way...
Wearing shorts yesterday...20 deg + C in the south okanagan ..

[4uall]

Bruce - some day, some how...we'll get even. Maybe we'll move to Victoria!
Jay - I'd suspect a sticking caliper piston on your left front, with the symptoms you described.

I'll have a look tonight after work I hope not, as I had reconditioned all the calipers/brakes etc. Sounds like it might actually be the dust shield