Time to rebuild the suspension :~(

[70spider]

Why not look it up in the manual?

I have two manuals and could not find the torque spec for those nut. I found the torque spec for the tie rods so I figured it would probably be the same for the nuts I pointed out but thought I would check here first before I make a mistake .

[70spider]

Well while cleaning up the shock towers I came across a hole in the upper right portion of the driver side. I cleaned it up with a dremel and put some rust-shield paint. I should have taken a picture of it before I painted it but I was a bit embarressed, cause I looked at the towers when I bought and didn't see this.
Now what, can a shop weld it? If they can weld it can they do it with suspension put back on?
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrg!! Man this bumms me out.

[81SPIDERMATT]

close up pic makes it hard to tell how big it is .... could be a needed worry or could be what I call speck patrol.... working close up and personal makes things seem bigger .... when all is said and done that spot will look the same in 30 years (if you stopped the rust) or a you could kill a bus load of nuns next week ..... not much help I know .... how about a better picture a bit farther away with something for perspective ..... don't worry though it will all work out .... I believe the car knows that you are trying hard to make her better and she will thank you for it in the end

[70spider]

close up pic makes it hard to tell how big it is .... could be a needed worry or could be what I call speck patrol.... working close up and personal makes things seem bigger

Here is a better perspective.

[81SPIDERMATT]

i hardly think that it would be a catastrophic failure ... so the nuns are safe .... if it ever developed into anything ... I myself would proceed with your project and whenever i was under the car try to make a mental note and have a look for any bulging or distorted metal around the hole .... i might squirt some goup in the hole to seal the water from getting into it and call it a day ..... but that is me ... hope some one else will chime in for ya

[70spider]

I talked to a local guy here and his thoughts were after I get it put back together to take it to someone he knows who can weld it.

[81SPIDERMATT]

well there you go .... while it is apart you should ask the welder if he wants you to clean up the hole back to bare metal ... betting your time is cheaper than the welders

[70spider]

I assembled the other a-arm today, after waiting for some new bolts. I had a small issue with getting the upper arm's ball joint to tighten, the ball joint would spin. I read up on this, as it occured with the other upper a-arm. On that one I used an impact wrench just until it was a little tight and then finished it off tightening with the torques wrench, this worked really well, so I tried the impact wrench trick on the other a-arm but it didn't work. Next I had to use a pickle fork and apply pressure so that the nut was in contact with the knuckle and tried again this worked but it was a bit of a chore. Anyone else have an issue with the ball joint spinning when being tightened? Also, one of the upper a-arms is easier to manipulate than the others, should this be a concern?
Tommorrow I put it all back on, I'll update with some pics.

[70spider]

Progress



I got both sides in without any major issues. I did have to modify my spring compressor so that it would come out after I installed the spring.
I am working on the hubs and bearings today. I was wondering if there is any way to easily remove the inner seal? I am replacing it anyway so I figure the "brut force and ignorance" method may work but I do not want to damage the hub, so any thoughts would be great.
Thanks.

[70spider]

ARRGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

While tapping out the bearing race with a punch tool I inadvertently scracthed the inside of the hub, is this a problem?
I tried to be gentle but that bugger was in there tight .

[redcars]

Only a problem if that is where the dust seal goes. If so put RTV on the outside of the seal before putting it in. Take care when putting in the races so as not to damage them.

[DieselSpider]

Clean off any burrs before installing the new parts and a light smear of RTV when installing the seal will help prevent seepage.

[70spider]

Clean off any burrs before installing the new parts and a light smear of RTV

I used my dremel on low plus some 1000grit to smooth it out. You mentioned RTV, forgive my ignorance but what is it?
As for installation of the new races I order a bearing race driver kit so I should be good there.
Next time I will use a bronze punch and a little more patience to remove the bearing races.
Thanks for the help.

[spider2081]

I found a large diameter steel rod or pipe works better than a punch for removing bearing races. You get more contact area in the race the closer to race diameter the better.

[70spider]

I looked up what RTV is, gasket sealer. I have some Permetex Ultra Copper left over from when I did the cooling system, will that work. Plus the marks I made would be under the inner seal.