Beat up splines on the rack! Kudos to husband's sharp eyes. A thread chaser to clean them up?


Yeah, why would there be stops on a wheel connected to nothing???? Missed that.


Just level the wheel cross bar and engage. sounds easy, huh.


Yeah, way back I was having trouble with the steering wheel on my 85 4x4 F150.
Centering off??? Just pull the wheel and reseat, after centering the box. Naaah. the splines had a big flat. One place only???


Busted frame!!!! Son installed the cross member that Ford should have and tig'd it up and all was much better.


Another bump in the road mastered. congrats. Really nice work. Ewch of you exchange back pats. Or more....


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl,
Not a thread chaser but rifling files. If you look closely you can still see a few damaged splines where a previous worker tried to force the bolt in, but the damage isn't in places that will hinder spline engagement with the column -- Hopefully. He carefully taped up around the shaft to keep steel crumbs out of the seal.

I'm off to earn my keep. Until later then.......
(';')

 

Hey, Fellas!!
Lookie here at this!


All 7 (SEVEN) points of connection are properly inserted, Including the splines!

A liberal application of Slip Free worked wonders for fitting the splines together.


ALL the bolts are in place and are nutted, although nothing is tight nor torqued. But the thing is in place and as you can see, the jack is out from under.

More details later, but this was an Extremely tense few hours and it's time for a little wine and cheese.

Thank you all for your help and assistance!
(';')

 

Good on ya.

I'll have a Jack thanks.

 

Been following your pain......well done.

 

Job well done Elinor and hubby!

Grant you just lay back there and get Mrs Francis to administer the dose

 

Elinor & hubby!


I add my congratulations. Very well done.


Cheeses, a selection of, soda crackers, a bit of onion and a nice red....


My dear departed was prone to Camenber. I merely a medium cheddar.


Carl

 

Sweet. A very satisfying feeling. These racks can be Difficult.

 

Congratulations on a job well done!


For lesser mortals than you and hubby, this would have been another unfinished project up for sale.


With a bit of luck, there will be no more problems and you will soon be cruising the Californian highways and byways again.

 

Tar:
Thank you very much.
The rack HAD to be replaced or the car would be completely unsafe. It was just beginning to seize up on a right turn, when it was warm, in town at low revs. Only momentarily, mind you, but it was giving me fair warning.

There wouldn't have been so much anguish, fear and frustration if we'd known what we were in for to begin with. It's finding yet another unfixable problem every time we turn a bolt that's getting Really Old.

However, what we're doing now should not need done again in the life of the car -- of course, who in 1976 thought it would last 40 years??!!

Andrew:
Thank you but I'm not at all sure about that "lesser mortals" thing.
If he and I have nothing else in common (we do) we're both tenacious; read, Stubborn. We've already bought the car again I'm sure (haven't added it up but one gets a feeling) because we're replaced nearly every replaceable part, so by now we simply can't afford to quit; but I don't think we've sunk into Good Money After Bad. And as long as husband is willing to shell out money for parts I guess we'll continue until we Know it's safe to drive across the country if we decide to do that.

There will be more problems I'm sure! This car was neglected mechanically for a very long time and probably sat unused for 10 years judging by the age of the "new" tires. Everything so far has been a Pandora's box of unpleasant surprises. However, this was a Major hurdle, and all that remains is tightening up those 7 connecting bolts (that will be finished after supper this evening), hanging all the heavy components and we're finished with the front suspension.

Then the rear brakes must be dealt with. That promises to be another adventure for sure.

There's NO question of getting it on the road again only a question of when. I had No idea when we jacked this thing up that it wound still be there 6+ months later! Maybe it was a bit of hubris to think we could rebuild virtually the whole car in such a short time and care for all the other responsibilities and surprises too.
(';')

 

But, without the bad times ( and god knows an old Jag can give some of those ) you cannot appreciate the good times.


It does not matter if it is three weeks, three months or three years time... Nix will be back on the road, and all the hard work will be a distant ( not forgotten ) memory.


It will be so much more rewarding when you are again cruising or canyon carving, knowing that it was you ( and hubby ) that saved an old girl from the junk yard!


Not only that, with your meticulous photographic record of you accomplishments ( and pitfalls) and well written directions you may have saved a few more old series XJ s from the crusher!


Sorry about keep putting hubby in brackets, but do not know his name.

 

I don't think I agree with that one, Andrew. I've never felt the need for bad times to enjoy the good times. Although, when things are going well, I find myself waiting for the shoes to start dropping.
Just today husband told me he has new motivation to get Nix on the road. He saw a car in the WalMart parking lot with the badge of his old sports car club (disbanded soon after I came to this part of the world). Just before the Show&Shine last June he dug out what he thought was the Very Last Example of that badge and mounted it a place of honor on Nix's grill. So it's not the CAR so much as the BADGE he wants to get back on the road. LOL That's OK, whatever turns his crank!



Of all our friends and acquaintances combined, we can't think of a single one who is so lacking a Real Life that they would spend this much time, effort and money in this manner. Many don't have a place to work, many simply don't have the knowledge, background or expertise, but most simply don't have the desire. They would rather spend Numerous times what we have in Nix on a new cookie cutter SUV that looks like every other SUV on the road and they have to memorize their plate # to know which gray/silver/white SUV is theirs!
That's a larg part of whole purpose for this; not only to show the trouble we've had and how we overcame it, but also what might be done to have success, so they at least have an idea what they're getting into. That way they can make a more informed decision to proceed or not. And that they CAN succeed, but this or that is what it will take! And not only that, it's Massively Therapeutic!
I've never posted his name so you wouldn't know. Most members don't post their spouse's (or SO's) names and he prefers I don't post his.
(';')

 

As I promised previously, here are some details of raising the suspension:

Any of you who have done this full front suspension renewal, or who have seen the instructions for doing it, know the engine has to be suspended from a Sky Hook or similar to do the work. We had no such provision so husband fabricated a Levitation Device (which I've mentioned here from time to time) that balanced the engine on the oil pan rails.

I was quite confident that it was stable for us because we understand how it worked. However, I will not post any pictures (snippets can be seen in various pictures anyway) or other details for 2 reasons: 1) if someone tried to do this and got hurt we would be morally responsible; 2) well after this project was underway husband found reference on one of his forums to a Harbor Freight tool that suspended the engine using the fender rails: Harbor Freight Engine Support Bar!




This was such a Quantum Improvement over what we were using that he sent me to the nearest HF store on a Sunday afternoon to bring one home! I had to Ask at the front desk because there were None on display and they've Never been advertised! (We set it up that very evening and pitched the Levitation Device under the bench.) Its only shortcoming is the light duty chains included, but we have about half a mile of chain around here in various sizes so he Modified his new tool.

Nice shiny chain, but a bit wimpy for us.


Back to raising the suspension:

Husband bought this particular jack specifically for this purpose because it has a large, flat lift surface; Exactly what was needed to lift the cross member into position and mate up with all 7 components at once.


We cribbed up the jack to raise its effective lift.


From this roll-around we had to lift the cross member onto a pair of concrete blocks so I could slip the jack under the completed cross member.




Torquing the big donuts in front was Interesting. The Blue Book says 100 foot pounds and turn the BOLT not the NUT which means bracing the nut.

So I put the jack under his Longest flex handle to hold it in position as it the car is too high to brace against the floor

while he pulled 100 pounds on the bolt.

He's SO proud of his latest acquisition he wanted me to post its portrait and its particulars:
He haunts thrift stores and estate sales for Olde Tools. One day he came home all excited about his latest score; the Ugliest torque wrench I have Ever seen!

He's cleaned it up considerably for use in his shop but says the patina will stay Just like it is. Notice the beam isn't even round!


His research showed that the very first torque wrench offered to the general public was made by P.A. SturTevant Co., and was developed by an employee of Chrysler in the 1930s; they gave him the rights to it. This is his Favorite tool at the moment and the one of which he's most proud.

The last item to attach was the high pressure power steering hose to the back of the pump. He found a hydraulic shop at a truck stop, the owner of which was a Very helpful fella. He sold husband a generous length of high quality hose and 2 unattached ends to be positioned in place, marked for end position. Neither end of this hose was crimped until After we were Sure of the relative positions regarding the rack fitting and the back of the pump.

I marked both ends with a white paint marker, following the natural curve of the hose so it would more easily lie in its final position, and then husband took the hose back to a custom fabricator to be crimped in Exactly that position. It fit Perfectly!

Notice the marks at the red arrow.

Husband even got the Custom made (Cuss'em fit) high pressure pipe on the back of the PS pump!! He said it threaded Right in the very first try! Completely Unheard of for this to happen the First Time!!


Yesterday evening all the attach point bolts/nuts were tightened and torqued. Now to hang all that other stuff; backing plates, rotors, calipers........
(';')

 

1. If Hubby chooses to remain incognito, fine with me. Kinda like the backup singers behind the star. My compliments, sir.


2. Yup, I also love old tools. I've not shopped the back country for them, for a while. Must resist. I oughta be in more "lighten the load" than I am at this stager.


3. Elinor, that bracelet while messing around stuff, not a great idea. Bot at risk, you and it!!!


4. I've one of those old beam type torque wrenches. Mine does have a round beam, though. But, inside the housing in the rachet type, is guess what, a beam!!


5. Those nuts on the hoses at the rack need to be super tight. Guess how, I know..
13MM tube wrench is the tool to get them that way.


Nice work. A right to be proud of it.


Carl

 

Husband accepts your complements and thanks you, Carl.

I had to go back and look closely to see what bracelet you meant! That's just my watch. In my work I MUST know the time and wear it always. Usually I take it off to work in the shop because it's easier to get my hands in tight places without it but that evening I forgot. It's a break-away band anyway.

Husband has a ratchet breaker bar he got to use the first time on this suspension project. He was very happy with its performance, says he guesses he'll keep it. That's quite a laugh because he's Never got rid of a tool Ever I think, he just buys more tool boxes.

He has a ratchet torque wrench too, but doesn't trust it, mostly because he's got the setting wrong a time or two. I prefer it because there's no need to try to read the scale while pulling.

I'll remind him the high pressure fitting needs to be tight upon your recommendation.
(';')

 

Elinor and...


I'm sure that the both of you know that the rachet torque wrench must be "unloaded" while not in use. the bar can take a 'set' and destroy the accuracy!!


Most of my wrench "career" was sans torque wrench. Light, medium and hard on it.


Carl

 

Yes, thank you, Carl, it's zeroed after every use.
When I was growing up there wasn't a torque wrench readily available. I learned what length breaker bar to use for various torques (whatever it took to get the bolt loose, sort of in reverse) when I got my first project car and began working on it myself.
(';')

 

I think that is the way to do t. Basic skills before the complex. to develop a 'feel' for the fasteners and the tools used for them. Small wrenches for small fasteners, big ones for big ones. and, the sense of 'touch". Running small fasteners into alloys is different from running them into steel. Most of the times, "easy does it", don't "kill" it.


Sorta related to present aircraft issues. Pilots depend too much on the automation and their basic flying skills are neglected. Prime example, Capt. Sullenberger's landing on the Hudson, sans auto pilot and power!!!


As to cars, shoot, many of today's "drivers" would be lost in a stick shift car. I think all should learn stick shift then auto boxes.


Recent "joke". Car jacker jumped into a car and shoved the driver aside. OH, oh, a stick shift car. Abandoned and ran away.....


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl, but there was little choice at the time.
That Was spectacular! The man Obviously knew his machine well; had 'bonded' with it and on some level had 'become one' with it. Yesterday I rode with my friend to Sacramento. She drives a new Honda Pilot with a back-up camera (I was pleased to see she used the door mirrors most of the time). I think things like this (and proximity sensors) help make good drivers lazy and poor drivers worse. Where I grew up these cars would be laughed out of town!
(';')

 

Back in September 2014 (wow that seems like a long time ago), after a particularly gnarly session in the shop, I wrote the following:
Carl said it in fact was a harbinger and he was SOOOOO right!

This car has fought us Every Single Step of the way! Everything we touch turns to horse puckey. Husband says it's like back a couple centuries before standardized rifle parts and everything had to be fabricated by hand; everything is different and nothing fits.

Here's the latest: We thought we would get started hanging all the heavy stuff off the suspension. First go the rotors. I've had new wheel bearings since August, clearly labeled to encompass model years 1961 - 1977. The car is 1976, should be fine. OK, I spent yesterday evening changing bearing races so we could get started today putting on brakes and bits that allow the wheels to turn.

I packed a pair of bearings, husband put in the seal and took the assembly over and tried to get it on the spindle. Wouldn't go! Not only that, he couldn't get it off!! Finally the bearing pulled the seal out of the hub and he had to get a bearing puller to get the bearing off!

He said for me to try the clean bearing on the other side, that one didn't go on either.

So in the morning early husband gets to call Welch and find out what the <bleep> is going on.

I hadn't intended to spend the Summer working on this car and neither did he!

Very soon I'll have to change my sig, because there is no enthusiasm or panache here at the moment!
(';')