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Are you planning to slide the Cage out Sideways or pull it out from the Rear and Yes it looks as if your idea will work although you can always put some more Plywood underneath the Castors to give you more height to get the Jack out if needed
Started to lower the cage, everything was going well BUT I can not separate the crank shaft.
The other end started to come out of a rubber looking sleeve.
Then the power went out and just turned on... 24hrs.
So now I need to separate the crank shaft and the cage will come down... chisel and hammer on the joint?
All the bolts are out... any ideas?
I wanted to check before hitting it with a hammer...
Crankshaft?? That's in the engine. Do you mean the driveshaft? (or propshaft to our UK friends). If you mean the piece that attaches to the nose of the differential, there is a step in the flanges that centre the two pieces. If you have the four bolts out a small tap with a screwdriver or chisel will split the joint, there should be nothing holding it together.
It out.... and on my two trolleys.
The plate and strops worked perfectly at no point did it even look like tipping forward.
And look at the clearance to remove the jack... that was good luck.
Now the fun start... and yes I am going to pull it apart and make it look nice, cant just put the handbrake calipers in and put it back.
You will have inspired a lot of guys to have a go and also helped to save them a Shedload of money in the process
If you are planning to pull the Cage apart. leave the bottom plate on and also remove the round protector covers near the Rotors as I did myself after much persuasion from those who know
Now you've got the Cage out, mark the position of the Rear Silencers in relation to their exhaust tubes and then undo their Clamps and knock them off with a Big rubber Hammer
If you are planning to renew the Hooped Pipes that are in the Cage, now is the time to do that while you have got the Cage out, or it could be a near impossible job later on as you won't have the height
I lessened all the bolts and removed the cage, I had the hubs on the trolleys and a jack under the diff...
OB's call on leaving the bottom plate on was TOP... these bolts were the last I undid.
I was able to remove the cage with exhaust in place, tilting the cage forward and off it came.
Cleaning all the grease and crap off the cage was a lot of scrubbing with petrol.
The a wire brush to remove any loose paint and rust... then good old PA10 black paint.
Pleased so far.... now what do I do with this?
Can I just pull it apart and make sure I keep the spacers in the right spot?
Do the radius arms need to go back on the same side?
Both are leaning out when sitting, I read they should not... I wonder if this is due to tightening without the weight on the wheels?
The wish bones.... do I just pull them apart and clean everything?
What do i need to look out for?
Thanks
'Greg' is a 'Wishbone' Expert who can advise you on that but as for me personally, I wouldn't start pulling the 'Wishbones' apart just to Clean them if nothing else is worn
But what I would do is to remove the 'Trailing Arms' completely, because one day you may want to renew the Rubber Bushes, where although its fairly easy to undo the Big Bush end (where you undo the 'Keep Strap' and then knock it down off the Pin) as you have done
Undoing the Bolts on the 'Small Rubber Bush' is the stuff that 'Nightmares' are made of, if you haven't got a Car Lift of can't get enough height, as they are held in place by Bolts with half their heads missing and are in so tight and awkward to undo
That this is a Fridge Full of Beer Job, if ever there was one!
So take those Half Head Bolts out Now, while you have got the chance, rather than trying to do it later when the Cage is back in the Car
Thanks guys... there is sooo much built up grease around those Wishbone... I just want to pull them apart.
If I do not, do i bolt them back up to clean?
So no petrol gets in them?
Trailing arms will be coming off, new bushes...
Anything else.. Oh and fuel hoses while i am here? calipers will be coming off for a rebuild.. but they look ok as do the discs and pads.
thoughts?
I wouldn't use any Petrol for this, as if any Petrol residue starts to seep out later, then that could end up melting the Rubber Seals on the Fulcrum Pins when you put those back, instead I would use a Water Soluble De-greaser then when you have got them clean re-grease everything
In fact I would be more concerned about the Propshaft Seal on the Diff, as it looks as if it could be leaking Oil (what do you think Paul ptjs)
Yes! to Refurbing the Calipers and also New Brake Pads and New Pin Fitting Kit
None of the rear suspension is really seen, so unless you want a concours condition car, I'd be tempted to just put it back together. Wire brush off most of the grease and dirt and call it good. There are shims and oil seals in the wishbone arms that need to go back exactly as they came out.
I assume the black on the diff nose is underseal because it was done with the cage intact and therefore someone couldn't reach the rest of the diff casing?
Unfortunately, I'm one of those "whilst I'm in there..." people so I'd have to refurb the calipers, and the wishbones, and change the brake pipes and the pads etc etc! And of course, you absolutely have to change the diff oil whilst you've got easy access!
Been there done that sometime way back only in my case it was a Bleed Nipple that I rounded off, where I paid the heavy price of having to drop the Cage in order to undo it, so having learned the hard way, I've now got some special Spanners for doing that job
And also don't over tighten them as was done by the previous owners Shop, as was also the case with the Spark Plugs that were a Nightmare to get out, so like Greg says you will probably have to either get or make some new Brake Pipes
