Cleaning Suspension parts

[garyholden]

Hi Guys

I've just stripped down my front suspension (jag) parts and was wondering about a few things

1. What the best way of cleaning them?
2. How do you get the bushes out of the bottom wishbone (the proper way, not the FB hammer way!)
3. ....and How far would you strip down the caliper? I've read somewhere that its best not to split them in half. What's contained in a caliper seal kit?

Thanks
Gary

[Miket]

Hi Gary

1. I soaked them in parrafin, blasted them with a pressure washer, then a wire brush in a drill.

2. FB Hammer.

3. I split the caliper, its the only way to properly re-furbish them, If your carefull when you take them apart the seals will be ok to use again, there is only 2 small rubber "O" rings between the caliper faces, make sure the 2 surfaces are spotless when you put them back together.

Better still by exchange calipers, its will probabley work out cheaper in the end, if you need to replace the pistons, they were over £10 each (4 in each side) 2 years ago. Exchange calipers are about £65 including pads.

[Andy302]

Hi Gary,

just got to that stage myself, heres what Ive done.

1. Pressure wash then Clarke engine degreaser diluted with parafin in a air powered spray gun thingy, then pressure washed again, then sand blasted (sand/bead blasting not done yet though!).
2. Bushes removed by heating the steel inner with a flame gun until the rubber around it melted, the steel inner then slid right out. The rubber could then be persuaded to leave also!! (no need for FB hammer this way :thumb: )

3. Buying exchange callipers from Big Redd calipers, cheaper than Wards (though no rear handbrake calliper included) and they get a nice attractive red coating. Ive read in many places that it is most often more expensive to recon your own calliper and the brakes do a job we all depend on, Im not skimping on these!!

Hope that helps!!

P.S item 1 makes your neighbours think your mad as you are knelt over an old bath in the back garden spraying degreaser everywhere (I mean everywhere!!)

[madjohnny]

Just take them in and get them shot blasted, dead easy and great results once painted.

Wishbone bushes can be drawn out easy enough using a length of threaded bar, a socket on one end big enough to draw the bush into and a washer and nut the other end to pull the bush into the socket with.

Mike T, you should be careful splitting calipers unless you are replaced the bolts that hold the two halves together and they are special high tensile bolts designed to be tightened only once, in most cases.

[Miket]

Originally Posted by madjohnny

Mike T, you should be careful splitting calipers unless you are replaced the bolts that hold the two halves together and they are special high tensile bolts designed to be tightened only once, in most cases.

Sorry mate, I would prefer the advice from a guy who builds formula 3000 race cars, he also repairs and rebuilds the majority of classic cars in Devon, including an original £180.000. 289 AC.

I took the calipers to him and told him I had dropped a bo**ock by spltting them and I couldn't get new seals, he told me it wasn't a problem to re-use the original seals and bolts, they have done 7000 miles without a problem.

I will check with him, but personally I wouldn't think the bolts are designed to be used once, I think somebody has been scare mongering with that advice.

[garyholden]

MadJohnny.

I think I've understood your socket/bolts method.

So on one end of the rod there is a socket, facing the bush with a nut stopping the socket from moving down the rod?

thread the rod through the bush and get a washer just the same diameter as the bush insert with a nut on

tighten the nut, while the rod is clamped and the bush should be drawn into the socket

If I've understood, it sounds good.

Thanks