Spyder front suspension refurb

[sanzomat]

Okay, not as exciting as some of the build diaries others have posted but here is my current project. One of the reasons I got my Spyder at a good price was the front suspension needed tidying up. One of the front coilover dampers was leaking oil and the other one's adjuster was siezed. The powder coating is flaking on all the metal bits and it is generally looking untidy. The front has been a bit bouncy and I've put that down to the leaky damper and not being able to change the damper settings. As soon as I got back from Queens Square yesterday I made a start.
This is what I was looking at:
Leaky shock

Nearside top

Nearside bottom

Offside top

Offside bottom

Here is the car with no front suspension sitting on the dolly Moleman made for me. I can roll it in and out of the garage on this!

Here are all the bits waiting to be cleaned up. I think they aren't as bad as they look. The rust itself is very shallow but the way it is bubbling and flaking the powder coating is making it look much worse than it is. Next job is to get busy with the wire brushes in the drill and angle grinder! Messy!



The dampers themselves have been posted off to Gaz Shocks for a rebuild - they offer a full refurb service including new guides, seals, adjusters and new oil for £25+vat per unit.

Nothing is ever easy. The wishbones had clearly been attached before the front fibreglass section (black in the pictures) had been fixed and as its wider than the main tub mounting points the bolts couldn't be withdrawn so had to be cut off. The left bolt at the top of the o/s bone sheared (scarily easily) when trying to undo the nut. The nut end couldn't be withdrawn from the narrow gap between the mounting and the tub so had to be cut off too - tricky when it wanted to rotate!

When I've cleaned up the metal bits I'll take some more pics and then some more once they are painted.

I don't think the car will be ready for the Redhill breakfast meet!

[Moleman]

Nice one Dave.  Didn't think you would be using the dolly for the whole car. 

I know you said the rust ain't as bad as it looks but I may be able to get it shot blasted for you if that helps? 

[Iancider]

If it hasn't got complications its not a proper job!

[Camber Dave]

If Gaz are unable to unable to refurb the dampers due to corroded bodies go straight to Protech at Melksham.

All alloy bodies, easy adjustment and built to order in about a week.

They usually do deals as well....
Further endorsements below anyone?

[Lucky Ed]

+1 for Protech shocks, really good kit, great to deal with and are keen to do a deal over the phone. Mention Track Developments for extra discount!

[sanzomat]

Nice one Dave.  Didn't think you would be using the dolly for the whole car. 

I found info on the web that suggested the wheels are good for 120kg each so x4 = 480kg load capacity of the dolly. Not sure if thats ultimate load or SWL but as the car is 780kg total and 60:40 rear:front the front is only 312kg and as I've taken off about 60kg of wheels and suspension components that only leaves 252kg sitting on the dolly. An engine with a gearbox attached and all the manifolds and ancillaries is close to 200kg so actually carrying the front end of the car isn't much different! Hasn't collapsed yet and rolls quite easily!

[sanzomat]

If Gaz are unable to unable to refurb the dampers due to corroded bodies go straight to Protech at Melksham.

All alloy bodies, easy adjustment and built to order in about a week.

They usually do deals as well....
Further endorsements below anyone?

Thanks for the advice re Protech - I did check them out as an alternative but decided to save a few bob and go for a refurb. Also seems more environmentally friendly (reduce, reuse, recycle).

I only posted them off yesterday and they are already on with the refurb. They contacted me this morning to say one of the rods needed replacing too at an extra cost of £13.80 inc. Even with that and postage both ways the refurb is less than 40% of the cost of new ones from Gaz and as everything subject to wear seems to be replaced they should be good for a while. I could have got Protechs for the front but according to the GTMOC they are only willing to make rears in batches of 5 pairs as they are special specials due the extended bottom ends and alloy bodied rears can't be used on the rears of Libras/Spyders with the Mark 1 rear suspension (i.e. mine) anyway as there is very little clearance between the bodies and the wheels so the steel ones use a slim extended rod. My rears were refurbed by Gaz just before I bought the car and seem fine.

['The Gaffer']

Nice job so far, looks like Gaz are looking after you too

[sanzomat]

Just had a very satisfying hour in the shed with my bones (that sounds very wrong!)
Have a had a good go at the two lower wishbones with an angle grinder mounted rotary wire brush and then a bit of fine finishing with a smaller version in the cordless drill.

here's a quick before and after of the same wishbone:

Before:



After:

[Lucky Ed]

Good work

[Moleman]

They don't look in that bad a shape after all Dave. 

[robp]

Have a had a good go at the two lower wishbones with an angle grinder mounted rotary wire brush and then a bit of fine finishing with a smaller version in the cordless drill.

here's a quick before and after of the same wishbone:

Good work. They don't look in bad nick.

I'd like to also see the before and after shots of the inside of your shed too.  Everytime I have a go at cleaning up something with a grinder everything in the garage ends up covered in a layer of muck!   

[sanzomat]

I'd like to also see the before and after shots of the inside of your shed too.  Everytime I have a go at cleaning up something with a grinder everything in the garage ends up covered in a layer of muck!   

You are quite right, the shed is in a state now with a thick layer of rust and flakes of powder coating over everything. The jaws of the vice are a bit shinier now though from a bit of overrun from the wire brush! I've just come in from finishing the other two wishbones and the springs and decided I'd better have a shower and now the floor of the shower isn't much better either...

[sanzomat]

Everything all painted now with two coats of high build zinc rich semi gloss chassis paint. I've bought new bolts for the wishbones seeing as one of the old ones sheared on undoing and I had to cut two others to avoid dismantling half the car to get them out (can't understand why the builder didn't put them the other way round, although if fitted before the front section they wouldn't have known.)

I'm not sure how the paint will cope with the springs. The seller said its quite flexible. The powder coat that was on there previously wasn't coping very well with the flex and was cracking and flaking.

Just waiting for the shocks to come back from Gaz now. I'm starting to get concerned about having them back and fitted in time for Stoneleigh now. They said it would only take two days but I chased them yesterday and they came back today to say they should be done in two more days. They've had them over a week already. looks like its going to rain at the weekend too. No room to work on it whilst its in the garage.

[Moleman]

I have a gazebo you can borrow. 

[sanzomat]

Got my shocks back yesterday. As the forecast was showing a wet weekend I decided to try to get it back together last night, even though I didn't get back from work 'till nearly 8pm. Got one side all back together no trouble. Had a bit of trouble with one issue on the other side. The top ball joint is a taper into the top wishbone. I just couldn't get the taper to grip enough to tighten the nut. My normal technique with these kind of tapers is to support the bottom of the upright on a block of wood and then give the top wishbone end a firm whack down onto the taper to hold it in place 'till the nut locks it down. I got the nut about 2/3 of the way down the thread and the taper popped. However hard I whacked it back on, every time I turned the nut it popped again. I can't undo the nut either. I tried to clamp it but there is no suitable surface below to clamp against. I tried drilling a shallow hole in the top and hammering in a pozi impact driver bit - seemed to grip okay but not enough to stop it turning when I try turning the nut. I tried cutting a slot in the protruding end with a hacksaw and using a straight impact driver bit. That didn't work either. After another hour of hitting it repeatedly harder and it still popping I thought it was probably too late to be making that much noise so gave up and rolled it back in the garage. Will have another go tomorrow as the forecast seems a bit better now. Sleeping on it I might try clamping it with a ratchet strap. Anyone got any other ideas?

[benchmark51]

Sounds as if your top ball joint is a bit sloppy. What joint is it? Easily obtainable?
I have a powerful electric impact gun,which may do it up.

[Lucky Ed]

As Dave says it might be a bit worn, but normally if you can exert enough force on the taper it should grip, so your idea of ratchet strapping the two bones together might work. Failing that a suitable long bar in that newly painted wishbone along with a ratchet gun might do the trick. If you're still having problems PM me I might be able to pop over quickly

[Iancider]

Agreed, the taper should lock because they should be an interference fit.  Make sure there is no grit on it or a burr which will stop the tapers locking.  The straps sound like a good idea or you could use a sash clamp.  If you need to get the nut of it is possible to grip the thread with mole-grips acting on hard plastic, Ali or Copper cheeks or even hardwood none of then will damage the thread.

A sharp tap on the bottom of the swivel with a Copper or plastic mallet might also lock the taper but don't try to turn the nut until you have the swivel loaded by up-force.  I am not sure about accessibility but have you thought about putting the wheel on and loading it that way?

Another thought.  If the wishbone is symmetrical, is there a chance you have it upside down and the taper is the wrong way round?

Good luck
Ian

[Camber Dave]

You may need to cut the nut to remove it. A nut splitter will do it with out further damage.

To assemble a new one I either use a plain nut to spin down to the arm and lock it into its taper - then change it over for a Nyloc.
If it is an odd thread pack the thread with washers so it pulls into the taper before the nylon grips. Discard the spare washers and re-tighten the Nyloc.

If you want to try a new ball joint (mini ?) I found a couple in a box of odds and sods.

[sanzomat]

Thanks for all the responses. Some good suggestions.

The ratchet strap idea worked a treat. I've got a couple of big 2" straps with massive ratchet arms so I used one of those to pull it down tight, gave it a good hard tap with an oversized socket over the nut, another pull on the ratchet and was able to turn the nut no trouble. I've just put on another coat of paint to cover over any knocks and scrapes from re-assembly so thought I'd come on with an update while that skins over.

The ball joint itself is, I believe, fine. In the build folder there is evidence of them being new ones when built and whilst that was 11 years ago its only 15,000 miles. They all still feel quite tight and no sign of play.

The wishbone isn't symmetrical but is close. To avoid confusion (and to stop any paint getting into the taper) I put a bolt through the end with the nut on the top side so I wouldn't forget which way round. I tightened that down onto some washers to close the holes off to keep it clean during the wire brushing and painting so I was pretty confident I had it the right way up and there was no crud inside.

It was a plain nut and as I was re-using the original I'd even taken the precaution of running a tap through it to clean up the thread and a die over the ball joint end. I can only guess I must have knocked the thread when putting it through the wishbone end as it came tight part way down whereas it span freely before.

Anyway, its on now and nicely torqued up.

Just got to re-attached the brake lines to the wishbones with cable ties and put the wheels back on and job done!

Thanks all for offers of help.

[sanzomat]

Done!

[Moleman]

Nice one. 

[Iancider]

Well done - this club is full of heroes!

[Daley Down Under]

Nice job