Front suspension fitted...

Finally finished refitting the front suspension, this allow me to move car for next stage of removing the engine and gearbox.

Everything is stripped and ready, just need to hire a engine crane for the day and a friend!

3 hrs

Anti-roll bar poly to be fitted later

Spot the difference...

Assembling all the parts to refit the font suspension I discovered that the spacer tube for the new inner track arm poly bush is 5mm short.

The front/rear suspension poly bush kit was purchased a few months ago from Rimmer Bros, I called the returns department and was told I needed to the return the bush and a replacement would be sent out by return.

Now I know why some rebuilds can take so long! 

30 mins

Ball joints in...

After a quick ring around I dropped off the ball joints and track arms to a local garage (Meadvale, Redhill) which used a press to fit them, at a minimum charge it was cheaper then hiring the tools.

1 hr

Ball joints out...

I planned to see if I could borrow a press to remove the ball joints, but no luck so I used a large hammer and vice.

I had soaked the ball joints for a couple of days with DW-40. Then placing the track arm end in the jaws of the vice centering on the ball joint, a couple of good hits they started to move – several hits later the ball joint dropped out.

30 mins

Paint job...

Over the past couple weeks while doing some the other jobs I've been cleaning and painting the front suspension parts for refitting when replacement ball joints and track rod ends are ordered.

Other parts like disks, dampers, springs, bump stops and gaiters will be bought later due financial pressured, It's hard to justified spending money on the car - food on the table comings first.

10 hrs

Front suspension removal...

I started by giving all the parts a good dose of WD40 to loosen everything up!

First I removed the nuts from the ends of the Anti roll bar, then the Tie rod lever allowing access to the Ball joint split pin and nut. Refitting the 'castle' head nut upside down and giving it a good hit to free from the strut leg.

Then removing the bolt from Track arm on the subframe, then the three nuts holding the suspension to the turret I carefully lifting the assembly away from the car. I repeated this for the other side.

Stripping down strut leg started with a ring around to see if I could borrow a spring compressor tool – but no luck.

A very good and old (that's number of years I've know him!) friend Nick came to my rescue with the  idea to using straps, as the road spring are 35 years old and knackered we could compress them using straps he had – which we did.

I will need to buy the right tool when fitting the uprated spring.

I then started cleaning up some of the parts for painting.

6 hrs