Just been busy.
I boogered up the threads on the end of the Strut Control Rod by improperly removing it (long story...), so I had to get some BIG metric taps and dies to clean up the external threads on the rod, and the internal threads in the nut.
Would have greatly preferred to use "Rethreading" taps and dies, as they remove less metal, but the "repair" came out OK, and the nut still has an acceptable level of "looseness" to the way it fits.
And I'll use some BLUE Loctite on it when I reassemble it!
*****UPDATE*****
Got this done after I made the post....
Old control arm bushing is pressed out, and the new Energy Suspension
bushing is pressed in.
Used a combination of long bolts, nuts, washers,
and a couple of sockets to press it out. Pressed the new polyurethane
bushing in with a big "C" clamp and my bench vise, and then got the
inner metal sleeve centered with the same long bolt and nuts I used to
press the old one out.
The ball joint checks out OK...NO play at all in
it. I'll clean as much of the old grease (which is clean) out of it as I
can, replace the rubber boot which is split, and relube it with Mobil 1
synthetic grease. Then I can put the lower control arm and strut back
in, and be DONE with the driver's side of the car!
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What I've Been Up To....
Started this post on Monday, then came down with a head cold, which is now progressing South. Feeling better, but still a bit woozy...... To...
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Hoo boy ... been there, done that, cried bitter tears over my carelessness. Good job getting 'er fixed.
ReplyDeleteYeah,,,,I used to laugh when I heard people say "Jim has forgotten more about radio/cars/airplanes/radar/etc than you'll ever know about it!".
DeleteSadly, it appears I have forgotten some things!
Oh, well....I learn well from my mistakes (I'm lazy...I HATE re-doing things!), and I sure won't repeat the mistakes I made on the other side of the car.
Plus I now have additional TOOLS in my arsenal!
I have also had that experience more times than I care to admit.
ReplyDeleteOne item that has come in handy over the years for damaged external threads has been a set of thread files.
But getting the proper tool to do the job is the right way to do it, even if it is something you pay dearly for and only use once.
Glad you were able to save it!
WELL.....I have a set of good "Made In U.S.A." thread files, and either I don't know how to use them, or they aren't as well made as I thought.
DeleteI measured the pitch as 1.5 with my metric thread gauge, and proceeded to use the "1.5" thread file to "stroke" the damage threads back into shape.
No dice.....either the new thread files aren't any good, I don't know how to use them, or the metal rod was been heat treated after the threads were rolled on it.
I wound up using a "Swiss File", aka "Jeweler's File" to clean up the two/three threads at the end that were damaged.
The nut now starts easily, and threads on the rod OK.
What, a good tight cross thread doesn't work for you?
ReplyDeleteMakes it just a bit hard to get off the next time....
Delete