So freed the trailing arms from the beam to make life easier when manhandling the beam.
Then removed the beam with some persuasion from Mr crowbar. Next up the box was removed. Surprisingly handy actually in the end.
Can see the areas needing attention. Looks a lot worse than it is. Session with a wire brush attachment on the drill will clean it up OK then get it treated and sealed.
Before that can happen though the fuel tank needs to come out which is going to be a laugh as some of the fuel lines look a bit tricky to work with.
I use breeze blocks all the time with the Lotus as well, and large wood blocks. Nothing wrong with that. Hard to get more stable supports, better than some axle stands I have come across for sure, especially with all four wheels off.
not much happening atm. brought the rear axle and trailing arms up home to work on during the week. Heur of a thing to manhandle!
Plans for it are:
- lower it a couple of nicks on the torsion bars
- polybush the trailing arm mounts
- polybush the beam mounts
- clean up the serious alloy/steel corrosion (that nasty white crap). All the bolts and surfaces are ruined with it. Will rethread all the nuts, and run the die over the bolts rather than replace them.
- fit new handbrake shoes and discs to each side
- strip and paint the calipers
- refit with new pads
By the time thats done the boot floor area should be painted and sealed so the beam can go back in. Ill leave the trailing arms off until the fuel tank is sorted then the tank and box can be refitted.
Also starting on the front wishbones, 2 new arms and balljoints ordered with polybushes for them.
Lastly gaz coilovers will be ordered on payday.
Busy Busy Ill post some pics of the beam in bits it needs 4 arb mount bolts drilled out (snapped) and 2 endplate bolts removed (heads snapped off). Then a good scrub with the wire wheel and painted.
To avoid the corrosion in future, Duralac has worked great on the Lotus. Paint all mating steel/aluminium surfaces before re-assembly. Also avoid stainless bolts and use zinc plated instead, for the same reason. Things like suspension should not use stainless bolts anyway, too hard/brittle.
yeah I have a can of duralac from the lotus days lol. Must see if I still have it. The bolts had literally corroded into the bolt holes. a 3" bolt through an alloy end piece and the head snaps off. FML. Then had to beat the alloy arm off with a lump hammer and a block of (now destroyed) wood as the bolt was welded in there. Torch on it the lot.
Alloy might be light but its a total pain in the hoop.
First job was to to drill out the 4 arb bolts that snapped off in the beam mounts. Broke 2 stud extractors so just drilled and retapped.
Then the two bolts that hold the beam endplate on. Two snapped at the head as the bolt shafts were seized into the alloy endplate. Used the grinder to make 2 flats and wrung it out with an adjustable spanner.
Next up we have the exhaust heat shield. 2 bolts snapped so drilled out then cleaned up the part. Its now painted in zinc primer.
Now that's done next job is to pull the 4 main bushes at the back. 2 in the trailing arms and 2 in the endplates. Home made puller wheeked them out nicely.
The trailing arm bushes had a nice surprise once removed there was a metal sleeve pressed in.
Grinder and hacksaw sorted those.
Cleaned up and new poly bush inserted.
The beam bushes seem to be incorrect though they aren't long enough. So likely need to be sent back and swapped for correct ones.
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