One Helluva job!
Discussion
Just been in the garage all day attempting to clean and rub down my chassis prior to it's waxoyling.
I have'nt really made much progress so far, I suppose the hardest thing to overcome is access to the underneath. I managed to jack it up and get 2 axle stands underneath and then struggled to clean the grime off the chassis. The centre of the chassis is not to bad.
Later I took the wheels off to do the wishbones and outriggers but gave up after an hour or so. The powder coating is lifting on a fair amount of the wishbones and I couldn't find any way of accessing all the hard-to-get areas especially the recessed bits behind.
My question is really has anyone got any bright ideas on how to get at those hard-to-get areas? because I really don't want to leave any flaky paint and rust on the wishbones.
Another question, it looked quite easy to take the whole wishbone assembly off of the car altogether.
Am I right? or is this a bad idea? as it would be much easier to do.
I would like to finish it myself now instead of getting it professionally done as I have already spent out on axle stands, hammerite and all the rest of the gubbins'.
Look forward to reading any responses.
Thanks
Grouch.
I have'nt really made much progress so far, I suppose the hardest thing to overcome is access to the underneath. I managed to jack it up and get 2 axle stands underneath and then struggled to clean the grime off the chassis. The centre of the chassis is not to bad.
Later I took the wheels off to do the wishbones and outriggers but gave up after an hour or so. The powder coating is lifting on a fair amount of the wishbones and I couldn't find any way of accessing all the hard-to-get areas especially the recessed bits behind.
My question is really has anyone got any bright ideas on how to get at those hard-to-get areas? because I really don't want to leave any flaky paint and rust on the wishbones.
Another question, it looked quite easy to take the whole wishbone assembly off of the car altogether.
Am I right? or is this a bad idea? as it would be much easier to do.
I would like to finish it myself now instead of getting it professionally done as I have already spent out on axle stands, hammerite and all the rest of the gubbins'.
Look forward to reading any responses.
Thanks
Grouch.
Before you Waxoil it's worth putting some rust-converter down on any pitted/rusty bits first.
The thin stuff that's like a clear liquid is the best, as you can just brush it onto the areas that are too difficult to get at properly with a wire brush.
Leave it for 24 hours (the rust will turn almost black) then apply the Waxoil.
The thin stuff that's like a clear liquid is the best, as you can just brush it onto the areas that are too difficult to get at properly with a wire brush.
Leave it for 24 hours (the rust will turn almost black) then apply the Waxoil.
Last winter I stripped off all four corners , cleaned the chassis areas I could get at, and repainted it using Por 15. Had the some of the wishbones blasted and painted them all with the same paint.
Some before pics
And some after...
This all wook a long time over winter.....
If any one knows why the pics dont show let me know huh?
>> Edited by antonyj on Saturday 2nd October 18:57
Some before pics
And some after...
This all wook a long time over winter.....
If any one knows why the pics dont show let me know huh?
>> Edited by antonyj on Saturday 2nd October 18:57
I can also recommend the POR15. If you look on Frosts' website (do a search for POR15 on this forum, as it's been mentioned before) they also do the pre-treatment Zinc Phosphate primer which gives a great key for the POR15. It's much harder that Hammerite and will stay put. It's also flexible so more likely to absorb stone impact without chipping.
Personally I would rather coat the chassis with this and not bother with the waxoyl which is messy and looks horrible. Also if you put it anywhere under the bonnet, it melts every time the engine gets warm and sets again afterwards.
Not pretty.
Personally I would rather coat the chassis with this and not bother with the waxoyl which is messy and looks horrible. Also if you put it anywhere under the bonnet, it melts every time the engine gets warm and sets again afterwards.
Not pretty.
starmist said:
Personally I would rather coat the chassis with this and not bother with the waxoyl which is messy and looks horrible. Also if you put it anywhere under the bonnet, it melts every time the engine gets warm and sets again afterwards.
Not pretty.
You're putting me off now.
starmist said:Sorry to resurrect an old thread (especially to be pedantic!) but it was referenced in another ... anyway, to correct the above, the POR15 is a lot TOUGHER, not harder. Hardness = brittleness = chips!
... the POR15. It's much harder that Hammerite and will stay put. It's also flexible so more likely to absorb stone impact without chipping.
...
After farting about with a wire brush and power drill for 10 minutes, I thought there has to be a better way.
There is!
Off to Dr. Joolz at Joospeed, all wishbones off, blasted, painted with POR15, new bushes, re-aligned, 6000 miles service.
Never have to be done again (except for the service, of course), no skinned knuckles (sorry Keith), Jobs a good 'un.
Not cheap, but I'm more likely to get something wrong than they are, and I'm buggered if I could set up the geometry again.
Just my 2p.
There is!
Off to Dr. Joolz at Joospeed, all wishbones off, blasted, painted with POR15, new bushes, re-aligned, 6000 miles service.
Never have to be done again (except for the service, of course), no skinned knuckles (sorry Keith), Jobs a good 'un.
Not cheap, but I'm more likely to get something wrong than they are, and I'm buggered if I could set up the geometry again.
Just my 2p.
It is possible to remove the wishbones without resorting to expensive geometry setups.
Basically all you need to do is mark the present position of the camber setting, before removing the wishbones.
To do this you can put a mark with a centre punch on the wishbones which aligns with one of the clamp bolts centres for the top balljoint. Or put a mark with a punch on the top baljoint and on the wishbone.
Make the punch mark fairly prominent if you are going down the powder coating route.
If you are just going to paint, then no need to remove the bushes, but having the works done would be a neater job. All depends on the condition of the wishbones and bushes.
Basically all you need to do is mark the present position of the camber setting, before removing the wishbones.
To do this you can put a mark with a centre punch on the wishbones which aligns with one of the clamp bolts centres for the top balljoint. Or put a mark with a punch on the top baljoint and on the wishbone.
Make the punch mark fairly prominent if you are going down the powder coating route.
If you are just going to paint, then no need to remove the bushes, but having the works done would be a neater job. All depends on the condition of the wishbones and bushes.
It's quite easy really. All you are doing is making sure that the stuff goes back together in the same place, so if you could use your own method, so long as the outcome is the same.
Don't worry about it, even if you get the camber out ie dont bother marking anything, just buy a camber guage from Demon Tweeks £50.
Bushes will come out in a decent vice with the help of some sockets. Put new ones back the same way, easy.
Don't worry about it, even if you get the camber out ie dont bother marking anything, just buy a camber guage from Demon Tweeks £50.
Bushes will come out in a decent vice with the help of some sockets. Put new ones back the same way, easy.
It is possible to do a good job without taking the wishbones off. I put the car on four axle stands and pressure washed the chassis to remove most of the dirt/waxoyl/muck. Pressure washer also gets in the wishbone U sections, all round the outriggers etc. Be VERY careful of electrics and brake calipers. Then I wire-brushed the wishbones and outriggers and realised it was Sunday night - this wasn't a weekend job!
...2 months later I'd scraped all the accessible areas (and some of the inaccessible ones...) with a screwdriver to remove every flake of rust, from every nook and cranny. I now know why the sand-blaster was invented! Degreased with white spirit to remove the rust dust and any waxoyl. Then the painting started. A knackering and thoroughly unpleasant experience, to get it everywhere - twice. I used zinc primer on the chassis, zinc primer and hammerite (smooth) on the wishbones, plasticised stone guard on the chassis areas susceptible to stone-chipping, and then waxoyled everywhere else. If, like me, you don't have time, money or resources for a body-off, I reckon this is as good as you can do, but be warned - it is NOT a weekend job! And I'd never do it again. However the finished article looks great, and should last. No doubt removing wishbones etc would have made the painting easier (I had to use a whole variety of custom-made brushes etc) but I only realised that once I'd worked out how to paint them in situ...
...2 months later I'd scraped all the accessible areas (and some of the inaccessible ones...) with a screwdriver to remove every flake of rust, from every nook and cranny. I now know why the sand-blaster was invented! Degreased with white spirit to remove the rust dust and any waxoyl. Then the painting started. A knackering and thoroughly unpleasant experience, to get it everywhere - twice. I used zinc primer on the chassis, zinc primer and hammerite (smooth) on the wishbones, plasticised stone guard on the chassis areas susceptible to stone-chipping, and then waxoyled everywhere else. If, like me, you don't have time, money or resources for a body-off, I reckon this is as good as you can do, but be warned - it is NOT a weekend job! And I'd never do it again. However the finished article looks great, and should last. No doubt removing wishbones etc would have made the painting easier (I had to use a whole variety of custom-made brushes etc) but I only realised that once I'd worked out how to paint them in situ...
ian8542 said:
Bushes will come out in a decent vice with the help of some sockets.
I would love to see your definition of a decent vice...
Everyone else seems to have to drill / cut / burn these things out, even when equipped with 10 ton presses!
Poly bushes come out as described, but the standard metelastic ones are a pain to remove.
Dave
Grouch,
We've just had ours replaced - they were pretty tatty and the bushes needed replacing so new wishbones, painted with POR15 (it takes a long time to dry), new bushes and back on the car.
Look great now and shows up the rest of the car.
Never mind - after the engine rebuild it'll have to wait so back with the trusty waxoyl.
FFG
We've just had ours replaced - they were pretty tatty and the bushes needed replacing so new wishbones, painted with POR15 (it takes a long time to dry), new bushes and back on the car.
Look great now and shows up the rest of the car.
Never mind - after the engine rebuild it'll have to wait so back with the trusty waxoyl.
FFG
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff