Removing the rear half shafts.
Discussion
Anyone who has not had the pleasure of attempting this job should think twice!
I have read through the manual and all appears rosey, just undo the 6 (T40) bolts and drop the UJ out of the way, great! Oh no its not.
I remember visiting LEEBEE one day to give him some more of my money and seeing a load of T40s all over the floor, broken ones, bent and twisted ones. I seem to remember LEEBEE commenting on the amount of money he had spent on all these torque bits.
After investing in a shed load of these, oiling up the ends, heating the joint to soften any lock tight and taking advice from the local garage ( use a hammer on a drift to get the buggers loose) and then use a large screw removing tool that you hit with a hammer, cant remember the name of the thing, but me brother had one.
Spent all day on this, never got one out!
Now remember I'm no mug, I've stripped all the front down and rebuilt it, but I can't shift one of these. they are completly solid. whilst round me brothers again his engineering son in law comes in, I tel him of the problem which apparently is quite normal.
Whats he say? have you got a cutter grinder, yes I say, he says are you taking the trailing arms off, yes I said. Cut all the heads off (only 6) pull the trailing arms out (after disconecting all the pipes and cables) Ten mins with the grinder, all off. Just got to get the studs out now in the vice! This should not be a problem now, but I spent all that time struggling trying to get the stupid things out.
The point is, this is another stupid ford idea where they put a good size bolt in something and then put a T40 size which in years to come will never be man enough for the job (why not put an normal bolt head on it)
enough of my moaning its 10.10 and I'm off for a coffee!
gadgit.
I have read through the manual and all appears rosey, just undo the 6 (T40) bolts and drop the UJ out of the way, great! Oh no its not.
I remember visiting LEEBEE one day to give him some more of my money and seeing a load of T40s all over the floor, broken ones, bent and twisted ones. I seem to remember LEEBEE commenting on the amount of money he had spent on all these torque bits.
After investing in a shed load of these, oiling up the ends, heating the joint to soften any lock tight and taking advice from the local garage ( use a hammer on a drift to get the buggers loose) and then use a large screw removing tool that you hit with a hammer, cant remember the name of the thing, but me brother had one.
Spent all day on this, never got one out!
Now remember I'm no mug, I've stripped all the front down and rebuilt it, but I can't shift one of these. they are completly solid. whilst round me brothers again his engineering son in law comes in, I tel him of the problem which apparently is quite normal.
Whats he say? have you got a cutter grinder, yes I say, he says are you taking the trailing arms off, yes I said. Cut all the heads off (only 6) pull the trailing arms out (after disconecting all the pipes and cables) Ten mins with the grinder, all off. Just got to get the studs out now in the vice! This should not be a problem now, but I spent all that time struggling trying to get the stupid things out.
The point is, this is another stupid ford idea where they put a good size bolt in something and then put a T40 size which in years to come will never be man enough for the job (why not put an normal bolt head on it)
enough of my moaning its 10.10 and I'm off for a coffee!
gadgit.
Yeah great fun, I got through 16 T40 bits before the job was done.The thing is they originally came out fine with 1 or 2 bits being broken, it was only when I tightened them up and realised I had mixed the shafts up and had to be switched over that they wouldn't come out! (my stupid fault!).I tried lots of different things to stregnthen the bits inc using liquid nitrogen (cryogenic hardening) for quenching (didn't work, knew it wouldn't but was fed up!).Also rumour has it that the T40 is the only Torx bit that is not covered by the lifetime guarantee (Mac tools, Snap on etc).I now have a bag of high tensile allen head bolts to fit when the car is restored.
Cheers
LeeBee
P.S the reason that Ford/TVR fit these as standard is that they can charge you lots of money to remove them!
Cheers
LeeBee
P.S the reason that Ford/TVR fit these as standard is that they can charge you lots of money to remove them!
Had a similar problem on the wife's Granada. Ended up cutting the heads off about half of them, only I had to use a junior hacksaw, which took ages. The remaining portions came out easily once the tension was off the threads. I found it helped to clear all the muck out of the bottom of the recess in the bolthead so that the maximum depth of shaft took the torque.
Incidentally, when I bought new bolts from a Ford dealer, they used the next size up Torx bit. So Ford must be aware there is a problem.
Incidentally, when I bought new bolts from a Ford dealer, they used the next size up Torx bit. So Ford must be aware there is a problem.
Been working of the left rear today. Had a hell of a job with the hand brake! This is a right pain if you have not done it before. To get the trailing arms out the hand brake cable has to come out. But again the book does not say how to get the cable through the back of the drum, so here goes. The cable has first to be loose, and of course the adjuster is where you can't get to it, right up underneath on the other side which of course is not jacked up. there is a plastic nut that you need to turn to get the hand brake to loosen. Its right up high in the tunnel.
Next you have to release the brake shoes to get to the end of the cable which is difficult to release from the shoe by turning it out.
Next step is to get the cable through the back plate. This has a metal round clip which is, at first difficult to see. you need a couple of screwdrivers to spring this off the cable on the inside back plate just as it comes through, the cable will then at last go through. Next step is to try to release the brake pipe at the flexible junction, your'll be lucky! I'll probably end up hacksawing through this lot and renewing it all as the brackets can't take the strain of a big spanner. The whole lot should be out on the left tommorow thank god. this will then be off to the sandblasters for a clean up, its very rusty but seems solid, we'll see.
Keep at it!
gadgit.
Next you have to release the brake shoes to get to the end of the cable which is difficult to release from the shoe by turning it out.
Next step is to get the cable through the back plate. This has a metal round clip which is, at first difficult to see. you need a couple of screwdrivers to spring this off the cable on the inside back plate just as it comes through, the cable will then at last go through. Next step is to try to release the brake pipe at the flexible junction, your'll be lucky! I'll probably end up hacksawing through this lot and renewing it all as the brackets can't take the strain of a big spanner. The whole lot should be out on the left tommorow thank god. this will then be off to the sandblasters for a clean up, its very rusty but seems solid, we'll see.
Keep at it!
gadgit.
Gadgit,
This all sounds very familiar...all I can say is keep going !!!
I had similar issues when doing mine, although I did not have much in the way of problems with the Torq bolts on the UJ's.
The handbrake is easy enough, I do however agree that the clip on the back plate is a bugger !!
If you're removing the diff wait for the fun of undoing the prop shaft bolts !!!
Cheers
Mark
This all sounds very familiar...all I can say is keep going !!!
I had similar issues when doing mine, although I did not have much in the way of problems with the Torq bolts on the UJ's.
The handbrake is easy enough, I do however agree that the clip on the back plate is a bugger !!
If you're removing the diff wait for the fun of undoing the prop shaft bolts !!!
Cheers
Mark
Good news, its all out!
The trailing arm is quite thick steel about1/8th thick and very strong. And yes as I said before, I had to hacksaw through the brake pipes.
I was supprised to find out how thick the metal is and wonder how on some cars these have rusted through. mine are in good nick. Its at the sand blasters now who want £15 to do the one side. this seems reasonable to me as it would take 2-3 days for me to clean this up to a clean finish, and I dont think it would be as good as sand blasting.
One of my great mistakes with the front was not having all the components sand blasted before painting. I think i have made a good job of it, but it takes so long! I would advise anyone who takes on a job like this to remove the part, which is hard enough, and then get on with something else while someone with all the gear blasts it to look like new.
keep at it!
gadgit.
The trailing arm is quite thick steel about1/8th thick and very strong. And yes as I said before, I had to hacksaw through the brake pipes.
I was supprised to find out how thick the metal is and wonder how on some cars these have rusted through. mine are in good nick. Its at the sand blasters now who want £15 to do the one side. this seems reasonable to me as it would take 2-3 days for me to clean this up to a clean finish, and I dont think it would be as good as sand blasting.
One of my great mistakes with the front was not having all the components sand blasted before painting. I think i have made a good job of it, but it takes so long! I would advise anyone who takes on a job like this to remove the part, which is hard enough, and then get on with something else while someone with all the gear blasts it to look like new.
keep at it!
gadgit.
Yes, thanks steve, the bloke said he will do the blasting on monday afternoon so I can pick it up and paint it straight away. I was not aware that this effect would be so fast, indeed he did say you will need to paint them as quick as possible.
cheers.
P.S Good gob your books are not writ like what you writ to me matey
gadgit.
>> Edited by gadgit on Friday 30th August 18:57
cheers.
P.S Good gob your books are not writ like what you writ to me matey
gadgit.
>> Edited by gadgit on Friday 30th August 18:57
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