Blocker's Sandman

[Blocker]

Thanks!

I'l give the blue flap discs a shot and get ambientgoat to give me a hand because he has had a lot of experience.

I'll look out for some Penetrene because the nuts and threads are pretty badly rusted. My biggest challenge is removing the control arms and general front steering and suspension gear without too many scraped knuckles and swearing.

[Taily]

Good to see it moving forward again Blocker!

Know the feeling of life getting in the way, I have hardly touched mine in the 9 months since we moved.

Only need to finish one front guard, then I'll be rubbing the whole thing back, and back, and back, and back..... Fingers are curling up in pain just thinking about what is coming but I'd rather do the whole thing myself.

[SLR_dave]

Yeah, tryna get car time, especially around Christmas! - Maybe it might make it quicker and easier to think of it like this,

The steering will all fall out in one heap (yeah true maybe on your hand) with just nine bolts if you undo the steering arms from the steering knuckle, - no tie rods to split! You can leave the upper steer shaft on too.

If the brakes are undone at the rear wheels, the diff connector, the regulator connector, and the front hoses, it can all come out in one piece like a giant spider web by just unbending the tangs, and pulling out the clips at the hoses - it gets a bit bent usually! But, is it actually reusable anyway?

If the brake lines are throw outs, the faces of the nuts at the joins may also determine this, you don't even have to undo the bolts, you can just cut the line. (Btw if you go for new brake lines I think you can only get metric size nut faces now? (on imperial thread?) so, if any of the pipe joiners have good nut faces, and you do end up cutting the line, you may want to save the joiner? - just a thought.

Then its just the caliper bolts, and the brakes and steering are done.

The stabiliser bar is only 6 bolts if you only do one nut on the link at each end (which ever nut comes off easiest) and then drag it out however it comes.

The suspension unit, well yeah, its heavy, but the cool thing is you only have to split two ball joints (doesn't matter top or bottom), and once the spring is out its only 4 bolts and the whole thing falls apart, and the bits can be dragged out all still attached to each other like the steering. (you might want to protect the stub axles when dragging though depends how they are).

There used to be a spike type ball splitter too, - about 1.5-2m long with a blunt point, - you stuck it in the notch on the top of the lower ball stub and hit from the top at standing height - these made it easier, has to be made of heavy steel though, and you still have to have the commonsense set up right of course - but if you can get one they help!!

Done that way, I make that only 30 bolts.... (lol sounds so easy!) so, if you brush just those ones off and get em soaked in diesel on one afternoon, then give them all a shot of penetrene, and another hit over the next day, that should speed it up.

Also, if you do the chassis yourself with an angle grinder, you don't have to do it all in one hit of course, you could clean it up and prime it in sections.
Merry chassis cleaning, hope this helps!

[Blocker]

Thanks Dave,
I flapped and flapped only for about 5 minutes to get an idea of what would be required. The results speak for themselves!

[Absinth]

Hi Blocker,

just read through your whole thread..... Wow, onto your third Sandy... I have been gone a while. This one looks like a corker mate, nice colour too if I've read it right and it's Satin Mist. Terrific progress so far, looking forward to the ongoing build.

[Blocker]

So working FIFO can sap away the time really quickly. I can't believe it's been so long in between posts!

So the chassis is off to the blasters, and while striping the front end I noticed that the front rails look a little bent - anyone care to comment?

[Taily]

It does look like it may have had a little knock, mine aren't pushed about like that. IIRC there are some chassis drop test specs in the HQ supplements somewhere. Since moving last year I'm yet to lay my hands on my books as, like everything else of value it is in storage. I think it was in the commercial supplement.

[Sandaro]

Hi Blocker, did you strip all the parts off the chassis? Question being, did the front panel/bumpers attach okay? Looks like a gentle massage with a lump hammer on the ends would be all that's required if anything.

[Blocker]

Yes everything stiped off ok, and I agree just a bit of massaging when the new front end and rods go in.

[Taily]

I'm wondering if it has already been on a rack and that a gentle belt was needed (hence the ends of the chassis)?

Might be straight enough already?