The Rear Uprights Revisited

Last weekend I had to work so I didn't get any kit car time. It was the first weekend I failed to put some hours on the kit since I started building it. It made me very sad.

But it was not all stopped. I swapped several emails with Steve from Aries regarding the distances between p-clips for the brake and petrol pipes and also about the rear uprights. As usual, Steve is a top person, very helpful and very interested. If I go over 4 weeks without sending him an email, he mails me to ask if everything is going well. This is top customer service!

Summing up the emails, for the p-clips the IVA man doesn't require 100mm between p-clips. He wants the pipes to be secure. Steve recommends the 100mm but he reckons that in some places a bigger spacing (150mm) is acceptable while in others the pipes get more secure with a shorter distance. I should use discretion and reason while doing this and be sure the pipes don't rub any metal from the chassis.

Steve also questioned me about the need I had to enlarge the hole on the rear suspension pickup by 1mm. It shouldn't have been needed. Probably, if I had taken out the bush tube and rubbers and fitted them again with more lithium grease, it would have gone into place. Anyway, no big harm done.

He additionally told me I should use the extra bush pipe he sent me, instead of washers, to make space on the lower axle of the upright. The bush pipe would have to be cut in half. As I don't have a tool for that, I questioned about using washers (even if I had to buy more) and he said it would be OK. But no washers on the back of the upright, only on the front side. (see edit at the bottom)

He added that the upright should get into place on the top wishbone bush tube easily to allow for later camber adjustment. That would require some filling of the bush pipe and rubber. I had to hammer that into place...

So, when I got to the car today I started by taking out the rear uprights and the upper bush tubes. I'll work all that out on my bench and then reassemble it all on the car.

One of the upright axles was slightly damaged on my hammering spree two weeks ago. The thread is a bit thorn and now the nut will not screw in. I tried to amend that with a file and a little hacksaw. It's not good yet, but I may be able to fix my mistake.

My last task was to try to fit the wheel studs on the outer c/v joints. A blog reader (thank you daveyboy) told be Steve had said to put loads of washers on the stud and then use a wheel nut to pull the stud into place. I tried that but the outer joint would start to rotate and I couldn't manage it. I'll have to try again later with the outer joint hold up tight in some way...

I'm considering buying a vice for my stand, would help me a lot in a couple of jobs I'll have in the future...

EDIT - 2013-03-24 - It is very important that the washers are really all at the front. It ensures proper castor settings and it also prevents the rod rubbing the inside of the wheel. Additionally, it is easier to set as accurate as possible the toe and camber at this point. Since I didn't manage to properly measure the settings, I used the same as a similar car from another builder, that was professionally set. See 2013-03-24 post for more information.