I've been hardcore!
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:29 pm
A little saga to share - I'm bored, so it's long. 
Since I got back from the Simpson, I've been a little concerned about my rear springs - the rear end has seemed a lot softer than it used to be. Then, a few days back, with a lot of left lock and too much right foot coming out of a carpark, the Paj leaned hard and lifted the front left wheel - quite a puckering moment!
On the weekend I replaced a lower ball joint (old one was sealed, and sqeaking badly) so I took the Paj in for a wheel alignment. When it was done, he casually mentioned "You're missing a bolt from one of your control arms."
Front bolt on driver's side - probably explained the loose rear end! I'd been driving with a "hardcore mod" and not even known it.
Had to drive past Mitsubishi anyway, so I called in to see if they had one. M16x90, not in stock, would take 2 days to come from Sydney. Bolt, nut and spring washer for a measley $20!
Home to the Yellow Pages - dear sweet little old Adelaide doesn't have too many bolt suppliers, and none my side of town. Closest one doesn't have 16x90, but can do 16x100 (Grade 8.8). Had a quick look, the extra 10mm is no problem, so 30km round trip later I'm the proud possessor of one M16x100 bolt, spring washer and nyloc nut - for the grand sum of $4.75 (+ fuel...)
Of course, that extra 10mm means my socket only reaches halfway down the nut while I'm trying to tighten it to 235Nm! (235Nm? How did it work loose in the first place?)
Out comes the bolt, out comes the angle grinder and a bucket of water, and a few minutes later the bolt is a little shorter (and hopefully hasn't been too hot...) But I still don't have room under the Paj to swing on my torque wrench to get to 200Nm, much less the 235 in the Gregory's manual. So I think I'll go back to the wheel aligner some time...
Tomorrow, I might get to put the head back on my Sigma.
Scott
Since I got back from the Simpson, I've been a little concerned about my rear springs - the rear end has seemed a lot softer than it used to be. Then, a few days back, with a lot of left lock and too much right foot coming out of a carpark, the Paj leaned hard and lifted the front left wheel - quite a puckering moment!
On the weekend I replaced a lower ball joint (old one was sealed, and sqeaking badly) so I took the Paj in for a wheel alignment. When it was done, he casually mentioned "You're missing a bolt from one of your control arms."
Front bolt on driver's side - probably explained the loose rear end! I'd been driving with a "hardcore mod" and not even known it.
Had to drive past Mitsubishi anyway, so I called in to see if they had one. M16x90, not in stock, would take 2 days to come from Sydney. Bolt, nut and spring washer for a measley $20!
Home to the Yellow Pages - dear sweet little old Adelaide doesn't have too many bolt suppliers, and none my side of town. Closest one doesn't have 16x90, but can do 16x100 (Grade 8.8). Had a quick look, the extra 10mm is no problem, so 30km round trip later I'm the proud possessor of one M16x100 bolt, spring washer and nyloc nut - for the grand sum of $4.75 (+ fuel...)
Of course, that extra 10mm means my socket only reaches halfway down the nut while I'm trying to tighten it to 235Nm! (235Nm?
How did it work loose in the first place?)Out comes the bolt, out comes the angle grinder and a bucket of water, and a few minutes later the bolt is a little shorter (and hopefully hasn't been too hot...) But I still don't have room under the Paj to swing on my torque wrench to get to 200Nm, much less the 235 in the Gregory's manual. So I think I'll go back to the wheel aligner some time...
Tomorrow, I might get to put the head back on my Sigma.
Scott
but i was packen darkies once when i got it on 2 wheels (not meaning to either) but ohwell thats what happens when sliding muddies grip on the black top 
