Jump to content

Gary_N

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    539

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Gary_N

    Help Yoda is trying to kill me - I need front end help

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Rich: As far as the new parts go, 1/2 of the parts I bought were suspect. Bushings in particular. I wasted hours fighting with the 'new parts'. This project has taught me that rusty NOS parts are better than supposed new ones. I bought the control arm from a yard in OK. I asked for the drivers side and got the passenger side. Unfortunately, like a dummy, I didn't check to see that the part was correct. I even sand blasted, primed and painted. It was staring me in the face the whole time. And to add insult to injury, after blasting and painting the wheels and installed the new tires, I found one of the wheels was bent.

    Of the six new brakes line, five were wrong. I guess I wasted about $500 on these parts. I don't mind spending money....I just hate wasting it.

    I'm going to back off and not rush. The fitments thing is driving me crazy. I need to get it correct. Hershey will still be fun, just without Yoda. I don't like the way the steering knuckle (support I guess) sits inside the yoke of the upper control arms. It seems to me it should not move once the pin is in and clamped. The left side bushing tightens up nice, but the right side bushing moves the whole support when you tighten it. Doesn't make sense to me. I'm going to take it apart again. I hate to pull the spring since I just got it in. Springs make me nervous. I wrap chain around a coil and the control arm just in case they come flying out.

    I see you have a big block Vette. Love those. I have a Z06 in the garage. I was racing for awhile. Looking forward to getting back on the road course!!

    Gary

    Help Yoda is trying to kill me - I need front end help

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Well in case anyone is interested, I managed to get the passenger side steering knuckle relatively lined up. Had to move the lower control arm about 3/16ths. I hope these cars have some wiggle room. Anyway, I find that as you tighten the upper pivot pin bushing, the steering knuckle support moves and changes the alignment to the lower control arm. It seems like it shouldn't move but it does. I guess its supposed to do that but makes for a hard time to get things aligned...that is....if you want everything centered. Driver's side was much easier until I discovered that the replacement lower control arm I bought is the wrong side. Now I'm pretty much dead in the water. Unless....(the original lower control arm is bend in at shaft side about a 1/4 inch) I can somehow 'press' the original lower control arm into shape. Can that be done?? Would it be safe? I was going to try heat and a hammer and was talked out of that. A mechanic friend told me that could make the arm brittle.

    Of course, if I wasn't trying to rush it all together to get to Hershey, none of this would have happened. Ah well....maybe I still have a shot if I can find a not very busy machine shop on the way to the office tomorrow. I'm really thinking you need to be retired to ever get an old car together. All this working for a living stuff is getting in the way!

    Thanks for the ears!

    Gary

    Help Yoda is trying to kill me - I need front end help

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Willie:

    I bought 'new' (rebuilt) shocks from Five Points in Southern California. They don't look like they have been welded. Still have the same looking cast 'slag' that the originals have.

    Rich: The front spring cup bolts to the front shock. So the shock is held by three bolts. There's no wiggle room at all. I've measured and re-measured the lower control arm distance from the mounting bolts to the arm. Maybe a 1/16th to work with there. I think I'll take the 1/16th and Install the knuckle to the lower control arm first and see what happens.

    Thanks again!

    Gary

    Help Yoda is trying to kill me - I need front end help

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Rich, the manual said to center the shaft so I measured from the inside of the lower control arm yoke to the mounting tabs on the shaft. They are easy enough to move though and that may be a good place to check. I think I'll also loosen the shocks and see what happens as well. Maybe I can get everything lined up before installing the springs.

    This is crunch weekend if I ever expect to get to Hershey. And yes, this is a fun hobby.....but frustrating from time to time.

    Thanks for the help!!!

    Gary

    Help Yoda is trying to kill me - I need front end help

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    OK, again. Yoda (my '50) is killing me. This time it's the front end. I have new shocks and replaced the king pins; etc. Seems the parts I get are never exactly correct....but that's another complaint. Anyway, please look at the picture attached. First look at the top of the knuckle (upright for you MOPAR people) and the distance on both sides of the shock yoke. And yes, I ripped one of the seals. Now look at the alignment of the lower portion of the knuckle to the lower control arm. It's at least a 1/4" off. Now I guess I could move the top of the knuckle over a little bit but it seems like that would make the position of the knuckle in the shock yoke wrong. I thought it should be centered so to speak.

    All I can think is something is bent. There's no wiggle room with the lower control arm. Maybe the shocks? Should I keep the shocks loose while setting this up? Maybe I should re-read the manual???

    Anyway, can someone illuminate me? At this rate, Yoda ain't gonna be visiting Hershey in all his lack of glory.

    Time for a Manahattan (or two)!

    Thanks in advance for your help. You guys are great!!!

    Gary

    post-36372-143138116046_thumb.jpg

    More '50 Brake stuff Help - This time its the lines

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Well, as usual, and since I'm in a hurry to get ready for Hershey, more issues have popped up. I bought new brake lines from Classic Tube (actually made from a pattern for a '50 Super Conv. I didn't think that would make any difference), and new brake hoses (3 - 2 fronts and 1 for the rear junction block).

    So, I start fitting the new lines to find the fronts are too small and the line from the brake switch back is also too small. Here's how Yoda is configured:

    The front lines from the brake switch to the front wheels are larger in diameter than the rear wheel lines from the rear wheels to the rear junction block. The line from the brake switch back to the junction block is the same size as the front wheel lines. The 3rd rubber hose connects this line to junction block. The lines from the junction block back to the rear wheels are much smaller that the front lines.

    The lines I bought are the same size for the front wheels; rear wheels and line from the brake switch to the junction block. The I/D of the new lines look almost 1/2 the size of the original lines. This has to be an error by Classic Tube. I hope.

    So, I've had to reuse the old lines. Actually they look good; just a little brake clean and some compressed air. But, now I find that the end fitting for the new hose from the junction block is too small for the line running from the brake swtch back to the junction block. The flare is larger than the hose end female fitting. Of course the new line fits the hose. But it's too small to fit to the brake switch.

    So on to the questions; Is this the way the lines are configured on your cars? Has anyone bought the rubber hoses before and found the same issue with the third hose that I'm having?

    My 'original' line running from the brake switch back is in two sections. A long section from the brake switch back and then a short section coupled together. The short section is not much more that 12 inches long. Since the lines sizes in the rear are smaller, if I could figure out some way to 'step down' the size of the short section so it will fit into the third hose will that cause brake issues? I guess I could reuse the old hose but it looks unsafe to me.

    Aside from all the calls I'll be making today and advice I will no doubt get, I would appreciate your comments.

    Thanks!

    Gary

    Brakes Springs - How the heck do you get them on?

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Tom, thanks for all of the detailed info. Had to take the weekend off and let Yoda collect some dust while I had visitors. Anyway, the short answer is yes, everything is correctly in place. The springs (from CARS) are VERY stiff though. I don't have the snap on tool. Looks like I should add that to my tool mix. My pliers tool has the dimple end, etc. So, either I'm a complete idiot (which is entirely possible); a complete weakling; or just plain inept. We'll see what happens on the fronts.

    Thriller: Ah...yes.....Mr. Earl may have fabricated some of the bull myths but I think he's jealous of my plasma torch!

    Gary

    Brakes Springs - How the heck do you get them on?

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Well, I have the pliers you guys are talking about. Have the dimple side and the hook side. I still can't get it to work. The springs are shall we say very stiff. My ex's son was over and used my pliers tool in a much different way. He somehow used the hook end to slip on anchor pin and 'twisted' it on. I guess I just must a weakling. Ah well, two more to go so I'll try your methods.

    I did figure out that safety glasses are a must since I've banged my protected eyes more than once. And Bob, you are correct. Those MOPAR brakes are very different.

    Willie: How the heck do you use vice grips or big pliers?? That sounds like the "bull" method! I'd have to work out for about 6 months first!

    Thanks for the help!!!

    Gary

    Brakes Springs - How the heck do you get them on?

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    OK, I've wrestled with this long enough. Time to call on the experts. Yoda (my '50) has been going through a complete brake overhaul. New lines, shoes, cylinders, M/C, etc. One thing I can never figure out is how to easily get the brakes springs back on. I have two types of brake tools. One from Sears that looks like pliers with a hook and pick at one end. And I just picked up a NAPA supposed new type spring loaded so easy a baby could use it tool. Neither works. Well, I would say the operator cannot figure out how to get the Sears one to work anyway. The NAPA tool is useless.

    So, can anyone tell me the secret of getting these springs apart from just trying to "bull" them on to the spring pin?

    Thanks.

    Gary

    How the heck do you get the wheel bearings in??

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Ben, here's a recent shot of 'Yoda' in all his glory. He's been on the lift for a month. I'm trying to make him a little safer for long trips so I'm rebuilding the front end including new springs and shocks; replacing the brake lines and master; bearings all the way around; re-doing the brakes including in the cylinders; new radial WWW tires etc., etc. A greasy and expensive job. I'm sure you can relate.

    Gary

    post-36372-143138108077_thumb.jpg

    How the heck do you get the wheel bearings in??

    in Buick - Post War

    Posted

    Willie:

    Well, I hate to say that I spent a whole day with that wheel bearing. I was afraid to hit it with anything but rubber mallet and wood block. And, that's all it took to get it wedged. Sometimes I wish I was working on a car that had some value since 'Yoda' isn't worth that much. Maybe all this cussing should be directed toward more of a dream car. Actually I've been trying to get him ready for a spot at the Hershey Corral. But then, I may not have the nerve to sell him. Now if I had a '47 Roadmaster Convertible to work on, I wouldn't mind all the aggravation!

    As far as forums go, this one is the best. I'm on a few others but this is my fav. And, a Plasma Torch is your friend....really...unless you're removing some pieces of a floor and don't realize that there may some frame underneath and then maybe you might melt some of that frame......well......I've heard that anyway....somewhere....but not in my shop.....

    Thanks for the help everyone.

    Gary

×
×
  • Create New...