Did the front struts and droplinks yesterday, my local Eurocarparts won't take telephone CC orders to get parts shipped in so up at 8.00 to pay at the counter for 12pm delivery. Get started and realise my 22mm spanner is missing so I cant use the spring compresser and I dont have a 24mm for the top bolt, get stitched up 18 quid by Halfords for the pair! Removal and reinstall goes well, total of 4 hours for both half of which seems like it was spent on the compressors
Both arms now aching....
Today I think it's an 'easy' job, the handbrake shoes. All of the strip down is fine apart from getting the drum off, slacken handbrake cable - check, back off star adjuster - nope it's locked solid, plusgas through the hole, wait, still solid. Break out 2*4 and hammer and smash away, I lost track of time but I was on it for over 3 hours. I managed to free the hub from the shoes quite quickly but because I couldn't back off the adjuster they were catching on a rust lip and kept bouncing back into place. I ended up having to pull the only section I could grab by the caliper and wedge small items into the wheel nut holes between between the drum and the hub and then forcibly rotate the hub to wedge another bit. When it finally releases I discover the lower mechanism is also solid so probably not freeing the shoes off fully.
Rebuild is fine apart from........... those damn twist springs!! They aren't the easiest thing to apply at anytime but doing it through an inspection hole counts as cruel and unusual punishment
Oddly I found the first one most difficult, probably because everything could move, luckily I had a brainstorm and realised that you could angle the shoe enough to fit the spring from the side of the hub.
So 7 hours later every part of my body aches, I reek of oil after 2 showers one of which was in swarfega
and I still have the other side to do
How you mobile guys do this day in day out is beyond me.........
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Topic: I've remembered why I gave up self maintaining!! (Read 1203 times)