Skyntara's Sydney EE3
Skyntara
Band Wagon
Hi Guys,
Continuing from my intro thread.
The wagon made it 900KM home no problems at all.
Rocked down for rego and there were a few issues:
1. Wiper Blades - Easy
2. Steering Wheel Rubber Loose - Need a new wheel I think
3. Rust in the guard - Have to cut it out
4. Rear LCA Bushes need replacing.
Shop quoted me $400 parts and labour to do the bushes. Tossing up whether it's worth it or not.
Everything else I'll just deal with myself.
Here's a pic of me and the wagon before we left Melbourne on our epic journey home.
Continuing from my intro thread.
The wagon made it 900KM home no problems at all.
Rocked down for rego and there were a few issues:
1. Wiper Blades - Easy
2. Steering Wheel Rubber Loose - Need a new wheel I think
3. Rust in the guard - Have to cut it out
4. Rear LCA Bushes need replacing.
Shop quoted me $400 parts and labour to do the bushes. Tossing up whether it's worth it or not.
Everything else I'll just deal with myself.
Here's a pic of me and the wagon before we left Melbourne on our epic journey home.
Comments
I picked up some Hard Race trailing arm bushings from JDMYard down the road. $125 a pair. Cheaper than the $195 they wanted for Mugens.
I had some fun getting them out. Damn handbrake cable clip wouldn't come loose. Someone can tell me the trick. I could manage to get two of the three split teeth in but could never make the third one compress at the some time and pull the cable. Nevermind - I dropped everything else and had the trailing arm on the ground. Couple of bits of hardwood and a hammer and had the bushes out in short order.
Unfortunately when I pulled the hub off the passenger side (left for those playing from the northern hemisphere) I managed to pull the CV out of the cup. I guess I don't know my own strength. Got it back in with a bit of manipulating but the rubber boot wasn't over the ridges on the shaft so I figured it wasn't all the way home. Couldn't get it nice by hand so I leaned back and gave it the boot. One solid boot did the trick and got the (other) boot sitting where it was supposed to, indicating to me the CV was back home.
On to getting the new Trailing arm bushes in.....
The old ones look like they had been filed a little bit to increase the taper to aid in getting them in. I was not having much luck with the new ones as they only had a tiny lip. Kept popping up when I gave anything more than a tiny tap to the other side. I have a small vice, that for no good reason isn't attached to my bench. I used that to clamp down one side of the bush while I tapped the other. Tap Tap Tap. Turn the Vice a couple of cranks. Tap Tap Tap. Vice Vice Vice.
Worked a treat!
Reassembled everything loose. Jacked up the LCAs and tightened everything down.
Bled the brakes. Started the engine and let my dog sit in the front seat while I put away the tools.
Jumped in the car to go for a spin and..... NO BRAKES!!!!
Decided it was too dark and cold to continue tonight. Had to tell my poor dog to get out as there would be no car ride tonight.
Guess I didn't bleed all that air.
I normally just gravity bleed everything but there was so much air in the rear lines a gravity bleed wasn't pulling it through.
Proper two man pedal pump bleed had it sorted in short order, pedal is rock solid now, not going to the floor like it did the night before and not spongy like when I picked it up.
To celebrate we went out and drove off some gutters to see how the rear end felt and it all felt good and tight.
Whacked on the new wiper blades and it's all ready for rego tomorrow morning. This time tomorrow I should have plates and be rolling in my wagon.
Sweet, I'll try that next time.
1. A clunking from the front end. Seems a bit CV like. Sort of clunks as you come to a stop and clunks again when you start moving. No clicking or anything as you turn so maybe something else? I'll get under there this weekend and check it out I guess.
2. Shifter is loosey goosey. I found rebuild instructions: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9924&hilit=shifter+rubber but the picture doesn't come up so a little hard to work with.
Any thoughts and/or advice would be great.
Thanks
Clancy
Got sick of the horrible tyres on the horrible steelies.
Pulled out a set of Genuine Spoon SW388 that I picked up last year for a steal at $300.
This was the wagon this morning:
And this is the wagon this afternoon:
Got me some nice Kumho KU31 in 205/50/R15. Sitting very pretty. Might actually be time to give it a wash....
But I have a slammed MX5 for street. Maybe I should just put the spoons on it.
I think I need to raise it and put some big rubber on before I get the lowering bug.
Bah! Lift it higher!
i support this movement.
I'm already tracking down the Accord gear I need and the Wrecker down the road has two DA9 tegs ready to have their rears pulled.
Looks like Accord front struts.
The bottom one actually looks like the spring is a bit out of shape, didn't notice at the wreckers. Not sure what's going on there...
Just need to grab some DA9 struts and LCAs from pick and payless up the road and it will be lift o'clock.
Instead my mate asked if i wanted to hit some trails so I jumped in and rolled. It was a bit of an underwhelming day. The Prado we were rolling with ripped a belt or something. My wagon just laughed but without him we didn't continue. Headed home after not much excitement. Bit of mud and some belly dragging with all 4 wheels spinning. Next time I'll have lift and some angry tyres. Might hit some sand next weekend with my brother.
I'm stuck now with the wheel off and the suspension dangling.
You can see my brand new (used from ebay) Thule racks.
In the meantime, here's another set of wheels I picked up. Some Civic Em1 wheels in very good nick.
I plan to put some 205/70/r15 Offroad Tyres on these suckers for when my lift is in.
Needed a new Upper Control Arm on the passenger (left) side because I damaged it getting the ball joint separated - only $17 from the wreckers down the road.
Hopefully if this horrible weather clears I'll be able to drop the rears in. I'm anticipating they will be a LOT easier.
Also picked up a Roof Cage off ebay.
Here's a pic.
Want to get this mounted tomorrow and get a pic of the car.
I'm curious because at only 1.5 inches of lift I'm already having axle issues.
What sort of axle issues are you having? Mine don't seem particularly stressed. Did about 50km today and everything felt fine.
Skyntara : what tire are you planning on using sir.... im still searching for a nice aggressive tread tire for my mini lifted rt4wd...
I will most likely end up getting a set of Yokohama Geolandar AT tyres since I plan on some longer trips. Initially I was going to run the KU31s for daily and get something aggressive to swap in for offroad such as the Maxxis M8060 TREPADOR or this set of gnarly retreads that I found on ebay
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-x-NEW-RALLY-RETREAD-TYRES-205-65-r15-Great-and-off-road-Road-legal-/200718055318?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ebbba7796
They're local to me and $220 *a set*. That being said I wouldn't want to do any highway driving on them so they're probably out for now unless I get yet another set of rims (which would be getting ridiculous as I now own 5 sets of 4x100 rims, but at least I have two cars to fit them on...)
205/70 should look good on yours.
Cooper ATR All Terrain Reinforced 205/70 r15 only
70% Road & Sand, 30% Dirt & Mud
http://www.coopertires.com.au/index.php?page=tyres&tyre_id=1
Maxxis Malas Vanpro - Claim to be good for 25% offroad 205/65 r15 AND 205/70 r15
http://maxxistyres.com.au/tyredetails.php?id=33&cat=3
Maxxis MA-751 BRAVO also 25% Offroad 205/70 r15 only
http://maxxistyres.com.au/tyredetails.php?id=37&cat=3
Edit: Crazy Retread Guy
http://stores.ebay.com.au/CHEAP-MUD-TYRES-FOR-ALL
http://www.treadsource.com/Yokohama_Geolandar_A-T-S_205-70R15_1229/
In the meantime here's a pic of the lifted front and my new Rola roof cage.