1498 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

Had a rummage through my boxes of parts today and managed to find a few more bits of the front suspension to strip and refurbish.

 

I managed to find a top arm in good condition to replace the one with the sheared grease nipple as well as 2 good lower arms and one tie bar (the other one is bent)

Also found 2 half decent front cones.

 

 

Result!

So these will be stripped back, all paint removed and then primed over the next few days to join the other top arm in my box of 'clean' bits

 

 

Ben

[Minidarren83]

I've got a tie bar if your over essex way next week?

[Ben_O]

I've got a tie bar if your over essex way next week?

Thanks Darren.

 

I have one more box to look in as i am sure i have a couple of spares somewhere but if not, ill let you know.

 

Cheers

 

Ben

[Ben_O]

Just had another look in the garage for the rest of the suspension parts and found this.

 

 

 

But it's no good unfortunately...

 

 

Then i remembered my Grandad's old tool chest had some bits in so had a look and found these

 

 

So now i have everything i need plus spares

 

 

 

I might refurbish all of it minus the damaged stuff and then sell it on. Might as well while i am at it.Not sure how much arms are worth?

 

I also found a few more bits to go in my clean tray

 

 

Ill get on with that lot tomorrow.

 

Ben

Edited by Ben_O, 25 January 2015 - 09:59 PM.

[Zeemax Adventure]

coming along well fella, must be nice to have stashes of mini spares for when you need them :)

[Carlos W]

I might refurbish all of it minus the damaged stuff and then sell it on. Might as well while i am at it.Not sure how much arms are worth?

 

I wouldn't bother mate, you probably wouldn't make enough to cover your materials and electricity.

 

Standard bottom arms aren't really worth anything

[Ben_O]

 

I might refurbish all of it minus the damaged stuff and then sell it on. Might as well while i am at it.Not sure how much arms are worth?

 

I wouldn't bother mate, you probably wouldn't make enough to cover your materials and electricity.

 

Standard bottom arms aren't really worth anything

 

Good to know. Thanks!

 

I am going to buy a wheelie bin to go out on the drive so i can fill it with all my scrap metal parts and panels just so it's out of the way but i can save it all until the car is complete just incase.

These arms will go in there...

[Stu.]

I keep all my spare stuff. For the room it all takes up, for me they are worth keeping. A new standard bottom arm costs £35. Just my opinion though and I am a bit of a parts hoarder :)

[1590gilbert]

Useable parts sell ok because people like to restore the parts themselves.

 

But if you clean them up n get them powder coated they should sell better but who knows until you give it a go.

 

Im getting a few bits powder coated soon.

 

I dont like chrome so getting the headlight rings done but not sure on colour yet 

 

Iv not touched my mini for months. I need to get back on it, 

 

Watching this thread and a few others is getting me back into it.

Edited by 1590gilbert, 28 January 2015 - 01:41 PM.

[Ben_O]

teeny weeny update today.

 

Stripped the paint/rust of the bottom arms and tie bars

 

 

And then splashed on some primer.

 

 

It's all very exciting! 

[RossKnight]

Looking good :) Not going for heavy duty tie bars?

[Ben_O]

Looking good :) Not going for heavy duty tie bars?

Nope, everything standard on this one mate.

[lyndseyp27]

Looking good, our Ben. Not be long till you're driving it over for that coffee, right?!

[Ben_O]

Looking good, our Ben. Not be long till you're driving it over for that coffee, right?!

It will be finished one day Lyndsey.......One day 

 

I hope 

[Ben_O]

Well a little bit more done today. I say a little bit but it took me over 4 hours to achieve it 

 

I wanted to get the other top arm stripped down and in primer and Christ, it was hard slog..

 

First on the agenda was to get the bolt out that holds the bottom of the shock absorber to the top arm.

 

Easy right?  er nope...

 

The bolt has seized solid into the top arm. I tried heating it up first

 

 

That didn't work and the threaded end of the bolt started bending from me clouting it so i chopped it down

 

 

And tried again.

That didn't work either so i put a breaker bar onto the bolt head and tried to turn it to get it moving but it started to twist like it was going to sheer so i thought i would weld a nut onto the end so i could try and turn it from the other end

 

 

But that didn't work either so i ended up clouting the newly welded nut and got it moving so then clouted it the other way and repeated it until it moved back and forth pretty easily but it still didn't want to come out

 

 

so i then ground the end of the bolt flush with the casting and drilled into it to give me something to put a punch into but couldn't find the punch so i used a chunky screwdriver instead

 

 

and after lots of heavy blows and wd40

 

 

 

So next i turned my attention to the bearings.

I thought i would try the weld a bolt method so i did just that

 

 

It worked fine but took ages so i reverted back to my Jeremy Clarkson method and got the other one out.

 

So one finally stripped arm

 

 

Stripped the paint and rust from it

 

 

Hung it up

 

 

And applied some primer

 

 

Phew!