Roxanne - budget milano/75 track car - Page 18

**La Voce** · #**256** (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 04:40 AM

Jes,
The flat retaining ring lying on top of the hub in your #2 picture, how did you pry it out of there?

**AR4me** · #**257** (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 07:20 AM

Jim,
The retaining ring holding the ABS ring gear comes out with a needle nose plier. The retaining ring has the usual two holes, insert the plier, and open the ring so that it can clear, when you open it maybe put something under it to lift so that it doesn't snap back in. The ABS ring gear may need a little convincing to come off, not bad.
BTW, my SKF bearings also say Mexico on them.
Jes

**La Voce** · #**258** (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 05:47 PM

Thanks Jes. My ring looked so old and fragile I was afraid to pry on it with any great force, so I chickened out.

**AR4me** · #**259** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 12:18 AM

Yeah, Roxanne being a SoCal car throughout her 19 year life definitely shows - no rust

Jes

**AR4me** · #**260** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 12:27 AM

Ok, made some progress today...

I took out the upper control arm and prepared it for planned suspension changes and shimmed the poly bushing.

Pics:
1. Upper Control Arm out.
2. Ready for treatment.
3. Grind away

4. Primer, painted, and ready to go back in.

Does anyone see what's coming, suspension wise?

Jes

**AR4me** · #**261** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 12:36 AM

Getting the bolt, that secures the upper control arm to the chassis, back in is usually a major pain. I found that using a magnet works magic

Pics:
1. Magnet at work.
2. Pulling the bolt through.
3. The upper control arm bolted back in with shimmed poly bushing.

Jes

**AR4me** · #**262** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 12:47 AM

Next I converted the castor rod mounting to the chassis to ball joint. I had bought the ball joint kit and spacer kit from Performatek. Instructions were good and encouraged modifying the spacer and chassis with light metal removing to get the spacer to mate to the chassis well. I ended up grinding the spacer mostly, and the mouting surface of the ball joint slightly. This is a fairly straightforward conversion, made simple with my good friend, the angle grinder - where would I be without?

Some pics:
1. After grinding the spacer.
2. Different angle.
3. Mating of the ball joint (after grinding) to the spacer.
4. Preparation of the chassis.

Jes

**AR4me** · #**263** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 12:50 AM

and...

1. Mounted and all done.
2. Different angle.
3. The castor rod ball joint in, the upper control amd in place, and the lower A-arm out for rebuilding.

Jes

**AR4me** · #**264** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 01:02 AM

Next, rebuilding the lower A-arm. Along with the castor rod ball joint conversion I also ordered a set of new bushings for complete rebuild of the lower A-arm from Performatek. It contains 4 identical bushings, 2 per side. I think I have found the biggest nut on the Milano. The front nut on the lower A-arm assembly is a 50mm

After taking the torsion bar out, and unbolting the lower A-arm, the nuts come off pretty easily. Pressing the old bushings out is a little more difficult. Colin and I scratched our heads a bit. Since I don't have the factory tool, we had to use the 20 ton press. I had tried pressing both at once but they didn't give. So, studying the manual we realized that with the factory tool you do one at a time. With "only" a press at hand it takes a little bit of creativity to access one at a time. However, that was the trick. Once we figured out how to press one at a time, they came out without major drama. The new ones go in without issues.

Pics:
1. The 50mm nut off.
2. All done.

When putting the torsion bars back in I will lower the car some more - 1/2-1".

With the completion of the lower A-arms EVERY single bushing, mount, etc. have been done on the car.

Jes

**AR4me** · #**265** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 01:12 AM

Oh, almost forgot. I did tap out the bearing cups. But, I did not install the new bearings as I realized that I don't have the seal for the inner bearing - duh...

Jes

**75evo** · #**266** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 02:31 AM

Grinding upper a-arm...planned suspension change.... hmmm.....RSR?

tomp · #**267** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 08:11 AM

That dust shield seems to really be a brake cooling shield! When I removed them it made a noticable difference. Also using brembo rotors over bandX seems make a difference for some reason. (porterfield R4 pads)
-Tom P.

**AR4me** · #**268** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Grinding upper a-arm...planned suspension change.... hmmm.....RSR?

**gday** · #**269** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 03:26 PM

I hope those were the cross-drilled aluminum fender washers you used to shim the upper arm bushings Jes. Don't want to be adding weight to Roxanne do you?

By the way.....is there any chance you're going to do anything to make your car SLOWER? I'm used to being the slowest car on the track but its getting to be embarrasing. I have a bag of concrete that would fit great in the trunk.

**AR4me** · #**270** (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 05:40 PM

You mean for the perfect 50/50 weight balance

Right now I'm on a race in itself just getting the car ready for WSR - still got quite a few things planned.

Jes