[Lokki]

r-mm -

I think I'm just a couple weeks ahead of you on installing a Centerline suspension rebuild kit.
I'm tackling the front end first. After that's put back together it's on to do the back, and finally the driveshaft.

Just this afternoon I took the A-arm's and the bushings to a shop to have the old ones pressed out and replaced with new ones. I considered buying a Harbor Freight press myself, but decided that after the suspension jobs are done, I'm unlikely to use it again.

Additionally there's the fact that as Sagebrush Bob points out above, there's probably more to the game than just buying the press. I decided I'm better off with somebody who has done it before.

I should have the arms back Monday or Tuesday and I'll report back on the price I pay here in Dallas. I'm also replacing my wheel studs while I'm at it since on my 71 they're reverse thread on the left side.

Oh, couple of small things about the Centerline kit, if that's what you bought. It doesn't include new bushing caps for the A-arm bushings... not a big deal but something to know. Also make sure you keep the nuts from the old ball joints - the new ones don't come with any.

I also had to replace all my spring rubbers and metal spring seats as they were shot... those aren't in the kit either. I ended up getting those from IAP because I had a 15% discount from them.

Overall however, except for the bushings, I've been able to do everything with a good set of wrenches, a good set of sockets, an impact driver to remove the screws in the hubs, a can of PB Blaster penetrating oil, and some cursing. I would prefer not to mention the use of the BF hammer and the torch.... but I've used both a lot more than I thought I would.

With the exception of a couple of ball joints that are on their 3rd/4th day of PB blaster and STILL not loose enough for the ball joint splitter to break loose, everything is going pretty well.

Good luck and have fun!

Lokki

 

[Lokki]

I've never needed more than a stout block of wood and a heavy mallet.....

Good for you Typhoon90. Perhaps you're better at this than I am.

I got most of mine loose with exactly that - a stout block of wood and a heavy mallet. But I have two that aren't so cooperative. That's why I bought the splitter. I had three left to do at the time I bought the splitter.... It did one of the three easily. Not so with the other two. I know that they'll come out eventually... but after 40 years in one place they seem to have gotten set in their ways.

I bought the splitter tool shown in Papajam's thread... $19 at Harbor Freight. Today, after the wife leaves the house , I pull out the torch and I think the combination of the splitter and the torch will do it.

The splitter has a "finger" that sits on top of the threaded end of the tie rod end, and then a "split finger" that goes under underneath the tie rod. The finger pushes down and then "pop goes the tie rod end!" except when it doesn't.


Rmm-

I went to a local self-owned mechanic - "Bea's Automotive" where the owner Roberto really seems to love old cars (I think Bea is his wife, but I don't know). I never thought about a machine shop, perhaps because my limited experience with them is that they're pretty expensive and I don't think that level of expertise is necessary....if a mechanic has the right tools, it shouldn't be too hard for someone with experience. Roberto didn't blink when I pulled my a-arms and a box of bushings and wheel studs out of the trunk.

On the sockets and wrenches, everything seems to run 17, 19, 22, 24, and I think I ran across a 26 at one point.

Oh, the other tool that I found useful was a plumber's pipe wrench: I found it to be the best thing for removing tie rod ends from the tie rods. It was much easier than putting the tie rod in a vice, which was how I started out.

As for the press, yeah, I know that I'll be back under there and I'll want that press, but unfortunately, my wife has learned to recognize IAP, Centerline, and Vick's as Hubby Hobby expenses on the credit card bill, and I'm a little over the tolerance limit right now .... even after I bought the Centerline suspension kit, I've been back this month for a couple of $200 nibbles for spring rubbers, etc. However having a "real mechanic" do some things "because it's safer than if I do it", well - that gets me a little more cash than "another Harbor Freight charge!!!

And:

I've decided that while I'm in the front fenders, I'm going to buy one of Daniel Stern's Cibie lighting kits... I'd rather have that than a press right now. I'm practicing the "look how much safer I'll be in the dark now, honey" line in front of the mirror... still needs practice.

Note:

I'm a pilgrim at all this... and everything I've learned has been on this board. There are lots of kind people who can give you much better advice than I can, so whenever there's a difference listen to them rather than me and save yourself some trouble

 

[Lokki]

Well the point goes to Alfajay - it's been a week and my nice guy at the small general mechanics shop hasn't called to tell me he's done yet. Not to complain but he's screwing up my momentum. Shoulda bought the press. It woulda still taken me a week no doubt but I'd have been moving forward and I'd own the tool. By the way it ended up requiring the hammer, the tool, and a small torch to get the last ball joint to to pop like a pimple.