What did you do to improve your soobie today

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 6:32 pm

OK, fear of turning this "what did you do " thread into a SilverBulletin - no matter, how many readers in here anyway

You say L discs don't fit front of MY, so how'd you fit the rims to front to show us?

Just trying to angle meself so can see my 'flection in that shine Sam

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:28 pm

steptoe wrote: You say L discs don't fit front of MY, so how'd you fit the rims to front to show us?

Bolted the L series splined hubs to the MY discs, then there was no problem. You were right about the L series splined hubs having a shorter splined section, but the turned parallel section is a larger diameter so it clears the extra long splined section of the MY drive shaft anyway.

nncoolg · Post by **nncoolg** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:30 am

I'm not sure why Lseries control arms are getting mentioned here, the MY and L series ball joint receptacle is the same.
I'm not criticizing what you have done Silverbullet, I'm glad you made it work, but why don't you put the Lseries (vortex) knuckles on and you can use the nice front brakes too?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:03 am

L Series lower control arms and L Series CV axles have been fitted to MY in the past, with L brakes I suppose, so it all fits without too many other mods, like Camry tie rods, modified Falcon radus rods .....

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:20 am

nncoolg wrote:I'm not sure why Lseries control arms are getting mentioned here, the MY and L series ball joint receptacle is the same.
I'm not criticizing what you have done Silverbullet, I'm glad you made it work, but why don't you put the Lseries (vortex) knuckles on and you can use the nice front brakes too?

The Vortex/L series knuckles have a different camber angle built into them because the L series has a wider track width. If I used L series knuckles with MY control arms the positive camber would be crazy like this = \ _ / So to remove this I would need to use L series control arms which are longer, this would also increase the track width at the front of my car. I will think about it some more and decide if I want to go down this path, because as Jonno says above I would also then need L series drive shafts, longer radius rods (Well I'm getting some custom made anyway so no big deal there) and also the front sway bar ends probably wouldn't line up any more.

But it would have a meaner stance

nncoolg · Post by **nncoolg** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:13 pm

I reckon if you put them on it would surprise you.
I had l series front stuff on my MY touring wagon and it was sweet.
Remember the strut towers in an l series would be further apart aswell, they wouldn't have just made the control arms longer.
Actually I'm going out in a limb here and guessing the control arm length would be very similar, with just the chassis rails wider in the later model (L & XT) series, BUT THIS IS A GUESS!!!
Perhaps we should start a new thread for this, instead if loading up this accomplishment one?

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:27 pm

nncoolg wrote:Perhaps we should start a new thread for this, instead if loading up this accomplishment one?

I was thinking the same thing

Okay, new thread time.

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:01 pm

Finally got around to putting a new clutch cable in the Brumby today. It's been sitting there for months now, waiting for me to build up the enthusiasm to do the job. Last time I tried it was a disaster, had bought the wrong cable and ended up putting the old one back. This time I attacked it with a plan but it is still a huge PITA

The cable type with two big washers, rubbers, and a spring clip to clamp it all together. I'm convinced the only way to do it is to take the pedal box out, which is what I did. Now it feels like there's nothing there, unlike the leg ache inducing old cable.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:53 am

Fitted a new tow bar, well not actually new. It was the original supplied with the car. I had the bar itself galvanized, the tongue powder coated, the ball re-chromed and replaced any fasteners that were beyond re-plating. Also found a nice rubber cover for the ball when not in use.

The wiring and connector are fine so nothing to do there. If you do a lot of beach driving or putting boats in or out of salt water, galvanizing is the go!

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:47 pm

went a little closer to turbo in an MY ...... marke out the engine cross member where most would cut a gaping hole for exhaust to clear it. Thought a little harder, cut along the front top edge, and another through the middle , making 4 rough sized quarters out of a rough circle.

Using a biggish hammer, no heat, belted the shape I wanted, test fit or two bits overlapping each other, and a V shaped gap where things had to spread apart between the 'quarters'

and then off to a certified welder/boiler maker with some credit up my sleeve

Left him alone for a little while and shazam no new metal fabricating required, with minimal cuts - and a hole welding trick I learned today (place non ferrous lump below hole and fill)

Welded top side and underside - strong enough even for EJ turbo power

and job stamped with his certifying numbers right below.

This should impress a certifying engineer more than my novice welding. Have heard of some engineers rejecting any approval on some off-shore sourced welding rods.

Time to scrub a dub dub it and some new paint

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 8:03 pm

So steptoe your modded MY engine Xmember will look a little like my modded L series Xmember!

J.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:40 am

WOW ! Powers of the 'net ! It does help to see how others have done it, rather than read how ..... never really thought how a preprepared

section of pipe or tube could look in this application until now. Won't look like yours unless I can find some paint I have my mind on ..... a tin of black gloss circa 1991 or the one from KBS coatings for this kind of job

Is that a crumple zone cut in the bottom front of the mod ?

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:00 am

Well Jonno I sincerely hope yours turns out like mine, or otherwise I will be starting all over

My mate decided that we wanted it to look inconspicuous when being looked over, so he took care with adding a shaped plate to the underside to maintain structure and appearance.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:37 am

Or you could buy Neville's factory one out of a Vortex - same part number . Or one of my stash

. Thought it best not to try outsmart an engineer just in case. Bloody camera has gone walkies

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:19 pm

After a long drive on the weekend (some 500 odd highway k's) and some of the worst corrugations I've ever seen (big enough to get bogged in!) the Brumby has been making a few odd noises, one front CV is clicking away around every corner and there was a brake rubbing noise. Then today the brake noise got really really bad in one of the rear drums, was afraid to use the brakes because of the grinding/screeching noise and found myself pulling up at lights with the hand brake only

So just now whipped the rear drum off to find one of the return springs (the smaller one) from the brake shoes rattling around loose inside the drum, a spring shaped imprint in the steel casing of one of the brake shoes, and the whole insides covered in metal shavings and cast iron dust

:( Needless to say the drum is nothing but grooves now, not sure there's enough material to machine them out either. Are new drums even available?? Either way, I'll get some new shoes and borrow a mates lathe in the next week or so to see if they clean up. They're already 181.3mm, service limit is 182mm

Oh how nice it would be to stumble upon another set of rear discs

sublime · Post by **sublime** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 1:35 pm

Silverbullet wrote:Oh how nice it would be to stumble upon another set of rear discs

Stumble? I seem to have to cough up $$$$ for them!:)

Subydoug · Post by **Subydoug** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 8:03 pm

SB, didnt you pick up a set of discs for the wagon? doesnt that mean you have a set or spare drum hubs?

Doug

Silverbullet · Post by **Silverbullet** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:36 pm

sublime wrote:Stumble? I seem to have to cough up $$$$ for them!:)

Well yes, but you have to find a set that is for sale first, they don't come up too often and go up in price every time

Doug, yes I do have 2 spare drums but they've been machined at least once in the past as well. I'll choose the best of the bunch with the most material left in it.

nairobery · Post by **nairobery** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:13 am

Got to 300k

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:36 pm

Replaced the front pads, OEM with 208K kms compared to new OEM.

Passenger side had just started grinding

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What did you do to improve your soobie today

Tow bar!