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Received the damper (and BJ spacers) from Tony N late this week, and after spending an hour trying (and finally succeeding - damn that grease is slippy!) to get an inner CV Boot back on after popping it off on a branch last week I thought I'd pop the new damper on as the weather looked settled.
Soooo... I take the custom bash plate off - no mean feat.
I remove the old damper - after spending 1/2 hour looking for the ball joint splitter the end that I needed the splitter for just snapped off when I moved the damper a little for better access!
OK... that ones not going back on.
Check instructions for fitting the damper one more time (conveniently missing the one about taking the weight off the front wheels)
Struggle to remove the passenger side crossmember bolts, then realise why I should have taken the weight off the front wheels as the bolt holes jump out of line when I take the bolts out
Spend half an hour (unsuccessfully) looking for the handle for my trolley jack.
Borrow trolly jack off a neighbour and jiggle the truck about for 15 minutes to realign the holes.
Wonder why it's suddenly gone dark. Stop wondering when the river of rain water runs under the truck and down my back.
Go to shelter in the shed until the rain stops. Wonder why God hates me as the door of the shed is ripped off by a huge gust of wind.
Figure I'm wet already, so jam the door of the shed back in the hole and head back to the truck with a face like the darkening sky.
Start the easy part - find bracket to bolt to the crossmember, and push the longer procomp bolts through. Search for nuts - scream when I cant find them. Head back to the shed, tear it apart looking for the nuts, ring Tony (though what I expected him to do I've no idea) who was very apologetic - no worries mate - not your fault. Head off round the local 'hardware' places. Focus, Halfrauds and an independent DIY place didn't have any nuts to fit the wonky USA thread. No metric bolts available in the right length.
Come back home and put the original bolts back through without the washer (There's a bl00dy plate there! That'll do!)
Continue to fit shock, find out how inaccessible the nuts on the U bolts are at the other end, skinning two knuckles and slicing the end of my right index finger in the process of finding this out.
Fixed my finger, it was bleeding in my eye.
Set-up the travel of the shock - which of course involves lossening the inaccessible nuts again...
Tighten it up, finding time for more blood loss, well it would be rude not to...
Bolt the bashplate back on, drain toolbox, trousers and coat hood and head for a bath, other members of the family cowering as I pass...
The moral of this story - dont attempt ANY job, however simple looking, without checking you have all the bits and tools necessary and AT HAND, and a thorough check of the weather.
Soooo... I take the custom bash plate off - no mean feat.
I remove the old damper - after spending 1/2 hour looking for the ball joint splitter the end that I needed the splitter for just snapped off when I moved the damper a little for better access!
OK... that ones not going back on.
Check instructions for fitting the damper one more time (conveniently missing the one about taking the weight off the front wheels)
Struggle to remove the passenger side crossmember bolts, then realise why I should have taken the weight off the front wheels as the bolt holes jump out of line when I take the bolts out
Spend half an hour (unsuccessfully) looking for the handle for my trolley jack.
Borrow trolly jack off a neighbour and jiggle the truck about for 15 minutes to realign the holes.
Wonder why it's suddenly gone dark. Stop wondering when the river of rain water runs under the truck and down my back.
Go to shelter in the shed until the rain stops. Wonder why God hates me as the door of the shed is ripped off by a huge gust of wind.
Figure I'm wet already, so jam the door of the shed back in the hole and head back to the truck with a face like the darkening sky.
Start the easy part - find bracket to bolt to the crossmember, and push the longer procomp bolts through. Search for nuts - scream when I cant find them. Head back to the shed, tear it apart looking for the nuts, ring Tony (though what I expected him to do I've no idea) who was very apologetic - no worries mate - not your fault. Head off round the local 'hardware' places. Focus, Halfrauds and an independent DIY place didn't have any nuts to fit the wonky USA thread. No metric bolts available in the right length.
Come back home and put the original bolts back through without the washer (There's a bl00dy plate there! That'll do!)
Continue to fit shock, find out how inaccessible the nuts on the U bolts are at the other end, skinning two knuckles and slicing the end of my right index finger in the process of finding this out.
Fixed my finger, it was bleeding in my eye.
Set-up the travel of the shock - which of course involves lossening the inaccessible nuts again...
Tighten it up, finding time for more blood loss, well it would be rude not to...
Bolt the bashplate back on, drain toolbox, trousers and coat hood and head for a bath, other members of the family cowering as I pass...
The moral of this story - dont attempt ANY job, however simple looking, without checking you have all the bits and tools necessary and AT HAND, and a thorough check of the weather.
)
as they had stripped it when the dif went and punched holes in tha casing. One big oily jigsaw puzzel. If we had removed the clutch,starter,reverse sensor,speed sensor,half shafts, gear linkage ect it may have taken half the time. We fitted the gear linkage 4 times in an hour and three quarters. The last time only took 10mins. You ever seen how many levers and counter weights are on one of these front wheel drive set ups
Anyway job looks a good un and at £500 for a recon box saved £1200 on the garage quote
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