New parts on order Ordered today are a new set of GAZ Gold coilovers. Should take 2-3 weeks to arrive. I have chosen spring rates to match the car with advise from GAZ, 500lbs front and 600lbs rear a good balance for the use of slicks and track tyres.
Removed the rear beam today, ready for new poly bushes when they arrive. Defiantly due a change!! All the brake lines are still in place, just in lipped the all and removed the ream beam, I'm going to press the new ones in rather than try under the car.
Good stuff, really enjoying your thread. I was just thinking before you go for the 4 wheel alignment, you may want to make sure the bolts on the beam mounting brackets can free off. Personally, I would undo, then torque each bolt back up one by one - to preserve your beams current location. Its a lot easier whilst the beam is off. Doesnt bear thinking about putting it all back together and finding one bolt seized -that is if any adjustment is required.
Thanks for the tip, I beat you to it though and did it once I'd taken the beam off lol bit of penetration fluid and they came out fine. The fronts are the next job, I had a look at them, the front near side looks easy, but the offside front bolt looks like it won't come out as the sump is in the way. Has any one had this or am I seeing a problem that doesn't exist??
While your there id get that axel blasted and powedercoated and those calipers look 'well used' lol be worth replacing them
Removing the rear bushes I removed the rear bushes today, although its not very exiting i thought i would post some pictures to help others as it is a bit of a job. How they looked when the beam was removed from the car. I was going to press them out but they looked well seized in, so to avoid bending the frame I first removed the rubber with a bit of heat it came out fairly easily. The next job was to remove the outer sleeve, after a little bashing it was not budging, but a hacksaw and chisel did the job. with the bushes removed ready to be sand blasted and powder coated.
Front poly bushes Removed the lower arms today, partially removed the rear bush on the arm, just need to remove the steel sleeve. I need a pointer on which way up the bushes go. The powerflex instructions say that the bushes go a different way up on each side, because each arm is the same on both sides but the other way up. But mine are two different arms on each side, not just the same part flipped over for the other side, my car does have a standard front anti roll bar, the bracket for this points down on each side, so maybe the front anti roll bar models have different left and right arms?? Arms removed both sides the same way up as they came off the car. And upside down, the sockets for the bushes are symmetrical to each side.
I have this photos when i have mounted my kit, but they are not powerflex: Not sure if they can help you, i have mounted it 3 years ago... P.D Sorry if my english isnt good.
The biggest PITA is getting the spacer washer with the arc shaped groove to stay put whilst re-installing - but the result is worth it. However I must say, for the next front end rebuild I do it will with be using R32 / TT solid standard bushes at the rear & Powerflex at the front.
New poly bushes fitted to the front wishbones and got the rear beam back from the powder coater today, just waiting for the rear poly bushes to arrive... 10 days waiting!!! Any way, hopefully they will arrive soon so I can get the beam back on the car. Front arm rear bush fitted, installed with a vice, a little knack to getting them in as they don't go in straight, you have to leaver the arm while closing the vice to keep the bush fairly straight, but once it takes they go nicely into place. Front arm front bush, easy enough to fit as it comes in two parts, just not looking forward to refitting as it was a mission removing the bolt, even with the engine jacked up it was a tight fit. And the rear beam, sand blasted and powder coated. Before And after Kept the part where the hub meets the beam free from powder coating.
Re-fitted the front arms today, plenty of copper slip to aid sliding the bushes in. All bolts thread locked in place. Front of the arm Rear of the bush Now powerflex supply these spacers to help the bolt that holds the rear bush sit central to the hole. In position The bottom washer was fine, but the top holes are slightly off centre, so the top washer stopped the bolt getting to the thread. So I had to install with out the top washer or the bolt wasn't going in. Once the top washer was removed the bolt went straight in, the problem was that the powerflex washer made the bolt go straight through the centre of the hole, but the thread isn't central to the hole.
Rear beam poly bush install Finally got the rear bushes today! Fitted them in the rear beam ready to fit on the car Sunday. They slid in nicely, I did them by hand. no need to use a press. Installed the poly bush first Then the steel inner Ready to fit back to the car, less stub axles etc.
Fitted the rear beam back on today. Few pictures from the refit, im really happy with how the beam looks now its powder coated. I gave the stub axles a rub down to get rid of some of the surface rust and brake dust. Ready to go back on Just waiting for the new suspension to arrive now.
The new shocks have arrived, fitted the rear shocks today. Plan to do the fronts next week. Removed the bilsteins (right) and new gaz shock (left) to fit The bilsteins used part of the original shock top but the gaz ones fit straight to the top mounts. All fitted with adjustable damping switch fairly easy to get too.
