Captainkirk's Duster project
.....end, that is. That's what I needed. To get the rear end out of this car. I'd been planning this night for going on a week. I knew this was a "daylight" task, which meant I needed the garage door open and all the crap piled up behind The Duke moved out of the way, motorcycles out, and mosquitos napping before their nightly feast. I knew the wifey would have left for work when I got home....1+1=2, ergo.....
I didn't even eat a real dinner. Chucked a TV dinner in the nuke box and swallowed it whole, then went out and started moving things.
That was the easy part.
I'd already hosed down the nuts and bolts the previous night with AeroKroil to loosen the rust. I pumped up the compressor and dragged out the impact tools. Man, I love my wife! She got me this impact tool set along with the compressor a few years back for my birthday. And boy, I needed it tonight!
I was a little intimidated by the leaf springs....how much kinetic energy is stored up in these little crossbows, I wondered? The Chilton's manual I've had since Peter Frampton was in Humble Pie was pretty matter-of-fact on the subject; "..remove the wheels. Relieve the tension on the axle and remove the shackle attach bolts..." Right. And lose your right arm when the shackle bracket bolts come loose, right?
Turns out Chiltons was right. There is little or no tension on the springs when the weight is off the rear end. I was sweatin' it as I spun out the bolts, slowly and ever so cautiously, for the left shackle. It popped loose with a "clunk", like a fat man plopping his butt down in the La-Z-Boy to watch his favorite program. Just like that! No muss, no fuss, no shattered arm bones. Just..."clunk".
Emboldened, I whipped out the impact and spun out the bolts for the right shackle. zzzrrrING! zzzrrrING! Now they both hung free. If I'd known it was this easy...
I am reminded of the the rear end under my work bench that came out of the Minx. I know I took that one out, without impact tools, by myself, without loss of life or limb. I don't have a clue how, though.
So anyway, on to the front shackle brackets. These I can't get at with the impact; I have to use the air ratchet. There is a lot of rust on the right side bolt threads; I have to thread the nuts off till they bind, then back on. Hose down with Kroil, back off until they bind. Lather, rinse, repeat. Finally they work their way off with no collateral damage. Oddly enough, the left side nuts scream their way off with the air ratchet.....brrrING!brrrING!brrrING!brrrING! I don't question why; I'm simply pleased with the results.
The shock nuts prove no match for the impact driver. Two short bursts and they're loose. Gingerly, I twist the handle on the floor jack and watch the pumpkin slowly drop as the jack sighs.
I give a tug on the handle of the jack and the whole shebang rolls out into the quickly fading daylight.
I poke my head underneath and marvel.
This is as naked as this car has ever been since the day it rolled off the line at Hamtramck. Of this much I'm sure.
And, this is as deep as I've ever been into a project car. I'm sure of that, too. And I can't wipe this stupid grin off my face.......:-D
.....end, that is. That's what I needed. To get the rear end out of this car. I'd been planning this night for going on a week. I knew this was a "daylight" task, which meant I needed the garage door open and all the crap piled up behind The Duke moved out of the way, motorcycles out, and mosquitos napping before their nightly feast. I knew the wifey would have left for work when I got home....1+1=2, ergo.....
I didn't even eat a real dinner. Chucked a TV dinner in the nuke box and swallowed it whole, then went out and started moving things.
That was the easy part.
I'd already hosed down the nuts and bolts the previous night with AeroKroil to loosen the rust. I pumped up the compressor and dragged out the impact tools. Man, I love my wife! She got me this impact tool set along with the compressor a few years back for my birthday. And boy, I needed it tonight!
I was a little intimidated by the leaf springs....how much kinetic energy is stored up in these little crossbows, I wondered? The Chilton's manual I've had since Peter Frampton was in Humble Pie was pretty matter-of-fact on the subject; "..remove the wheels. Relieve the tension on the axle and remove the shackle attach bolts..." Right. And lose your right arm when the shackle bracket bolts come loose, right?
Turns out Chiltons was right. There is little or no tension on the springs when the weight is off the rear end. I was sweatin' it as I spun out the bolts, slowly and ever so cautiously, for the left shackle. It popped loose with a "clunk", like a fat man plopping his butt down in the La-Z-Boy to watch his favorite program. Just like that! No muss, no fuss, no shattered arm bones. Just..."clunk".
Emboldened, I whipped out the impact and spun out the bolts for the right shackle. zzzrrrING! zzzrrrING! Now they both hung free. If I'd known it was this easy...
I am reminded of the the rear end under my work bench that came out of the Minx. I know I took that one out, without impact tools, by myself, without loss of life or limb. I don't have a clue how, though.
So anyway, on to the front shackle brackets. These I can't get at with the impact; I have to use the air ratchet. There is a lot of rust on the right side bolt threads; I have to thread the nuts off till they bind, then back on. Hose down with Kroil, back off until they bind. Lather, rinse, repeat. Finally they work their way off with no collateral damage. Oddly enough, the left side nuts scream their way off with the air ratchet.....brrrING!brrrING!brrrING!brrrING! I don't question why; I'm simply pleased with the results.
The shock nuts prove no match for the impact driver. Two short bursts and they're loose. Gingerly, I twist the handle on the floor jack and watch the pumpkin slowly drop as the jack sighs.
I give a tug on the handle of the jack and the whole shebang rolls out into the quickly fading daylight.
I poke my head underneath and marvel.
This is as naked as this car has ever been since the day it rolled off the line at Hamtramck. Of this much I'm sure.
And, this is as deep as I've ever been into a project car. I'm sure of that, too. And I can't wipe this stupid grin off my face.......:-D