Knuckle Joints
Discussion
Finally got around to doing my knuckle joints this weekend.
Got everything dismantled (after finding that I didnt have a 33mm socket after all), after much wriggling got the knuckle joint out.
Am now faced with plastic bowl stuck in suspension arm and knuckle stuck to trumpet - any tips?
Also, I had a look inside one of the new knuckle joints. There is some, but not much red grease on the ball. Can I add more grease into the cup?
Adding to the misery was a sheared wheel stud so now have to replace the drive flange as well, joy!
Great little cars but they have a habit of keeping you busy!
Got everything dismantled (after finding that I didnt have a 33mm socket after all), after much wriggling got the knuckle joint out.
Am now faced with plastic bowl stuck in suspension arm and knuckle stuck to trumpet - any tips?
Also, I had a look inside one of the new knuckle joints. There is some, but not much red grease on the ball. Can I add more grease into the cup?
Adding to the misery was a sheared wheel stud so now have to replace the drive flange as well, joy!
Great little cars but they have a habit of keeping you busy!
Ideal senario : Play heat on the suspension arm in the area of the plastic cup, get it good and plyable, then lever out with a screwdriver and discard.
Likely outcome : Play heat on suspension arm in the area of the plastic cup, setting it alight, then in panic lever out with a screwdriver and extinguish !!
Take drive flange off and replace broken stud, no need to replace the lot.
>> Edited by phil hill on Monday 25th August 13:09
>> Edited by phil hill on Monday 25th August 13:11
Likely outcome : Play heat on suspension arm in the area of the plastic cup, setting it alight, then in panic lever out with a screwdriver and extinguish !!
Take drive flange off and replace broken stud, no need to replace the lot.
>> Edited by phil hill on Monday 25th August 13:09
>> Edited by phil hill on Monday 25th August 13:11
Well it was all going marvellously...
Then it all changed...
Just as I had got the plastic out of the arm and the knuckle off the cone I am just about to refit all the new bits so I wind the cone compressor up a bit, bit of a fiddle, still not going in, wind a little more, still not fitting, little more and
BANG!
Took the thread off the suspension cone somehow, best guess is that its been cross threaded in the past.
Now cant get the compressor onto the cone under any sort of pressure without it sliding off.
Any bright ideas?
I have resigned myself now to replacing the cones with the coil overs as planned, just now doing it earlier.
Considered the coil spring cone replacement things but havent heard anything about them at all.
Also, to get the cone springs out can I bodge them out by slightly 'modifying' them so they will come out without taking the top arms off if I am not using them again?
Sodding car!
Nice one about the flange Phil. Do they just pop out of the back if smacked from the front?
Then it all changed...
Just as I had got the plastic out of the arm and the knuckle off the cone I am just about to refit all the new bits so I wind the cone compressor up a bit, bit of a fiddle, still not going in, wind a little more, still not fitting, little more and
BANG!
Took the thread off the suspension cone somehow, best guess is that its been cross threaded in the past.
Now cant get the compressor onto the cone under any sort of pressure without it sliding off.
Any bright ideas?
I have resigned myself now to replacing the cones with the coil overs as planned, just now doing it earlier.
Considered the coil spring cone replacement things but havent heard anything about them at all.
Also, to get the cone springs out can I bodge them out by slightly 'modifying' them so they will come out without taking the top arms off if I am not using them again?
Sodding car!
Nice one about the flange Phil. Do they just pop out of the back if smacked from the front?
Think it should be possible to get the cone out with removing the tope arm, although they aren’t hard to take off.
Did you take the trumpet off the cone before trying to get the new knuckle in?
You could just get a new cone, I did have some in the garage but can’t remember seeing them for a while. I could have a look though if you like.
As Phil says, just take the drive flange out, knock the broken stud out from the front then replace with a new one.
Got the head back from Bill's on Saturday, just got to lap in the valves then it'll be ready to go on. Bill said it would rev to 7000 rpm but as I don't have a lighten flywheel limit it to 6500 as standard flywheels can go bang after that
Did you take the trumpet off the cone before trying to get the new knuckle in?
You could just get a new cone, I did have some in the garage but can’t remember seeing them for a while. I could have a look though if you like.
As Phil says, just take the drive flange out, knock the broken stud out from the front then replace with a new one.
Got the head back from Bill's on Saturday, just got to lap in the valves then it'll be ready to go on. Bill said it would rev to 7000 rpm but as I don't have a lighten flywheel limit it to 6500 as standard flywheels can go bang after that
7000 - Blimey!!! Fair play!
I thought the top arms were a pig? They look like a bit of a pig (and also look like they have never been done) due to the proximity of the shaft nuts to the floor and the clutch housing. I dont really want to drop the subframe if I can possibly avoid it...
Not really sure what way to move forward in, thanks for the offer of the cones though. Coil overs would seem sensible if I have wrecked the cone on one side, no point buying a part that will only be replaced come VTEC and they would assist when doing the odd track day but I just dont know, they arent cheap!
With a bit of brute force I think the cones will come through the gap, MiniWorld has photos of them fitting the cone with the top arm in situ but I cant work out how they have done it. I was considering taking a slice off the knackered cone with a jigsaw/hacksaw and getting them out that way.
Can I mix coils and cones? Coils on the front and cones on the back of course
Absolutely gutted about this on the whole, feel like I have buggered my pride and joy right up...
>> Edited by plotloss (moderator) on Tuesday 26th August 10:14
I thought the top arms were a pig? They look like a bit of a pig (and also look like they have never been done) due to the proximity of the shaft nuts to the floor and the clutch housing. I dont really want to drop the subframe if I can possibly avoid it...
Not really sure what way to move forward in, thanks for the offer of the cones though. Coil overs would seem sensible if I have wrecked the cone on one side, no point buying a part that will only be replaced come VTEC and they would assist when doing the odd track day but I just dont know, they arent cheap!
With a bit of brute force I think the cones will come through the gap, MiniWorld has photos of them fitting the cone with the top arm in situ but I cant work out how they have done it. I was considering taking a slice off the knackered cone with a jigsaw/hacksaw and getting them out that way.
Can I mix coils and cones? Coils on the front and cones on the back of course
Absolutely gutted about this on the whole, feel like I have buggered my pride and joy right up...
>> Edited by plotloss (moderator) on Tuesday 26th August 10:14
I must admit when I did the top arms the sub frame was off the car but don’t think it would be to bad, I sure the cone will come out though with it still in place, try removing the bump stop from under the top arm to give you a little more room, then twist the cone round if I remember rightly.
You should be able to get the cones out, you will have to bend the inner wings back to get them out. I've seen the threads stripped in cones before, there are two threads, a metric and an imperial, and if the wrong one has been threaded in previously then it could fail in that fashion. I'd be carefull mixing technologys, different spring rates etc, although there is no reason why you couldn't. You know you will have to "turret" the rear to get clearance for the springs ??
My rev limit is currently set at 7000rpm (although I did ask for a 500rpm extension and it was on the dyno again last week......). Most Miglia engines are limited at about 8300-8600rpm depending on engine builder/driver mechanical sympathy. There has been some discussion in the Mig world of introducing a rev limit, trying to cap engine build costs. Making an A-series rev this high for longer than 2 mins means lots of time consuming mods to what is supposed to be a "blueprinted" bottom end using standard components........
My rev limit is currently set at 7000rpm (although I did ask for a 500rpm extension and it was on the dyno again last week......). Most Miglia engines are limited at about 8300-8600rpm depending on engine builder/driver mechanical sympathy. There has been some discussion in the Mig world of introducing a rev limit, trying to cap engine build costs. Making an A-series rev this high for longer than 2 mins means lots of time consuming mods to what is supposed to be a "blueprinted" bottom end using standard components........
Been reading about rear coils (Septembers job probably) some spares vendors seem to suggest that now the shocks are offset modification to the original rear mounting holes are mostly uneccesary unless I am misunderstanding.
First step then I reckon is to try and get the cones out without the upper arms coming off (though on mine the inner wings arent stopping them coming out, its the subframe tower that is, the wings appear to be already cut back to allow access to the tower and a spanner space for the upper arm nuts).
Then if they do I'll go for the coil overs.
Thing is though can I mix coils and cones? Cant see a reason why not...
First step then I reckon is to try and get the cones out without the upper arms coming off (though on mine the inner wings arent stopping them coming out, its the subframe tower that is, the wings appear to be already cut back to allow access to the tower and a spanner space for the upper arm nuts).
Then if they do I'll go for the coil overs.
Thing is though can I mix coils and cones? Cant see a reason why not...
Paul V said:
Can’t see why you’ll need to mod the inner wings to get the cone out as they are cut around the subframe.
Coil over on the front only will work, obviously for best results they’ll need to be done all round but can’t see why it should make any difference.
It appears to have taken 38 minutes to process that double post!
Right!
Battered the plastic...
Took to the Mini in a fit of renewed hope, couldnt get the cone out without dropping the arm so did that, turned out to be a lot easier than I thought (only tough bit was the far thrust plate bolt, even with the captive nut it was a nightmare).
Discovered a seal gone but apart from that fine. 4 new ones ordered.
Going to give them a quick clean up, then I presume grease all over both ends and a quick squirt through the nipple?
I am assuming that high melting point grease is the best? I've got a tub of moly as well but I wasnt sure if it would be up to the job.
Battered the plastic...
Took to the Mini in a fit of renewed hope, couldnt get the cone out without dropping the arm so did that, turned out to be a lot easier than I thought (only tough bit was the far thrust plate bolt, even with the captive nut it was a nightmare).
Discovered a seal gone but apart from that fine. 4 new ones ordered.
Going to give them a quick clean up, then I presume grease all over both ends and a quick squirt through the nipple?
I am assuming that high melting point grease is the best? I've got a tub of moly as well but I wasnt sure if it would be up to the job.
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