Nuts and Bolts

Right, I'm going to bite the bullet and have ago at doing my shocks by myself this weekend as I cant get any help from mates who say they are all working (cant be bothered more like it).

What I would like to know is, if I have to resort to cutting off stuborn nuts and bolts on a saturday afternoon after vaux parts has closed, are they the type that are available from DIY stores to replace them.

Depends on how good your DIY stores are. Dont rely on B&Q as they never seem to have what I want in that position. Just remember that the bolts being removed have an unthreaded shoulder that sits in the hole of the shock bush (a Thread in there will wear away the bush as you bounce up and down). If you get a replacement get one that has a shoulder as long as the old one. Spin a nut down to the shoulder and chop the end off square with a hacksaw to the right overall length. You can then file the chopped end for burrs and take the nut off to repair any damaged thread.

Dunno about the B series, but the A series are riddled with metric fine threads, so the chance of any DIY store having them is less than 0

Best bet would be to grab a few spanners and just try to undo them tomorrow (maybe during your lunch break if possible).
If you can loosen them all, then you should be OK for Saturday.
If any are stubborn, then you still have time to try and source a local fastener company who will probably have what you need on the shelf.

Again, don't know about the B series, but for the A series you need a 21mm spanner which in it's own is a funny size.

It may be a fine thread, but if replaced with a Nyloc nut it shouldn't come undone.

Apologies if I've sent you this already Hobsey but have a look here http://www.fronteraowners.co.uk/wiki/in ... nsion_Lift should give you a pretty good idea of what tools you'll need.

Bottom shock mount retaining bolts on the rear should come undone easy enough as I had to have them off when doing your lift, pretty sure i used copper slip on everything that i'd removed so hopefully back end should be easy to strip down, sorry but never touched the front apart from the torsion bars. If you get any problems, you've got my number so give me a call.

Cheers for the link Mark and thats good to know about the copper slip. At least I now know I wont struggle with the rear.

But, yes thank you I will give you a buzz if I get stuck. I know I said I would like you to do them when I bought the truck down to you but I would like to try and do some of the work on my truck myself at some point to give me some satisfaction.

Ebay have companies that advertise bolts/nuts/washers of odd thread types as well as shouldered bolts you may need but i doubt it if you do need to renew any..Plenty of lubing before you start Hobs

Its a pin type top on the rear of the B's aint it? well you can just cut it off like the fronts or use a nut splitter and not worry about replacing the nuts as the new shocker kit should have the nuts included

The lower bolts always undo so dont worry about that plus they are very accessible :wink:

The only pain is getting the bushes to fit in the sleeves :lol:

Or have I had a scotch to many and missed something :oops:

Hi Hobsey,
I use AHC in Camberley - just off J4 on the M3.. they are open Saturday - not sure about Sundays.. If your over that way - give me a bell and I'll get the step / cone drills over to you..

99.9% of every bolt I needed for "knucleskinner" they had in stock (swopped almost all the poxy torx / allen key for 'proper bolts' and replaced nearly everything else) , take a bolt in and they will match it.. and they have it in almost all formats.. be it stainless, High tensile etc.

The only thing they didn't have off the shelf was exhaust manifold nuts in brass...

Contact details...
AHC
415-417 London Rd
Camberley,
Surrey
GU15 3HZ
01276 709 069
http://www.ahc-camberley.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=32

Mail order available for those further afield..
John

Spot on, cheers John.

Hopefully I wont be needing them. I have been spraying the nuts and bolts every other day but nothing ever goes to plan.

If you get stuck, give me a bell, I can whizz over.

Might be getting some bits off DCY in Epsom on Sat (pending), can drop the drills in on the way back if I'm over that way..