[alan ST Bentley]

HI All,

Just started fitting the struts to the hubs and now its obvious why they won't fully seat

As you can see the welds holding the fixing bracket, stop the shock going fully into the hub

This is how far short they are of fitting

about 6mm.

Just thinking about my options:

Return them: - I bought them in sept/oct, checked my ebay purchases and can't even find them, checked emails - nuffin, so I guess this is out.
Remove the section of the bracket thats stopping the bolt going in. _ Don't really want to do that as the shock won't be fully home in the hub
Grind the weld away to allow the shock to sit home
Grind away the hub to accept the weld
Buy a new set of shocks

Well, I bit the bullet, Found both on ebay from ford store - genuine OEM £85. Nuther week off the road 😢 😢 😢 😢

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

I admit, I'm really not impressed with the shocks not fitting, so made sure everything else fits ok.
Built up the hubs with focus discs and carriers - all looks ok

So, as the new shocks will take a week to arrive, gives me a chance to rebuild my spare calipers
Its quite an eye opener how quickly stuff starts to rust after being blasted, so I'll have to clean them up again prior to painting

Al.

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Started refurbing the calipers this morning, cleaned off the small amount of surface rust that had started since I ha them blasted, masked off the area the piston will go in and started applying K2 caliper paint.
I've used the silver & Black paint before and found the coverage really good, however the yellow isn't, so I've a feeling they will need quite a few thin coats as the yellow runs far worse than the silver or black.

Stripped the springs off the shocks last night so when the new ones arrive its rebuild time.

Al

 

[_jimmy_]

I'd say that's a manufacturing defect with the convex end of the weld getting in the way. You could grind it flat with a grinder or dremel, but it'll potentially be a corrosion point in future

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

THis caliper paint is taking forever

I'd say that's a manufacturing defect with the convex end of the weld getting in the way. You could grind it flat with a grinder or dremel, but it'll potentially be a corrosion point in future

Hi JImmy,
yeah, I agree, I was tempted just to grind the excess weld off, but it didn't leave that much holding the bracket on.
Got new Ford dampers on order so hopefully they will go straight in.
Al

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

That last post went kinda wrong, start again
This caliper paint is taking forever to dry, luckily I went own the garage to find both calipers had fallen off their pearches - doh.
Anyway, reistated and another coat applied

Coverage is getting better, so I'm going to give it a few hours, then bring them down the house overnight
As I've got a week to wait for the new shocks, sorted out the brake lines

not sure if I will need the hard lines, but the junction between them and the flexis appear to be a point that corroded quite badly on MK6's

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Calipers have dried eough for me to get indoors, not happy with how they are looking but maybe some more paint tommorrow will sort out
Remembered I'f forgotten to paint something else

They didn't clean up great with the wire brush, but they are good enough
Al

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Gave the calipers a few more coats and they are ok.

Going to let to fully dry overnight and fit the pistons/pads tommorrow.

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Well, as usual, couldn't wait - pistons and pads in, brake lines connected.

REally happy with how it went as I've had problems with the piston seals in the past, but happy dayz.
Roll on wednesday when hopefully the new shocks will arrive

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

For a change something has gone well. Shocks from Ford arrived this morning. I'm still trying to get my head round how First Ford can quote me £101 per side, yet offical-ford store sell both for £85, but hey ho.

Hopefully I can build up one or both before going to work
I did dry fit and as I hoped both fit perfectly.

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

I did attempt to update this yesterday but forgot to press post so I find its allo sitting here still.

I built up the shocks yesterday, went fine, fitted to hubs, one went in sweet, the other was a pig, I was trying to get them in using a rubber hammer, I'd opened up the pinch slit fine but the shock wouldn't go the last 5mm I needed it to.

Finally got bored 1lb club hammer - job done

Abs sensors arrived this morning, so fitted and fitted the drop links and abs sensor brackets.

Gonna make an early start on this tommorrow ( as long as its not chuking it down )

Fingers x'd

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Well, the following morning it was chucking it down and in the process of walking up a very muddy garden to the garage for tools, turned my ankle over and have hardly been able to walk since 😢
Anyway, its feeling a bit better now, so decided to do the last few dry fits prior to ripping the shocks etc off the car.

I know it dosn't look impressive, but what a nightmare getting a pinch bolt in..... I'm glad I didn't powder coat the hubs now or it would never have fitted.
As theres so much new stuff on this assembly I ordered new ball joint covers

Al

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

As I'm not going to get a chance to spend much time on the car before next weekend ordered some wishbone polybushes.
Done the hard bit to one side

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Been thinking about the work I've got to do and had a bit of a change of direction.
The arb on the zetec is rotten so I need to change.
Been checking out as much on utube as is there and from what I can make out it looks pretty impossible to get the arb off and on the subframe without dropping the subframe.
Looked at the price of arbs and they all come in at around £30-£35 plus postage
Found an ST subframe complete with arb posted to me for £45.

So, I'm going to strip out the ST subframe I've already had powder coated, get the arb off the "new" subframe blasted and powder coated and fit to my subframe and fit to the zetec.
Then once the zetec subframe is off I can compare to the ST subframe and if they are the same, which I suspect they will be, get the one in best condition blasted and powder coated to fit on the ST.
If I drop the ztec subframe and its different to the ST one I've already had powder coated, I'm Knackered and will just have to put it back as it is.
Fingeres X'd
Al

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

I was very suprised to be woken up @ 0700 this morning by a man delivering a subframe, its in pretty good condition so very happy.
Stripped off the arb and dropped off to blasters this afternoon.
Polybushes arrived today.

I think I made a mistake as I got them on price £60 as opposed to powerflex @ about £110, and it shows, so I'm thinking of removing the wishbones off my ST and reusing the powerflex bushes ( they've done under 1000 miles )

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

Got some new arb bushes,

They look the same as the OEM ones I've taken off but without the cut, so I'm hoping they will be ok

 

[alan ST Bentley]

Hi All,

I spoke to the bloke selling the arb bushes and they do come with the cut so all is good