---------------------- Forwarded by Richard B Gosling/1M/Caterpillar on
24/03/2000 02:59 PM ---------------------------
Richard B Gosling
24Mar2000 03:01 PM
To: spitfires@autox.team.net
cc:
Subject: Re: Spitfire-related topic
Retain Until: 23/04/2000 Retention Category: G90 - Information and
Reports
Caterpillar Confidential: Green
Well, Susan, you asked for it...
Around last November, I noticed a bit of free play in the drive-line - clunky
noises when I went to pull away, or when switching between accelerating and
engine braking. I diagnosed two most likely causes as free play in the diff,
or worn UJ. A quick check underneath confirmed that the UJ on the off-side
driveshaft from the diff had free play, and seemed to have lost all the roller
bearings in one cup.
So, I purchased a new UJ (7 quid or so, bargain!), and set aside a Saturday
morning. Remove the wheel, disconnect the damper (from the top, bottom nut
wouldn't budge), disconnect the radius arm, disconnect the brake hose,
disconnect the spring, remove the bolts holding the UJ to the diff, and sure
enough the whole assembly comes off as it should. Press out the old UJ using
a vice (vise to you Yanks), press in the new one, retain the cups with their
circlips... Re-assemble the whole thing, should have bled the brakes but I'll
leave that to another time, drive off and everything is wonderful.
For about 2 days, when the free play is suddenly back again. A check
underneath reveals that one of the cups has fallen out - what was that about
retaining the cups with the circlip. The circlip must not have been fully
home in it's groove. It is now Tuesday. As I believe I have mentioned
before, Daffy is the only car I own, so I rely on her to take me on my daily
60 mile round trip to work and back. The spider from the UJ is still there,
but without the cup it is acting directly on the flange. Still, it looks like
it can't fall out, and it is still pushing the wheels round, so I guess I can
take it carefully for a few days, and I order another UJ to fit at the
weekend.
Works fine for a day and a half. Then, Wednesday evening, I am going home,
doing about 70 mph around a gentle bend on the Parkway (Peterborough's fast,
dual carriageway ring road system), and I suddenly find the car flying around
all over the place. The UJ has given up, and since the driveshaft gives the
wheel most of its location, the offside rear wheel is flapping about like a
hanky in the breeze. I consider myself very lucky to make it to the verge
without flying off the road or hitting anyone else (remember, I'm on my way
home from work, so roads are busy).
Subsequent repair work shows the flange on the driveshaft is all bent out of
shape, and the madly thrashing driveshaft end has taken out the handbrake
cable guide that lives close-by. Fortunately, that's all the damage there is
- 25 quid for a used hub assembly (thanks TRGB!) and a tenner for a cable
guide ground off a scrap chassis (thanks Manvers!). I got off lucky.
Two morals to the tale:
1. When putting things back together, check that they are properly assembled -
one circlip only half-seated can cause SO much trouble
2. More importantly, if you spot something wrong with a critical component,
fix it NOW (or take the car off the road if you can), DO NOT reckon you can
limp the car around while you delay fixing it.
Richard Gosling and Daffy (only outstanding fault today - one broken number
plate light)
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