At 08:28 AM 5/2/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Hey guys,
>
>Thought you might be able to help me. I just bought a '78 Spitfire (pray
>for me) and am trying to reverse 25 years worth of problems (ok, maybe
>only 24!) The car is mechanical in very good condition, though a front
>suspension rebuild is in order, among a few other odds and ends. One
>problem that is unacceptable for driving is that the brakes squeal like a
>pig. Brakes look new and rotors seem to be like new. I believe the
>pads are semi-metallic. The PO mentioned that the brakes worked well
>after being replaced, but then started to do this. I noticed that it
>seems to be missing the metal brake shims which I assume could be part of
>the problem. Is this a problem typical of Spitfires, or something that
>can easily be rectified by putting the shims back in?
Start by getting some "brake anti-squeal" compound from any
auto parts store and trying it. If they still squeal, then consider
ordering shims, etc. My brakes never squeal, and it's been so
long since I last had to service them that I forgot what compouonds
or shims I used...
>I also spent some time trying to tighten the steering column mounts as
>the column has a fair amount of play. Every bolt tightened helped make
>the column more solid, however it seems that part of the bracing is not
>connected and I'm not sure where it attaches. If I could get this fixed,
>I think it would go a long way to making the steering more secure. Hard
>to explain, but here goes: On the right side of the column, there is a
>round "brace" which goes somewhere from the column to behind the center
>dash section and stops there. The end of the brace is flattened with a
>hole for attachment. I would assume it attaches to the metal dash frame,
>but don't see anything obvious. Is there a part missing? The end of the
>brace is situated behind the center section of the dash, so if you were
>to remove the center section of dash, it is sitting right there behind
>that dash section. Is that confusing enough? LOL! I can send a picture
>to anyone who is willing to tackle this one.
This sounds like the brace that attaches to the left bolt that also attaches
the dash support (where the radio goes) to the bottom of the hash.
Doug Braun
'72 Spit
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