Steering Rack & Sway Bar

Clean & Disassemble Steering Rack
- Remove Outer Tie Rod's
- Remove Rubber Boots
- Remove Inner Tie Rod's by unpinning where the metal was punched down and spinning off with a pipe wrench
- Remove the plates over the pinon bearing & the bush holder on the side
- Remove the seal where the shaft enters the pinion
- Hammer the shaft (lightly) to remove the pinion bearing
- Pull the rack out.

Will replace the boots (torn), pinon oil seal, and the outer tie rods.
Bearings & bushings look fine.


Steering Rack



Inner Tie Rods
- These just screw on to the rack.
Notice there are several items that make up the inner tie rod.



Rack etc..



Pinion Bearing Removal


Blast & Powder Coat Steering Rack



Blast & Paint Sway Bar (& shock lever's)

Disc Brakes & Powder Coat Swivel Axle

Disassemble & Evaluate front disc brakes:
- Cleaned & used compressed air to push out the pistons
- Chrome pistons are slightly peeling.
- Replacement cost at Autozone ~$50. Note: Autozone's web site contains parts that are different then what you can get at the store. Some prices are better on the web site, some prices & selections are better at the store. Do your homework
- Brake Drums turned for ~$20

Chrome Pistons



Autozone Brakes



Steering Levers



Media Blasted Swivel Axle, Steering Levers, Top Trunnion on kingpin, and brackets for sway bar



After Powder Coating

Kingpin

Kingpins & Hub Assembly


Pitting on kingpin. Will need to replace.
Found a guy local who will press & ream bushings



Blast & Powder coat the hub assemblies.

Shocks

Clean, Blast, Refill and Paint

Cleaned the inside with mineral spirits. No sludge & not much filings in oil.
Refill with Hydraulic oil from lowes
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=188583-30102-54012&lpage=none
Gaskets were fine, didn't replace
The levers work in a nice smooth motion. Finish filling shocks with a plunger that I bought to fill motorcycle batteries.
Use steel wool to prep the aluminum housing to give it a satin look
After blasting, primed the arms & paint with Rustoleum spray cans & clear coat the whole thing



Paint Arms Black & Clear the entire shock

Examples of Powder Coating

Item's that I have powder coated:

Propshaft - it's red, not orange....
Coil Springs - red, not orange...
Tranny Mount
Propshaft Flanges x2
Axle Flange & Tranny Flange
Rear Hub x2
Wishbone arms x4
Wishbone pivot x2
Spring Pan x2
Coil Locaters x2
Brackets for leaf springs
Leaf spring pedestal x2
Leaf spring shackle plate x2
Front brake dust cover
Rear brake plate x2
Rear bumper mount x2

note: I've painted some por15 on top of the powder coating for additonal protection. In nooks where the coating is thin... you can see some runs from the por15 that I need to chip off.














Equipment:

Harbor Freight Powder Coat Gun
HF Black & Red Powder
HF Pressurized Sand Blaster w/Alumin Oxide Media
Cheap Home Built Blast Cabinet


One messy garage.... powder coat oven

POR 15

I brush on POR 15 (I'll never spray the stuff....)

Blasted (not by me)
- Rear Axle
- Leaf Springs
- Front Cross Member
- Tranny Mount

POR the entire underside of the car. It was a mistake,,, there is very little rust on the car and POR isn't that great on non blasted/rusted metal. Should of just primed and painted with a gun... much quicker and would be better.... too late now...

I've had a couple of failures with POR.... a drop of water will ruin the paint and cause it to peel... must be 100% dry and free of oil.... any oil will cause it to peel also. On blasted surface there is no need to use Metal Ready but with clean metal you must use Metal Ready.... and get the surface to rust... lol... for the best adhesion

Rotisserie - cheap....

This is my cheap rotisserie... plywood & 2x4's

http://www.gerardsgarage.com/GarageContent/rollover%20frame/rollover.htm

I place the rotisserie on wheel dollies to move the whole thing around.

Misc Howto's etc...

How to install/check the drive flange on the differential without crushing the bearing

http://flashoffroad.com/Improvements/Lockers/DetroitLockers/detroitLockersInstall_2.htm


Installation notes: (when I get there)
- axel bump stops have a left & right
- wishbone arms have a left & right


http://www.british-cars.org.uk/kimber/namgbr/techtips.htm#clutch

1974 MGB OD SPEEDO CABLE: If the speedo is NOT working, start at the gearbox. Does the pinion gear move when you rotate the drive shaft? Does the speedo cable transfer this rotation? The most common problem is that the driving or driven gear is wiped clean of teeth. Too bad. Pinion gears are HARD to find; the driving gear requires OD disassembly (engine out!). A frozen speedo can cause the gears to strip. The easiest problem is that the diamond made by the end of the cable (years ago it was squared) is too small and the cable just freewheels inside the square on the end of the gear. Use a dolly and hammer and make the diamond just a little longer.


Steering Wheel: http://members.cox.net/mgbgt/woodwheeltwo.htm
Maybe I could wrap in fiberglass and paint or carbon fiber v's wood...

Dash/Interior: http://www.mgnuts.com/mg/modsinterior/


http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,552819
- check oil filter clearance
- existing air filter is the best choice?? -> use http://www.cibolas7.net/17963.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottie32/sets/72157594253988692/
good dash & door panels

- Reminder: safety tie the hood.