Anyone know a good, cheap supplier of suspension parts in the UK?
Or is it cheaper to have them shipped? The rear lower arms look rusty, the shocks look.......well shocked .
Also the coil springs might get replaced if i'm feeling rich.
My aim is to get it handling this year , then look at repainting it next year.
The Edelbrock "performer" kit arrived, and i fitted it last night, and instant tickover and starting.
Highly impressed <<<

 

Is this a required mode of transportaion, or just a backup? If you don;t rely on it, and can have it inoperative for a few days at a time, your options are broader.

Those rusty LCAs can be removed, blasted, and reinforced by closing the channel into a full box shape. Just a thin strip of steel and welding is about all that it takes. That is just as effective as aftermarket LCAs, especially when the bushings are replaced with new, higher durometer parts.

The panhard rod (track bar) can be treated similarly. If you have some fabrication skills, replacement isn't always necessary for improvement.

I've also seen several examples of home-fabricated upper strut tower braces and lower braces for the front end. Someone has to cut and weld them. The question is whether you will pay someone else to do that, then ship them, or just do it all yourself.

 

Some very good points there, no its just going to be a weekend and summer car.
The rear arms are very rusty, and look pretty thin, i'd rather replace them, the anti roll bar, etc are ok, and can be blasted and painted\powder coated.
I just found its had new rear shoes\wheel cylinders, but the rear shox are absolutely donald ducked, and new springs might be handy.
The offside front disc is cracked across one place and pads are also about done.
Not sure if the diffs noisy yet, as the rear drums had some loose rust ive removed, just hope it was the backplates rubbing.

Nah its the diff, i suspected so, but hoped it wasnt, so now i need a recon\new diff, i,ve tested the half shaft bearings, no play or roughness or oil leaks into the drums. Diff is full of oil, probably sawdust too.

 

Ouch. So, you're shopping for at least one rotor, shocks, springs, and an axle. Might as well bite the bullet and go for a rear disc setup.

Actually, the rear springs, rotors, new rear gear set, and rear shocks could all be dropped into a crate and shipped at around 135 pounds (62Kg). That couldn't be too expensive, could it?

If you got two new front rotors, new pads, bearings and crush sleeve for the axle, spring isolators, and some tubular LCAs with bushings, the package would get even more massive. Still, it may be an option.

You could always revist the idea of manufacturing your own tubular LCAs and merely shop for bushings. You evidently already have two patterns.

 

Thanks thats given me some more to think about, and i need all the ideas i can get at the moment.
I would quite gladly ship one over but i have no idea where to even start looking.
There doesnt seem to be any form of re-conditioners to do the work here, and so far no luck with a second-hand axle.
To be fair the weekend aint a great time to look for stuff.

 

American & Speciality Auto at Farnworth. Stock rear shox (Sachs gas) £35 each. I know, 'cos I had to get new rear shox. Easy to fit, but needed tha angle grinder on one of the old bolts

Mark.

 

Wisbech engineering do non-genuine uprated lower arms at good prices, and they were good on shox, springs, and the panhard rod plus discs and pads, and i'm going to have to grind all the bolts off.
All are seized inside the bushes, and one bolt has snapped in half.
Just found that when the cars on the ground, the exhaust moves to touch the u\j on the rear of the propshaft, so causing a rubbing noise and small vibes, so i'm hoping now its not the diff.
I was told by Autopontiac [i think ] that a second hand axle could run to about £450, which is a hell of a lot of beer.

 

Looking for at least ONE rotor?????!!!!!!!!

I hope your going to do the job properly and replace both, replacing one is dangerous, always fit brake components in pairs!!

Ben

 

Most definately.
Ive ordered 2 discs and new pads, uprated lower arms [1 weeks wait] uprated panhard rod, a new axle support bracket [thin looking bar above panhard rod] new shox and all new bolts.
All the bolts are siezed solid inside the metal of the bushes, so it seems to me theres no way the suspension can be working properely as nothings moving.

Whoever has been passing this for M.O.T has been blind as a bat.
Still got to sort out some front white sidelights and amber rear indicators.
That or get a daylight only mot for the time being, and dont go out at night.

 

NOt had any trouble so far with the amber sidelights on the front. If the Peelers aren't bothered then why should the garage? She's already got amber rear indicator lenses. MOT not due til November, so I 've got a bit of time left to sort out various welds and seatbelt (s). Likewise I think I may go back to the previous MOT place, coz they're blind. Or at least they were blind to the dodgy steering. Stress cracks near the steering box!

[Rant mode on] Personally, I fail to see (sorry!) what the issue might be over clear sidelights at the front; if it's dark then headlights are on. If it's light enough to use sidelights (dashboard lights) then peeps can see the damn car in the first place. Likewise, a flashing red light on the corner of a car - gotta be turning that way.... Our cars comply with federal transportation laws, and seeing as the UK is the USA's 600-mile long stationary aircraft carrier, what's the problem? LOL [Rant mode off/]

Mark.

 

"and seeing as the UK is the USA's 600-mile long stationary aircraft carrier"

Lol.

Like you i fail to reason our mot laws, and i used to be a tester, ive got the mot video here [borrowed] on lighting, and it covers this sort of thing, bet its boring as f--k tho..
Atm, it says you must basically have white front sidelights, amber just wont do, as for the rear indicators i think mine flash red, not amber, tho i must check it out.
Inserting 2 sidelights next to or as part of, the amber lenses wont kill me.
Its my m8s mot place across the road who will be doing it in about 3 months, and hes lenient on lots, but i dont like to push it.

 

I can only hope the local testers around here fell asleep before they watched that part LOL.

Mark.

 

Well, after re-siting the exhaust, also got the bit near the rear u\j hot with some oxy-acetelene and put a small 4" by 2" flat in it , to make sure it doesnt contact the propshaft again.
Its much quieter, but theres still some axle noise, and listening hard, it sounds like the pinion bearing.
Theres a small dint in the bodywork above the diff, last time i saw that type of dint, was when a propshaft joint snapped and it whips about, cos people dont check it!!!!.
So if someones been running with a rear prop joint running off-centre for some time, you can bet the pinion bearings taken a pounding.
So its bearings as well......................

Got pointed towards a secondhand Camaro z28 complete rear end for £225, so i bought it. Its drums, but that wont matter as mine is anyway.
Weighing up the fact of the cost of all the bearings+gaskets etc etc, and the time involved, this could save some grief.
That and my old axle is pretty rusty, means i can get one all set up, then swap it over. [sounds like a 5 minute job ]

 

good luck to you.i know how you feel,i live in australia and parts are hard to find or dam expensive.doh just saw the date on this