Front susspension and stub axles...

i decided that now the rear axle was complete, i should do the front stub axles, meaning i would be ready to the shell back on wheels when the panels are done. Of course nothing with a '70s car is a simple as just "doing" it.

Looking over the exploded diagrams in the Haynes manual for a few minutes, i started to strip the right hand stub axles and suspension. Firstly i removed the anti roll bar and its mounting, then moved on to the brake calipers. These were seized on, so took some work and WD40 to remove. Once off i could remove the brake back plate which prevents the stub axle from lifting off the king pin - that and the top trunnion, washer and bolt. With that removed i lifted the stub axle from the king pin.

I removed the four bolts holding the brake disc to the hub and then removed the hub nut after first taking out its split pin. The hub nut is 15/16Th's and i had to buy in the correct socket. Using the hub puller, still on loan from Team Neaves, bolted to the hub with 2 wheel nuts, i removed the hub and disc from the axle. It came of freely with a single slide of the puller.

The brake disc was stuck to the hub even though its four bolts were removed. With a rubber mallet i hit the centre of the hub from behind, thought the brake disc and it started to move. Five or six taps and it was off. I checked over the bearings and although dirty, they seem OK.

Its often the case that the fulcrum pin, which holds the king pin to the wishbone, rusts on to the king pin preventing its removal. This was the case for me. I have tried almost everything to remove it including an impact driver - it wont move. Its important to note the there is a small pin going through the king pin base and fulcrum pin which locks them together. It has to be remove to remove the fulcrum pin.

As it wont budge i will have to carefully cut it out with the grinder. I tried a hacksaw but i didn't cut it. This method means i will have to replace the fulcrum pin and possibly the wishbone too. The fulcrum pins don't often fit refurbished wishbones well, so it maybe a bit of luck to get a good fit. A bad fit would result in slop in the fulcrum pin thread and a likely MOT failure.

The left hand stub axle all came apart cleanly. The fulcrum pin was not seized and all components will be reused with new bushes and washers.

I will run either fast road or race bushes all round and for the mean time I'm not going to replace the wheel bearings.