Anti roll bar

[shaun]

Does anyone have a small photo of the hawk front antiroll bar chassis fixings?

[chris.richard]

They bolt onto the holes arrowed , but I haven't got any photos since I put it back on.

[chris.richard]

But I have now!

[chris.richard]

And the other side

[BAS]

I had to drill the chassis fixing plates of my anti-roll bar. Make sure the clamp is as far up the plate as possible to clear the rack boot, but also note that you will need room for the nut behind the plate!

[shaun]

Thanks for that, the holes are the ones to be drilled before fitting the rack!

Chris are your track rod ends on upside down, I'll have to go and check but I think mine are on top as it were.

[chris.richard]

Chris are your track rod ends on upside down, I'll have to go and check but I think mine are on top as it were.

Good question. That's how they were assembled when i got the car. If it's wrong, i'd like to know. Aren't teh holes through the steering arms tapered to fit the ball joint? Or could my arms be on upside down? Explains the mess when I'm eating! :D

[BAS]

The track rod ends on my car are the other way up to yours Chris, if that helps.
You may need to hand the arms on the up-rights.

[SUSIT]

I am the same as Brent on my car chris, different rack (chevette) but otherwise the same I think

[chris.richard]

Guy, Rut-the-Nut, which way up are yours?

[shaun]

Mine are on top, the hub arms have the outer face flat, the inner slightly tapered. Checked the gallery which looks like it has been hacked, did find this photo though it doesn't really help.

http://www.stratossupersite.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=620&size=big&sort=1&cat=500

[Chris J]

See part of Rob Sando's photo (attached) of his own car showing track rod ends above steering arms.

[OZStratos]

Chris,
My Tie Rod Ends were at the same angle as yours when I first purchased it (for the record I own Midas chassis number 8). At the time I assumed they were incorrect and removed them to make sure they had been assembled correctly, as very little else on the car was. I found that they were correct, ie there was a tapered fitting for the rod end and if you turned the bars up the other way they would not bolt on. So I assumed I was the dummy and left them as they were. It was diabolical on rough roads and impossible to keep going in a straight line. Looking at it now the wheels must have been changing from 1 degree toe in to about 3 degrees toe out as the wheel went up & down. I then saw Stewarts car and we came to the conclusion that it was way out so I stripped it down again. I ended up re machining the bars slightly so that they would fit on the other side of the car which improved the geometry vastly. Can't remember how now but you may be able to work it out from the pics.
Cheers
Paul Morton

[OZStratos]

And a pic looking up.
OZstratos

[guy mayers]

Hi Chris - mine are assembled with the joint above the steering arm, securing nut beneath. I would suspect that the steering arms are on the wrong side or that the stub axles are on the wrong side. Either way, something needs swapping over!
Guy

[chris.richard]

Bollox!
So that's something else that was put together wrong! Not by me, I hasten to add. (The things I've doen wrong, I'm blissfully unaware of!

[John]

Mick,
It's not just us who gets these wrong then!!
John

[catswhiskers]

Oh John,
I'm sure I dont have the faintest idea what you are refering to. Honest.
Like I've said many times, I might not always be right, but I'm never wrong.

Mick

[shaun]

Is there a right or wrong way to build these cars, I think not. There is, however, often an easy and a hard way.

To bring an end to my initial question, the antiroll bars brackets well and truly foul the brand new rack gaitors. Double bollox!

[guy mayers]

I think you'll find they all do Shaun! Whilst the corners are sharp they can damage the gaiters. Try rounding them off! I did and I've yet to replace a gaiter through anything other than perishing after 14 years or so...
Guy

[chris.richard]

So the correct assembly is to have the track rod ends abovethe steering arms. See picture of Tryphon's car below (I hope you don't mind me using the pic from your website Tryphon)
So my assembly is definately wrong. Interesting that Ozstratos has his the same way up as mine (according to his photos), but says his works better that way.

[guy mayers]

Chris - have you checked your stub axles to make sure that the left sided one is the one with the odd threaded nut? Since the backing plate mounting holes aren't square to the road surface this affects the of angle the steering arm. Swapping the stub axles from side to side may cure it but I suspect that the arms themselves are merely on the wrong sides. That should be a 10 minute fix provided you don't have to remove the hubs to get at the bolt heads.....
Guy

[chris.richard]

Must be slow - it took me 20 minutes!
Found my bottom ball joint to be really stiff to turn - is it knackered and needing replaced, or is there something I can do to loosen it off?

[guy mayers]

Chris - I meant 10 minutes per side so spot on! I think you'll find that most ball joint are stiff to start - if they are loose then there's wear and they'll need replacing - just get the car on the road and then they'll free up.
Guy

[rutthenut]

From memory, I'm sure my steering arms are mounted with the joint above, and the nut screwed on from below.

If the taper in your steering arm doesn't work that way, I'd guess it is on the wrong side of the car. Or possibly there was a manufacturing cock-up of some sort.

Not with my car to provide further info, but the profile of the steering arm when seen from the side will also kick up or down towards the front - again, not sure which way that is right now, but it is not a straight arm.

[shaun]

Early (circa 1987) Hawk.