Point of detail - CorseI rod end bearings

[Arthur]

Guys,

I have a CorseI with a seized rod end bearing bolt. I've battered it all ways, and have convinced myself the only way it's coming out is chop-out with the grinder.

Before I do anything irreversible, can anyone out there confirm that the rod end for the front suspension bottom arm inner joint is 1/2 inch bore, 1/2 inch UNC male shank (that's UNC, not UNF), and right-hand thread, fitted with side-spacers and boots.
The length of the through-bolts would also be appreciated - in this case, I know they're 1/2 inch right-hand thread UNF with full-height Nylocks.

Thanks.

[John]

Arthur,
on my Corse "I" parts list I have the inner track control arm joint marked down as an AW8T. Thats described in the Aurora catalogue as 1/2"x1/2" Female Rod end.
The bolt length is 3.25".
Im just wondering if the spec has changed since yours was built if you think yours is a male thread.
I could do with a digital picture of your car for my "list" for the MSA presentation. Can you send me one or do I need to pop round with the digital camera?

[Arthur]

John,

Thanks for that - no other option then but to chop it out and see what I find. It's sure as hell a male thread, cos that's the only adjustment, and even then, the nut is within the chassis box section, so you have to drop the arm down to get at it, and turn the rod-end, which means taking the through-bolt out, so I'm back where I started. I always thought that bottom arm would be better with a left/right thread adjuster closer to the wheel.
I'll post what I find.

As to digipics - I can do small size with the mobile, but if you want good quality, by all means pop round with the camera. Coffee will be on! (Car will be up on the blocks for a couple of days).

Thanks again,

[John]

Arthur,
OK, let me know what you find.
Point taken about the on-car adjutment. It is on my list of "upgrades desirable".
I'll let you get on with the car before I pop round. I'm off to that new NHS treatment centre up by your place to have my wrist attended to tomorrow so I'll be out of action for a few day anyway, relying on the chauffeur.
Lovely day for crawling under the car!

[Arthur]

OK,

There isn't room to get a grinder in, so I had to chop out both sides (both through-bolts seized solid) with a glove on using a hacksaw blade. No bloody fun at all.
Takes about 20 minutes cutting per cut, 2 cuts per bolt, but double that time with frequent stops for fags, tea, and gasping while clutching shoulders unaccustomed to physical effort. I managed to multi-task the swearing.
Even less fun getting the new bolts and joints back in - a number of times to get the camber - there surely has to be a better way then this?

Photo of bits would have been attached if the allowed size was more than 500 x 0.

The rod end is 1/2 inch bore, 5/8 UNF male shank, right-hand threaded, with half-height locknut. The through bolt is indeed 1/2 inch UNF, 3.25 inch.
Rod ends, side spacers and boots pruchased from Demon Tweeks at some 90 quid the lot. (tried to get them locally, but got some worrying "duh....what's that then...." from a couple of bearing suppliers, so gave up).

Dunno about you guys, but from now on I feel inclined to slide the bolts half out, and grease what I can expose without releasing the rod end assembly, roughly once a year. These have been in around 7 years.

They really were solid - I tried to knock the stub of bolt shank out of the rod end on one side, by resting the rod eye on a socket and punching the bolt. Hit it so hard I collapsed the (Gedore, not tinplate) bloody socket. Bolt didn't move. Scrapped both of them after that.

Happy maintaining,
Arthur.

[John]

Arthur,
send me the photos by email if you can and I'll resize them.
John

[Arthur]

Guys

While remewing the seized rod-ends (through-bolts seized, not the rod ends, but still needed hacksaw-ing out), and renewing brake pads in favour of Ferodo DS2500, I bit the bullet and re-set suspension to the figures posted by David May.

That is, close to 2 degrees front negative camber, and close to 3 degrees rear neg camber.
I took the opportunity to get some castor off (around 3.2 degrees both sides at the finish) and left the toe at 9 minutes per wheel.

I'm only on "first iteration" setup - I will likely need to recheck and reset a couple of times to get it spot on (run out of both steam and time - I'm off back to sea early April), but even so the car feels much "looser" and free to drive, much more responsive, still as twitchy in a straight line, a little tippy-toe in fast bends, but My God, does it now turn in. Shook me rigid the first time I decided to trust it and just hurled it in - turned the wheel, in it went, out it came - left me gobsmacked, and believe me, it was no slowcoach before.

David, I believe you aslo upped the spring rates - about 450 front, 650 rear as I recall. Am I right?

Arthur