Cones, hubs, arms, and other running gear bits

Today I got to use one of my favourite toys (again) - the pressure jet washer. The order of the day is to get the subframes, hubs, arms, and the bits that connect to it rid of all perished rubber and plastic stuff (e.g. knuckle joint nylon cups) and blast the accumulated dirt, grime, and greasy stuff on the parts; then do a bit of degreasing to prepare the components for de-rusting.

The following are photos of the parts before cleaning - the rubber and plastic bits still attached. The rubber suspension on the rear trumpets (and one on the front trumpet - though this one came off later after a bit of pulling) are stubborn and will not budge, so I am leaving it in for the meantime. Some of the nylon cups came off easily, but some needed to be chiseled off.

... and after the jet washing and degreasing. I have two types of front subframes to suit different engines - I am still deciding which engine to put on the mini.

The rear subframe now rid of grime and grease but still needs to be stripped of the old paint and de-rusted.

The arm components and cone suspension de-grimed and degreased, the long rear trumpets already looking better.

These parts will go into a vat of my 'special', 'organic', bio-degradable concoction that will eat only the rust and leaves good metal.

Mini Shell Stripped

Another storm has just passed - luckily nothing got blown away from our garden/garage/mini restoration site. The weather is much better today and we are back to stripping the mini shell. The mini is also now resting on the wooden trestles we made earlier, and our mobile DIY wooden crane has also been relocated atop the mini.

The last bits to go are the steering column, the headlining, the rear view mirror, and a few thingamajigs clinging in the engine bay area and the boot.

Also gave the inside a little bit of sweeping to remove all sorts of stuff that deposited within the car whilst it was waiting to be worked on (parts of shrubbery, cat fur - our neighbour's cat had claimed it as some sort of 'cat hostel', and I had to evict some resident spiders).

 

Subframes

The engine, transmission and hubs now removed from the front subframe. I have also taken out the trumpets and the cone rubber suspension.

All bits bagged and put aside waiting to be worked on.

Spare subframe also with cone suspension removed.

Tackling the rear subframe - the bolts (these are 1/2" hex head) on the nearside front mounts are seized. I managed to extract one but the other one snapped.

These are the bolts on the nearside rear mounts - both are also seized and wont budge at all. These will need to be ground off.

These are the bolts on the offside rear mounts - I managed to extract one but the other one is seized and will also need to be ground off.

This is the top mount on the nearside rear suspension with the nut removed.

This is the top mount of the offside rear suspension. A thicker nut has been fitted making it impossible to remove. The suspension mounting bolt has a squared end that you can clamp on to turn the nut, but the nut has to be of a certain thickness. No recourse on this one, has to be cut off.

Bottom view of the nearside rear mounting bolt showing the rounded and seized nut. Also shows the rotten boot floor.

Rusty boot floor.

Another view of the nearside rear mounting bolt showing the rounded and seized nuts.

Disconnecting the brake line from the nearside arm.

This is the offside rear subframe front mount. One of the bolts came off but the bottom one is seized and will have to be ground off.

Bottom view of the rear subframe offside rear mounting.

Bottom view of the rear subframe offside rear mounting bolt showing the rounded and seized nut. Also shows the rotten boot floor.

Disconnecting the brake line from the nearside arm.

The bolts on the nearside rear mounts with the heads ground off.

With all the bolts gone the rear subframe just fell off.

This is the nearside front mounting point of the rear subframe which is in a very bad state and will need to be replaced.

This is the nearside rear mounting point of the rear subframe which is also in a very bad state and will need to be replaced.

Rear subframe liberated from the shell.

This is the offside front mounting point of the rear subframe which is in a very bad state and will need to be replaced.

Getting ready to remove the arms and suspension from the rear subframe.

The two bolts on the bracket that hold the nearside arm came off easily...

...and another one, but, as usual, there is a stubborn bolt that just will not budge :(

Same story on the offside arm bracket - three bolts off, one seized. I am soaking the seized bolts in WD-40 and will leave these for another day.