"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
05/10/2018 at 10:51 • Filed to: the alfa doesn't have a tag yet
12
4|
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
05/10/2018 at 10:51 • Filed to: the alfa doesn't have a tag yet | 12
| 4 |
Wash me
In my never-ending and seemingly futile quest to shower my vehicles with love, attention, and cash, the Alfa is finally wrapping up its suspension rebuild.
It kicked off my me drinking a bottle of soju and ordering a lot of parts. All bushings, tie rods, and ball joints for the front, plus front and rear shocks and springs. I went with the “soft” sport 0.5" lowering springs and Koni Classics all around.
After that, the Alfa club met up for a front end tech session where a bunch of us got together to completely tear apart and rebuild my front end. Needless to say it needed it.
Remove your old springs with the one weird trick... or a torch
Worn bushing is worn
Didn’t have the room for the factory tool so... don’t try this at home.
After that, we set off to do the rear, which was much more straightforward and was able to be finished in a few hours.
Net effects
Really nothing feels different, though I think that is because my suspension is so incredibly out of adjustment right now it isn’t funny. Next stop is the alignment shop. I did go over a few bumps on the way home and was surprised by the composure.
Also, while the lowering looks “the business” my cat is about 3" from the ground. I’d planned on completely redoing the exhaust, but now that has jumped up on the TODO list to #3.
Oh and we adjusted my parking brake and it is awesome now.
Still TODO (before May 24th)
Alignment
Swap wheels
Exhaust
Driveline rebuild
Main fuel line replacement
Track Day
So.... May 24th is the Alfa club track day and I am apparently going. I don’t want to as I don’t regard my Alfa as a track car, but the Alfa club insisted and I can hardly say no to them at this point.
So yeah, apparently I am doing a track day in a 30 year old convertible.
...
Crap.
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/10/2018 at 11:31 |
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the one weird trick... or a torch
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Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/10/2018 at 11:35 |
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It was super loud when they let go. Also the rubber isolators lightly caught fire and burned for an alarming amount of time while we tried to locate water.
beautimouse
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/10/2018 at 11:40 |
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“So yeah, apparently I am doing a track day in a 30 year old convertible.”
My ex girlfriend and I did track days in our Alfas. Hers was a 62, mine was a 63, both Giulia Spiders.
Have a great time!
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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
05/10/2018 at 11:46 |
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A torch is required for a great deal of suspension things, somehow. A highlight of working on Land Rover Series suspensions is that each spring has a steel/rubber/steel bushing pressed through a tube in the frame, and to get it out *as specified in the service manual*, you’re to saw through it. That’s easier when you torch the rubber and get the inner sleeve out.
It’s hard to use any kind of puller, because the sleeve is sheet metal and welded in a sheet metal frame, and the force required to even set them in the first place (with a threaded rod and washers) is hideous.