Back on the case

I’ve had a fairly busy time since Christmas with various things including weekends working or away but I found my way out to the garage again Sunday afternoon. I suppose it’s been partly the natural inertia when you’ve left something for a while but having dismantled the transmission it all seems fine – prop centre bearing, UJs, drive shafts etc. so I haven’t been feeling particularly under pressure.

All that was left to dismantle was the right rear suspension. I’d already got the hub and brake caliper etc. off so it was just a matter of unbolting the shock and the wishbones, having noted the number of spacing washers in each location. When unbolting the upright form the lower wishbone I spotted that something wasn’t quite right and remembered arriving at Oulton Park last September to find that corner had gained quite a bit of positive camber. I didn’t find anything to explain this at the time and just adjusted the rose joints to realign it. I’ve now discovered that the lower rear corner of the upright has bent slightly. Having cleaned it and discovered no cracks I’ll get a new one but try to straighten this one to use as a spare.

I spent the rest of my time out there cleaning up all the wishbones, uprights and the rear of the chassis. Apart from making it look better I also wanted to check for any cracks in the diff mounts and suspension pickup points. It all seems intact so apart from replacing the bent upright it’s mainly a matter of tidying up a few bits of damaged paint and reassembling it.

I still haven’t got my medical done so I really need to sort that out this week, it’s only 3 weeks to the first race. There are also a few other bits and pieces I need to order and the motorhome needs getting ready too.