The child’s Kia. Riken tyres seem okay.

[dozeydustman]

Took O/S/R wheel off and things looked okay but pads were 3mm so thought I’d get away with just a pad swap.

Nearside had other ideas….

Yeah, that ain’t great. And these use the hub bit of the disc as a drum handbrake.

Same process as changing the fronts except things came apart much much easier.

 

[dozeydustman]

I’m quite glad in the end I had my hand forced in changing the discs as all 4 calliper sliders were seized. Taking the rubber boots off revealed dried up crud inside the boots and the recess which the pins slide into.

This was the cleanest of the 4.

all the crust wire brushed off the pad carrier and with some brake cleaner and a good application of red rubber grease to the sliders we are back in business. The rubbers, despite their age, are in very good condition and on each side one slider pin was newer than the other. Something to add to the parts list for the future will be new pins and boots for these as I will replace them next time this needs brake work.

Even the bolts were scrubbed and new spring washers fitted. Again all threads had a smear of copper assembly grease to prevent them seizing into place, although the rear bolts did have something applied to them in the past which was still semi-fluid.

Buttoned up and bled, and the handbrake has adjusted itself correctly giving 5 clicks to maximum application

[dozeydustman]

Upload limit on photos does mean I have had to split this.

Unusually the wheeltrims are held on with the wheelnuts.

I haven’t seen this since dad owned a 505 estate, which we sold for export to Nigeria in 1995-6.

A quick blezz up the road with gentle application of left foot on the brake pedal to help the pads bed before some more substantial pedal application has left these brakes pretty sharp feeling, about a million times better than before. I am still conscious that at least one new front calliper may be needed within the next year or so, but at the moment there is much less brake drag/bind as there was on all 4 corners before I got started on this task.

It’s booked for its test Monday immediately after the Saab. Garage will do TREs and I think one front spring has a crack, so I’ve supplied a set just in case. One more job to do which is polish the headlamps.

[tooSavvy]

Hmmmm..... MrGetz is emitting 'frightened mouse noises' under gentle application 😮.

🙈🙉🙊 = need dooinn 🛠️

🚙💨

[dozeydustman]

Final job for the day was to polish the headlights. I had a kit but couldn’t find it, so a jaunt to Halfrauds I picked up a Holts kit and some additional polish (Autosol) on the way back from shopping.

Before. Severe cataract to N/S, O/S not too bad.

 

O/S after sanding back going through the grades of sanding disc then cutting compound ⬇️

 

Both after sanding, cutting compound and autosol ⬇️

Finally Close up after sealing with the sealant/lacquer supplied.

I’ll start the car up and see how much difference this has made when it gets dark, but I expect a fair bit.

That concludes the MoT jobs I can do at home and what I am aware need doing. I’m hoping it just needs the TREs changing as Madam is getting impatient!

[dozeydustman]

If anyone wants to try one of these headlamp restoration kits I would imagine an angle grinder on a low speed or a proper DA polisher would make the job a lot better, as would removing the light from the car and working on a bench.

[tooSavvy]

1 hour ago, dozeydustman said:

If anyone wants to try one of these headlamp restoration kits I would imagine an angle grinder on a low speed or a proper DA polisher would make the job a lot better, as would removing the light from the car and working on a bench.

I have a 1/4" hex chuck mount coming off eBay - a sponge mop, on a rubber sander disc (in chuck) & bicarb/bath scourer powder - running in my new B&D li-ion torque screwdriver may be my D.I.Y. tryout 🙊🙉🙈

🙄

[dozeydustman]

that’ll do nicely

[beko1987]

Nice! 

I'm still shocked by the transformation doing my front brakes has done for my car, glad to see you feel one too! 

May as well smash the fuck out of the front suspension for one more winter then if nowt else goes wrong in the wiring chuck £60 + tracking at the front end all at once... 

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

I'm still shocked by the transformation doing my front brakes has done for my car, glad to see you feel one too! 

 

The car has been utterly transformed though I may still need to replace at least one of the front callipers if they start binding or become unbalanced again. 

I have 2 new tyres for the Kia as well which I need to have fitted, and again free off the track rod ends as one was advisory but the pair are seized on and at the moment the only heat I have is a fag lighter because I ran out of gas! If tame fitter is coming in on Saturday I may take this into work and ask him to get the induction probe on it. May well be worth investing in one for myself as I don’t fancy battling seized bolts again.

The best thing is madam didn’t rely on BOMAD to pay for this.

 

[beko1987]

I also had some sort of engine hesitation at a constant speed below 45/50, ie 30 in 3rd or 4th would initiate a replicable rhythmic judder from the engine. Tiniest bit of throttle change and it went away so I've just driven round it. 

I'm 89% sure the brakes were dragging a bit now (revs were always low when it happened. Never did it at 85...). I've tried to replicate it since changing them on the identical bit of road a few times and nothing 👌 Having to adjust my braking style though quickly 😂 She don't need such a shove now 

[dozeydustman]

42 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

I also had some sort of engine hesitation at a constant speed below 45/50, ie 30 in 3rd or 4th would initiate a replicable rhythmic judder from the engine. Tiniest bit of throttle change and it went away so I've just driven round it. 

I'm 89% sure the brakes were dragging a bit now (revs were always low when it happened. Never did it at 85...). I've tried to replicate it since changing them on the identical bit of road a few times and nothing 👌 Having to adjust my braking style though quickly 😂 She don't need such a shove now 

You say that Sam but the Kia shudders if you ride the clutch or slip it as if pulling away up a steep hill.

At least it’s stopped stepdaughter from doing this annoying habit….

[beko1987]

5 minutes ago, dozeydustman said:

You say that Sam but the Kia shudders if you ride the clutch or slip it as if pulling away up a steep hill.

At least it’s stopped stepdaughter from doing this annoying habit….

I dont think it was clutch judder. Doing the same speed with more revs (drop down 4th to 3rd at 30 say) and it stopped and was fine. Indeed I've done some recent test_glf'ing to test that theeory, all is well there (for now) 

[Eyersey1234]

On 9/26/2023 at 5:25 PM, dozeydustman said:

that’ll do nicely

Chodtastic 

[dozeydustman]

Finally got the tyres fitted to this today.

At least it has one axle with a matched pair. Pleased to see the brakes are wearing evenly.

I also put some black sealant around the rear window quarterlights. The rubbers were extremely badly perished and I cannot find new seals for reasonable money. I will see if some universal seals will fit so the sealant hopefully is only temporary.

[dozeydustman]

A few days on and the Rikens have transformed this car, they're a sub brand of Michelin. It has much more positive road feel though there is still a small amount of slop, which I have discovered is one of the TREs. On the Autogreens previously on the front axle they wore one side as if toeing in too much, and the other was feathered. Hoping the new bottom arm cures the side which was feathering. Autogreens seem to get good reviews online and @Scrap ordered one for the black Saab after he hit a pothole last week, however he's such an inexperienced driver I don't know if he'll notice any difference.

The TREs need induction heating to free them off, something I don't have so this and I used up the last of my blowtorch when I was working on this a few months back and they still didn't free. This will probably be a garage job, unless anyone local has one I could borrow for a few hours. When the weather is nicer. Will get the wheel alignment sorted and the split CV boot. Not messing about with those.

[N Dentressangle]

Rikens are decent tyres for the money. I do so few miles my tyres perish before they wear out, so they've been my choice for a couple of cars lately.

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, N Dentressangle said:

Rikens are decent tyres for the money. I do so few miles my tyres perish before they wear out, so they've been my choice for a couple of cars lately.

A lot of local tyre places recommend them as a decent quality budget, which at first made me sceptical as I thought it was the latest death ring from China being touted everywhere. However I read reviews on them and they all came up with more positives than a lot of unknown or well known budget and mid-range rubber for similar coin. My mind may change once they’re about half worn but they can then go on the back and a new pair on the front.

[dozeydustman]

Took this out on a Family outing and it’s quite apparent the rear tyres are awful on damp roads at 70. I’ve only pootled in this car until this evening.

[goosey]

I had a set Riken ATs on my P38, they were absolutely spot on 👌