Thread: My 1955 86" rebuild.

It's another week and I'm still weak, picked up some bug late last week it has hit hard, even though I had 'Flu Vax' some months ago, I didn't get to the Land Rover Expo in Sydney we were both too crook to embark on a 2.5 hour journey (one way) and spread our whatever we had around so we stayed home, all
I managed to get done was make these 2 rivets

it took me all my time just to concentrate, so I packed up and sat n watched TV, how bloody boring.
Anyway feeling slightly better or pushing myself along (more like it) I took a drive to Edgeworth to pick up some new center bolts given to me by my mate John Tarren, feeling good about not having to make them, but that didn't last, the bolts were just a tad too long and the threaded section didn't match what I needed, and I didn't have a 3/8"BSF die to run the thread down, adding to that I haven't mastered how to change the gearing on my new lathe to cut Imperial threads (my old lathe is currently down damn) so I made a start on making my own custom bolts

I used a die to cut the thread 3/8"UNF then part it off

the old n the new

I still had to make a spring wrap that didn't take long

using my home made anvil

it didn't take long with my wife holding the spring and the heat, and me swinging the hammer.
I greased the leaves and using a big G cramp pulled the leaves together, etch primed it and painted it black, it is next to the vehicle
and hopefully will be fitted in the morning

meanwhile the RHS spring had to come to bitz, it was just as rusty as the other

and this spring seemed to have an abundance of media grit most likely 0.9 grit stuck between the leaves, and on every leaf it was the same

anyway it has all been flap sanded etc and I'm happy to say I don't have to make anymore rivets or wrap arounds as they are all tight
but I will have to make another center bolt, hopefully I'm feeling a lot better in the morning, anyway cheers Dennis

Sadly no change in my overall condition still crook, my throat feels like it's on fire, anyway I made another center bolt

and that had it's own problems later, I greased the individual leaves and using a couple of clamps pulled them in and fitted the new center bolt, the spring
was etch primed/painted gloss black

it was allowed to dry then after lunch I moved what gear I thought I would need to get the job done, being a 'Geriatric' and having worked as a Reg/nurse for almost 50 years I do suffer with a few issues, so to make life a bit easier I gathered all this gear to help me fit the springs

the dolly is to move the spring into position, but you are on your side on the creeper, and the spring has to be eased under the diff/housing, and hope it doesn't slip sideways while doing it, offer up the front eye and secure with a shackle bolt, then lift the spring to ease the jack under it to jack it up high enough so the rear eye can hook up with the shackle plates, then fit the U-bolt spring plate on the jack and ease it up into place, SHOCK/HORROR
when I put the wear plate into position the new center bolt was only 1/8" above it, I had forgot to add this thickness + a little more to the dimensions of the new bolt
well annoyed I was but I thought as this is only a trial to see if this remedial work on the springs improved the ride, it is not a big job to replace
the bolt after I have made 2 more with bigger head LOL, anyway here's a geriatric's eye view of trying to get the spring under the diff

I refitted the shock absorbers, I wasn't going too but I bounced it up n down and it was way too soft without them, so I refitted them using my special tool that I made years ago, here is an old image of it in use, saves a lot of swearing etc,.

anyway I took it for a short drive, the suspension is much smoother but still firm, I suspect that is because of the 'Gabriel' Gas shocks all round, one thing is for sure, I'm knackered LOL cheers Dennis

My wife took me to the big smoke Newcastle LOL via Edgeworth, where I returned the center bolts that my mate John T had given me but I couldn't use them, so I made my own and subsequently had to make 2 more, that task was achieved this morning early and when it just has to be 0.375" LOL

and a little while later they both looked like this

we went down to Newcastle as my mate John had given me 4 new U-bolts 7/16"BSF, he didn't have and 7/16"BSF hex nuts so I went to Newcastle Hi-Tensile
and bought 8 nuts and 8 square section spring washers, when my overall condition improves I will change over the center bolts and U-bolts, but the weather here is about to go south, with a few days of heavy rain, so I might have to wait a few daze, anyway cheers Dennis
ps while in Newcastle I went to a big hobby shop where I purchased several lengths of 20 & 22 SWG wire, so if it does rain as predicted, I will be gainfully employed in the shed making compression springs for the tie bars on the pony truck of my live steamer,,.

A bit of precision turning there Denis!
Well done.
It's good to see people who can think outside the square, be creative, improvise, and overcome problems.
It is the posts like yours that makes AULRO the great site it is.


Cheers, Mick.

Without trying to sound like a 'malingerer' I'm still crook with Influenza A and my right shoulder, so I dosed up on Paracetamol & Ibuprofen this morning so I could attack the rear springs again on my Series 1, you might remember that I made new center bolts and the head height was way too small so I made 2 more and I needed to fit them and the new U bolts, so after giving the medication a few hours to kick in, I went for it, as it is supposed to rain tomorrow

out with the new useless one LOL and replaced them both with the 'bigger head'

I'm now feeling the effects of the job, actually it almost took longer to get all the gear needed to do the job than it actually took to do the job LOL
anyway that's been part of my day, cheers Dennis
ps While waiting for the meds to kick in, I recieved a 'facetime' call from a mate in San Diego USA, he has a ex Australian 109"GS and from what he tells me I think he has broken the layshaft in the G/box, not an uncommon thing, anyway he asked me to put together some points on how to get the thing apart etc, I managed to get it all together in a 17 point step by step with photo's etc, but my stupid computer ate the email, I still have it but I can't send it or open for some silly damn reason, gawd I hate the computer at times LOL so I guess I will have to do it all again

There has been some great progress here! I've got some reading to do to catch up on this!

Full credit it to you, what I've seen so far is terrific and I'm enjoying reading your comments on each bit. Keep up the good work

I was checking the Land Rover underneath a few days before we went to Cairns
and I was surprised to feel an oily slick on the inside of the right rear wheel rim, at first I thought it was brake fluid but it wasn't, twas gear oil, damn wasn't the word I used but it was 4 letters, oil seal could be faulty, but I thought lets check the diff/breather first, so armed with a 5/16"W ring/set I crawled under and removed it, on closer inspection the breather hole was blocked with red dirt and it didn't rattle, so knock it apart was the order of the day, but that had to wait until today Friday 21/10/16.
The tools needed to knock them apart are a small socket that the hex will sit on the edge, small hammer and a pin punch

when you have tapped out the ball and bung they are trapped in the socket and can't get away as they always seem too, no wonder it wouldn't work, look at the crud

I cleaned the ball (it's a 1/4"dia ball) with 600 grit wet/dry, put a couple of drills into the 2 openings just to clear the crud, spray it all with 'Inox' and re-assemble, do the final push of the bung in a vice with soft jaws, that way the bung goes flush with the top of the breather

then refit to the diff/housing, my mate must have overlooked this vital bit of kit and I took it at face value that they were working, always pays to check, anyway cheers Dennis

Have a good holiday. we're off to Harvey Bay next week before the whale Watching season finishes . Going to call in to see Keith Cree on the way & drop the drivers uniform in for the Royal parade L/R & hopefully pick up a couple of parts for Landy. Hope to get some time when we get home to get some more done on Landy.