Brakes and axles, mainly

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These shots forming the front cross-section were taken before any work had began.... explaining the amount of oil and grime visible. Evidence of some frontal work having been carried out before also... (spray paint on the tracking-rod)

The front calipers were removed and replaced. The pistons had seized-up long ago. The wheel-hubs were stripped down, rust removed and cleaned-up. The front backing-plates were seive-like in places, but not as bad as those on the rear axles. I gave them a thick coat of paint and put them back on. Painted pretty much everything else that could be painted too also.

It turns out that to replace the protective backing-plates on the rear brake assemblies the following procedure is necessary. Short of cutting them off that is; that would then mean cutting the 'new' ones in half, fitting into place and welding them back together.... (that was one method originally considered!) The only way to do this is to remove the half-shaft axles. Scary thought eh? Take the calipers off first....

After you eventually get the disc off...remove and label all the handbrake parts. The pressure-plate holding the wheel-bearing in can be loosened. The bolts holding this can easily be accessed using an extension-bar on the ratchet put through the hole in the end of the axle, the bit with wheel bolts on it, whatever it's called. Remove bolts so that pressure plate is loose. The backing-plate will now be loose too apart from all the grime holding it in position that is. What we managed, Jock and I that is, was to fit an old five hole disc-brake, do up the nuts again and hit the bugger from behind. Came out after a couple of thumps I seem to remember. Drag it out straight so not to damage the bearing or the bearing wall. Easy when you know how! Backing-plate then slides clean off the axle, over the splined end. And into the souvenir box.

And then there's these pictures. Recognise this anyone? OK, the backing-plates are easy. No points for those. It's what p1800 axle-ends look like. Notice my problem on the driver-side: how to get that broken off caliper bolt-end out! Took me weeks with a 7/16th UNF tap.