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Rotoflex how to


salford

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Not really a how to, as such, but when I was deciding to do it my self or shop it out, there was a lot of info out there, but it was a bit all over the place.  I've tried to pool the info together, in the hope that it helps someone else with absolutely no experience to have a go.

Tools:  Other than the usuals, the most helpful bits that I used were :

Spring lifting tool - my local engineering co. knocked one up for £20 (pattern is in the Haynes manual).You could also use any old bar with a couple of exhaust clamps, as suggested by cjm.

Breaker bars (made moving nuts that wouldn't budge with a normal socket set come off a treat).

Rotoflex compression tool.  Easily made up from 3 medium sized jubilee clips wound together end to end.  Slipped over the old roto doughnut and done up as tight as the clips would allow.

Hub puller - didn't use one.  This was one of the most contentious tools, with some people swearing by them, others saying that they were not needed.  I read, procrastinated, then phoned Dave at Canleys, who said that the shaft should come free if drifted (hit very hard) out with a copper hammer (the copper, being softer than the shaft, doesn't mark the shaft).  It worked and I saved a few bob for polybushes as well!

Following are afew pics and some words of a complete newbie's attempt at it!

Before starting, I sprayed penitrating oil on all of the nuts/bolts that were being removed.  I did this once a day for four or five days.

First of all, I put the car on ramps and cracked off the accessible nuts that were to be removed.  I marked the UJ flange and diff flange with some touch up paint to make sure that they go back together in the same place.

I took the wheel off and attached the lifting tool.  I put a few bits off pipe lagging around the tool and on the wheel arch just in case.  I also put a handfull if zip ties around the tool and spring, just incase the bolt on the tool sheared.

I then lifted the back end of the car with the tool, until the weight was taken off the axle stand on the side of the car nearest the tool, then used another axle stand to hold it up.

I then undid/removed everything in the order that the good Mr Haynes instructs.  I was very lucky here, as despite being done about ten years ago, the bolts - especially the bottom bolt on the vertical link - came undone and out.

Once the half shaft assembly was off the car, I split the hub and removed the stone guard, being careful to count the shims to ensure it all goes back together correctly.

I then fitted the home-made compression tool and started to undo the roto bolts.  I was plugging away with a ring spanner, when my neighbour turned up with an impact wrench and balsted the remaining five bolts out in the time it took me to do one.  An impact wrench isnow on the shopping list!

We then retired for beer.

Thats it until the rest of the re-assembly bits arrive.

I hope that this helps a little.  If anyone else has any tips or tricks, I would be happy to add them in to the above text, to make a good resource for someone else tackling the job.

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  • 7 months later...

Good work - this should go in the mag. as a technical article ... ahem ... you are a club member I presume?

I look forward to your description of refitting the trunnion etc. ... just to see if you can do so without using any swear words :-)

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Hi Greeks,

Funnily enough I didn't need to use any swear words when I refitted it all - I used a trolley jack to support the assembly and 'eased' it all back together with a mallet and a block of wood.

Unfortunatley, the wheel bearing started to grumble about two weeks after I put it all back together, so it all had to be stripped and reassmbled again!  At least I'm practised now.

Unfortunately I am currently an 'ahem', rather than a member, but will probably change that soon.

Steve

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