starting to rebuild the front end of my 73. would like to remove everything up to the rack and pinion, putting in new rotors, ball joints , turbo tie rods, bearings, struts, rebuit calipers, et al.
i removed the calipers. so what is my next move. do i need to keep pressure on the struts as i remove them,? any tricks to getting the rotors and ball joints off?
i'm obviously flying blind here (as usual), thanks for the help in advance

p.s there is a slight time constraint here, i would like to be done by mid-august

pop tie rod ends off, brake lines, unbolt rack, remove 6 front and 2 rear bolts leaving the strut bolts for last. Loosen them one at a time and gradually until the whole assembly drops. Yes it may drop/pop kind of hard but not dangerously so.

Since you are replacing the rotors I would leave them on while removing the front end, that way if it does drop hard the rotors ( and bottom of backing plates ) will take the impact instead of the spindles.

before i attempt this , a couple of questions. pop the tie rods ends off on the strut side or the inside? and should i take the a-arm off seperately or all in one piece?

Take the tie rod off the a-arm side.
Take the WHOLE front end out as a single unit..

Its much easier to take apart once its out of the car.

Rich

hey rich, how have you been, will take it out tomorrow, i have read that you should measure the old tie rod before it is removed so that the new one can be set at the same length, any truth to this? this is exiting isn't it, tearing the old 914 apart again, hope this is as much fun as the carbs were

Drop the front end.
Then, you will remove each tie rod (mark them for each side...they look the same) and when you get you new tie rods you will use the measurement from the old rods.
This is to get you TO the alignment shop ONLY....you will still need to get a pro alignment..

Rich

o.k if you insist, but i hate the idea of a qualified mechanic screwing with my work

first problem. is there a trick to popping the tie rod out of the strut assembly? i removed the nut but it won't budge. is this a heat and hammer situation? same question applies to the ball joint nut.

Ball joint.
If you are planning to replace them, use a tie rod fork..
Its a long tool (at NAPA) with two prongs on the end..
You beat it in there with a hammer and it wedges the ball joint out.
I can typically get them out without using this..
It destroys the rubber boot.

Same deal with tie rods.

Rich

since there are no napa's in nyc. what did you use in it's place. the good news is after 2 hours of screwing with the ball joints, i got them off the strut and the whole front end is out, the bad news is , while i was doing this someone hit my wife's parked maxima in the drivers front wheel and, you guessed it, broke off the tie rod

so the entire front end is out. i want to clean and finish the a-arm, main support and spindle. what finish should i use after all the rust and crap are off? por 15?, cailper or high temp paint? powder coating is not an probably not an option

The easy way for the tie rods is to unbolt at the strut and smack them with a hammer until they pop off.

For the ball joint, while the car is on jackstands, remove the ball joint pin, place a jack under the rotor hat and jack up to relieve pressure on the a-arm. then smack the a-arm with a hammer and the ball joint will come right out (big hammer helps, and a couple of smacks will do it).

Honestly, powder coating would be the best.
I bet you know of a guy with a big oven....get the Eastwood kit and do it yourself.

Rich

I Can just see the NY headlines now - NYC Restaurant destroyed by explosion in large oven - CSI trying to identify car parts found embedded in wall. Foul play is not suspected

Hi, Richy, I'm back!

i guess i could try it myself, just concerned that my suspension will come out the same color as my chickens, or worse vice a versa, i mean who's gonna want to eat signal orange tacos?

welcome back neil, please try to be helpful

If you use the hammer method to seperate the tie rod ends from the spindle, thread the tie rod end nuts backwards on the tie rod end shaft to protect the threads when you are whacking it with the hammer. otherwise, the tie rod end shaft will probably mushroom (from the hammer blows) and will need to be thrown out.

If you give me a little advance notice, I could pop over to help.

Thanks Rich, actually I have not done the front end on mine yet, so I'm watching your antics progress and hoping to learn

thanks may need it. i have the entire front end out and in my basement. left the tie rods on the car though. gonna rebuild the calipers and the rest , rotors , bearings. pedal cluster, et al.
here is my question for the group, what type of oven is needed for powder coating?, can you use a regular electric kitchen oven? i have lots of room to set up a powder coating operation

Elec oven....make sure the parts fit.

Rich

i. baaack.
so the front end is out and on my bench and i have begun tearing it down. and like all good 914's it's fighting me like mad. how do i remove the ends of the a-arm and seperate them from the aux support so i can replace the bushings?
also i removed the tortion bars from inside the arms and it looks like there were rubber washers in there at some point. they are now greasy dust. are they a stock part?

lastly (for now) how does the hub cap in the center of the rotor come off.
thanks in advance

Maybe it is time I drop by again. This time I have a car so it wont be so hard on me

you know you are always welcome here. we may even get leo to come out and play with you as bait. i finally comandeered my basement from my wife, looking to put a powder coating operation, nice and warm place to rebuild the front end. lots of food and drink for wandering MD's

need help. i have been beating, burning and pulling on the damn ball joint for hours. have the stupid fork tool, nothing is budging, ripped up the rubber gasket, broke the handle on a 5 lb sledge (and possibly a finger). and tore the vice 1/2 way off my bench. and it justs sits there! i think it's laughing at me

Assuming you have the wedge pin out, can you widen the opening with a big screwdriver? I did this on my 71. Not sure how yours is built. This opened the slot holding the ball joint to the strut.

Ball joint or tierod end? Sounds like a tie rod end to me the way it is fighting you. As for the ball joint, do what spoke said and if you have time soak it in PB blaster over night.

Let me see when I can make it over there. This week is out, but next week may be possible.

when you say wedge pin, do you mean the hex head bolt in the arm just in front of the ball joint? if so ...ooops

I suppose I could plan a day off "meetings" for such an event

RICHIE GET AN EFFIN CAMERA AND POST A PIC!!!!

DOC IT'S LEO.. i need to sit, i feel faint

Rich is messing with the tie rod end. Rich, is it the thingy that attaches to the steering? If so, you need a tool for that.

LEO! Let me know and I will show.

Jeez mike give me a little credit. i know the difference between the tie rod and the ball joint. besides the tie rods are still on the car and the front end is in my basement. i didn't remove the hex head bolt from the a-arm looking like thats where i ran afoul. if you 2 old farts want to come out here, i'm gonna put in new rotors, bearings, rebuild the calipers and the pedal cluster here in the house. nice and warm, beer and food mmmmm

Pic a day. Mon? Mondays are great for me. Tues less so, Thurs, Fri better than Tues. No Wed, Sat, Sun as those are the days I play catch-up with my school work.

i'm off work on sun and mon. and have no discernable social life. so i'm around. now as for leo....between work and soccer practices, housecleaning,shopping and his women's study classes i can't say.
canyou believe we actually heard from LEO. i can't damn i'm feeling faint again

Lets see if we can do Mon. Hopefully Leo doesnt have an ob/gyn appointment that day. He will, however, have to miss his stories

Ah, next week is Thanksgiving. I forgot. I also have a lot of homework to do and will have 2 fewer days to do it so I cant make it this week. Maybe next.

No credit


Fail!!

You do have a haynes manual, right???
remove the bolt numb nuts...ball joint will come right out...with a little force.

Rich

You do have a haynes manual, right???
remove the bolt numb nuts...ball joint will come right out...with a little force.

Rich
[/quote]
i hate the haynes manual, bunch of out of focus black and white pics taken by a 1977 instamatic. if i read assembly is the opposite of removal one more time i.m going to use it for kindling!
besides i have you.

took out the pins, got one off, whole front should be apart by the weekend. then its blast and paint and then reasemble with all new shiny parts. what is reasemble the opposite of again ..i forget

doc, as i said before you are always welcome and i think leo's ob/gyn is closed on mondays

Click to view attachmentback again. kids. need help with removing the plate on the top of the strut. is a screw off type of deal or just whack off (with a hammer ...perverts). also how do i tell if the insert needs to be replaced or should i assume it does due to it's advanced age

Ahhh progress!?!?! Rich I have done this a few times and every time I talk to you I have to wonder if we are both talking about a 914

Doc I can skip the OBG if you bring your rubber gloves

The cap on the strut is a screw in type. I use a big channel lock. A pipe wrench will work too.

I test the struts by pulling and pushing on them and make sure they have plenty of resistance.

Hey Rich, you can swing by and sandblast your parts whenever you want. Just give me a call or PM.

thanks jon, i will. i got most of the crap off by hand, but still may have to blast some sections

Sounds good Rich