Time To Sort My Car!

[Guest Ben Salt]

Right, another term at uni finished, and have finally got a bit of time to sort out the SVA fail items!

 

Handbrake - bloody thing broke in the testers hands on the third time he cranked it on. Anyone got any better suggestions for sorting out the end bit on the cable, as thats the third time its come off despite my friends and I giving it the biggest whack we could

 

Mirrors - mine failed on being too low and due to their design, I cant raise them any further up the screen pillars. Could anyone suggest a good place to get some around Surrey, or have some that I could borrow for the retest

 

Brake pipes - I need to secure the flexible brake pipes somehow at each end, front and rear. How have other people done this? Also, the front flexis rub on the cycle wing brackets when steering straight ahead.

 

Sharp edges - the favorite!! The front suspension locking bolts (if you contact those with your head, surely you're pretty screwed whether they're sharp or not!!), and the top balljoints have been flagged up. Any ideas?

 

APart from that, its just a few loose wires and nuts need replacing with nylocks.

 

Also, has anyone got any ideas how I can get the damn car there (gillingham from Caterham). Last time, I had to get my dad to tow me there in the morning and home again in the evening (legally a bit grey...), as the insurance company told mer the day before that they weren't going to cover a car only on the VIN number. Being only 19 at the time (now 20), other companies were quite expensive...

 

Need to also fix the sump which has a dirty great hole in it from when a friend and I thought it would be a good idea to take the car for a drive. Will probably also shorten it at the same time......

 

Any ideas would be great

Cheers

Ben

[Guest mkeats02]

hi

 

weld the nipple on to the handbrake cable, i did that and it doesn't move, and my dad has a bad habbit of pulling the handbrake on real tight, its still with holds.

 

You need some nut covers for your bolts, they are not too expensive, try tifosi - http://www.tifosi-devon.co.uk/

 

Mike

[Guest paul thompson]

I soldered the nipple on the end with electrical solder. Took ages to run, but it did work. after clamping it in the vice that is. I used coil over shocks on the rears and recyled the unused shock brackets as a mounting bracket for the end of the rear flexis. Other end is catered for by Henry) and the fronts I drilled a suitable sized hole in the infill panel and used a spreader washer and clamp nut to lock in place.

[will]

I've a feeling you may have to go to Sittingbourne (don't quote me on that!) to get it tested as the last time I passed the Gillingham test centre it had been flattened to the ground!! (last weekend)

 

I think it's being rebuilt and may be finished sometime next year.

 

 

Will

[Guest chris brown]

Don’t alter the length by moving the nipple cut the cable in half and pass cut ends through the bellcrank and fasten them together using two or three cable clamps the type that look like a very tiny exhaust clamp available in B&Q etc or any boat yard.

[Guest chris brown]

And fitted

[Guest gordon_macnab]

Chris,

 

I wouldn't recommend using clamps, I tried it myself and it was crap, after a few decent pulls the cable just slipped, there is a lot of force applied when you pull on the handbrake.

 

Gordon

[Guest chris brown]

Gordon

There are 4 clamps used and is probably the strongest part of the system, it is used by several of us and I have not herd of anyone having a problem. In fact on my SVA the tester commented on how good and simple it was I believe many more people have had nipples pull off which is much worse than having a clamp slip a little, at least you would still have a brake albeit a longer pull on the lever and very easy to fix just tighten them tight and they will never slip.

[Les Welsher]

I done the same as Chris, cut the cable (you can shorten it to any length you want) then put both ends around the moon shaped thingy. A few cable clamps each side and bobs your uncle, it won't budge.

 

Les

[Longboarder]

I have not herd of anyone having a problem

Nice one Chris. Funny that. I herd (sic) of one just a couple of posts ago. Gordon Macnab I think it was.

 

Nigel

[Guest peter2b2002]

Did my hand brake cable the same cut in half then use 2 cable clamps each side used for the last 6 months still OK, for the front suspension nuts, track rod ends and for the bottom of the coil overs i used a 2" wide piece of inner tube wound arround the nut/ thread two or three times, on the last turn spread some super glue and pulled tight, SVA loved it.

pete2b

[Guest chris brown]

Thank you Nigel I did mean anyone other than Gordon and I suspect he didnt do it the same as Les or me as I cant see how it could slip

 

Chris

[Guest Ben Salt]

All very well people, but having cut the end off my cable, is now a bit late!!!

Nobody got any ideas on the other items?

Cheers

Ben

[Longboarder]

Cut the end of my cable like Mike and welded a bit of drilled bar/nipple back on. Took three or four shots to get it right. Been on for four years.

Sounds like your flexi's may be a bit long. Have not come across a midpipe fixing before. They are usualy left unsupported and angle of the dangle altered by rotating the inboard pipe mounting.

I hired a trailer for my SVA because the weather had been terrible for days and it was a 140 mile round trip. Can't you get dad to drive it on his tin top insurance and you drive backup. Failing that trailer or dolly it. Towing is very dubious.

Nut covers from Tifosi.

 

Nigel

[Guest chris brown]

Ben you have a PM