3, Rolling Chassis Build

So on with the Chassis build - the instructions for this bit aren't too bad, the additional photos and details given as a separate document (on the CD) are invaluable.  The main instruction manual is not very detailed and for older parts than I have so, pretty much, didn't refer to this at all.

First was the front end and suspension and setting the castor angles - this was frankly nightmare.  Stupidly I initially had the piece of paper with the angles printed just held up - this was impossible so then stuck it to a piece of wood to make a semi-decent gauge.  I really struggled to get the correct settings as stated in the manual but  got a close as I could and at least they were both the same.  Moving washers around isn't very precise so adjusting by a degree here or there is not exactly very easy.

I visited the cobra forum a few times WWW.COBRACLUB.COM and read a few posts about the difficulties of others.

You have to screw in an M6 set screw into the stub axle and another full of M6 washers - the gauge then rests aginst the two - this seemed very odd - why the washers?  but after a lot of searching seemingly this is just to generate the correct 'surface' to gauge the angle from - needless to say I did the best I could and then thought " thats will do"  if its wrong, ill sort it later!

The first mistake I made was tightening the bolts not the ball joints too tight, and yes, snapped the head off...What an idiot!

This then took hours to get it out -  two heads snapped in the end as I tightened them all up before I realised, why do one when you can do two!  

I ended up stripping both stub axles down and removing them from the wishbones to get access - just what I wanted to do after JUT BUILDING THE BLOODY THINGS UP!!!!!

Anyway one came out with only a medium amount of pain - cutting a slot into the head and screwing it out......of course this didn't work with the second - why would it!!!  This proved a right bugger to the point where it ended in throwing the tools around the garage and having a hissy fit......eventually I managed to drill out the centre and coax the ruddy thing out.  Of course all bolts were thrown away and new ones put in......pah - but its over at least!

Power steering rack added - simple enough - I did the measurement, 75 inches from memory, as stated in the manual and the steering looks a little 'on the wonk' but this can all be set properly when the weight is on the car.....it will do for now...

Rear hubs fitted (these all came part of my kit as I couldn't be bothered with the reconditioning - good decision!!!) no real issues all went together pretty easily.  A little filing of some of the welds was required to clear the top of the shocks but that was all.

The diff does slope backwards - initially I thought I had done this wrong but after looking a other pics on the web and every other part such as the differential tie-bars all fitting it must be right!

Hand brake cables fitted through the chassis bracket - the top hat shaped ends in the hubs do fall out but they are basically held in when the cables are under tension and will also be zip tied in as stated in the build manual.

So its now starting to look a little more like a car - now on to assembling the brake callipers discs etc...

So the manual states - Lock Wire the bolts...I thought "sounds simple".......I was WRONG!

The actual wiring (I bought some lick wire pliers) was very straight forward, after a not perfect first go the second (shown below) was pretty good.  The bit you can't tell is the three days it took to drill the frikkin bolts!  this was ridiculous - the bolts are 8.8 so not easy to drill and drilling freehand through such a narrow surface was very difficult.

I also lost three bolts by snapping off the drills inside - about six BLOODY times!  So after new bolts ordered and received and eventually managed to drill them all - slow drill, good drill bits and WD40 were my friends!

So here is one of the front assys all done - brake flexi added.

 And here we are the front end all built up - ahhhh!

So on to the rear hubs discs etc - here is it pretty much done......but did it all go smoothly? NO!

So just as I was to put the brake disc on - well this was the problem, it wouldn't go on!  WTF???!!

Then after a bit of head scratching I realised that one of the studs was bent!  Bugger! So quick call to Jon at AK he said they were removable  - just by knocking them out - and that he would send me a new one.  So a few days went by and none had arrived, I think they forgot as a banjo had arrived for the rear callipers as mine were a different thread to those provided by AK.  So my patience ran out and £16 later form a jag spares web site I had some on order - through they came the next day.

I then realised after some web research, a common occurrence on my build!, I realised that they don't just push out they are threaded and peened over at the end.  I ground the end off and ground some flats onto the shaft and screwed them out.  The front ones push out so I think Jon thought it was an issue on the front wheel - luckily I realised after hitting it 'gently' a few times! ; )

A bit more lock wiring (and MORE bloody bolt heads to drill - jesus I hate doing this).

And on go the wheels - this felt good as it rolls for the first time - with a good old push!

I also found some of the cuts had knackered threads so a few new ones were also ordered - the post man must be getting well pi$$ed off with me by now!