*MAXXD* Clare's Rieger F40 Escort Cabriolet "BigCab"

[Spener]

Is Clare coming round to it yet, with the new added attention?

[Alanman]

There's still a few issues that need ironing out. The biggest problem is is she gets out of the 8 year old Civic and gets in a 26 year old Escort thats got no power steering, tram-lines, bangs and rattles. As of yesterday I've stopped the smell of oil, that was making her not like driving it. Its always been the same but she's now spoilt with the civic. lol.

Basically I think she's happy. She's not mentioned the chromes for a while so I think we're over that hurdle. lol

[Alanman]

Yesterday we had another ride in a recovery truck, well 2 actually. woop woop. On the way to the pod yet another bearing bit the dust. If it wasnt so funny we could get quite upset. lol



Okay, it's not expensive, a bearing is only £12 and only an hours work, but it's soooooo frustrating, and annoying. When its working and running I think it's the best car in the world, but when its sat at the side of the motorway waiting for the recovery truck I could quite easily see it burn where it sits.

We've got to a point where we're we dont know what to do now. Is is the wheels? Is it the bearing I'm buying? Is it me fitting them? So I called Nez at T.A.S for a bit of telephone councelling. Following a manly conversation about torque setting and temeratures of grease, it does look like I'm dogging them up too tight. Nez say the rears are suprisingly only finger tight, so they're are definately too tight. oops! The fronts [i]are[i/] tighter but maybe not as tight as I've been doing them. Neil advised bearing will, by design, get warm and expand, but how tight I do them there's no room to allow for this nateral expansion and they are simply getting too hot and burning themselves out. This will happen more on long runs and that seems to be when they give up so it all adds up.

This conversation will Nez and now knowing it could be ME at fault has weirdly made me feel better. I'm a dick but I do feel better about it. Its only took me 10 years to work this out. lol.

So new bearing to replace the latest casualty and a check on all the others is on the card for this week.

Hopefully we've sorted it out finally.

[Pyrotechnic]

(16-05-2011 12:27 PM)Alanman Wrote:  If it wasnt so funny we could get quite upset.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't actually burst out laughing when I spotted you parked up! That said, a part of me was a little gutted and really did hope you'd just stopped for some other reason and you were fine (I was going to stop at 15a and give you a ring but you beat me to it).

Loving the reg on the truck though, very apt

[Alanman]

I thought the reg was apt too. Not sure if it was on purpose or just a coincidence. lol

[Alanman]

New bearing purchased, £11.45. lol. Lets see if I can fit this one properly. I know we'll still have a car that eats bearing but maybe not quite so quickly.

If this does actually sort it, I'd even be happy and willing to change them all EVERY winter whether they needed it or not.

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I'm guna have some stickers made to show how many kills we've had. lol

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Oh yeah. The OTHER Rieger F40 kit we have WILL be on ebay shortly. I aint having two fuck cars we cant drive more than 100 miles. lol.

[Alanman]

Went for the MOT Saturday and all good, including the bearings so looking good for Belgium. I'm still taking a spare front and rear bearing but I recon we shouldnt need them #touch wood#

Just got to higher the rear a little to take the extra weight of the tent equipt. Hopefully will have time to lower it again when we're there (also if I can be bothered)

[olstar]

Looks mega on the ramps...

Nez told me about the MOT

Glad its all been/being sorted!!!!!!!

[Alanman]

Just to give you an idea how much bigger the wheels are and the current possition No wonder we have wheel bearing issues.

Green is standard (original) 14" XR3i alloy

Orange is the current rear 19" Image alloy

[Pyrotechnic]

Winner.

Do you know they're ET -40 or have you just lined up the inside edge?