and the second one:
Yeah, the little grease monkey got back to work today, and he was able to get a lot done - so im really happy with today's progress. but i'll let the pictures talk:
1) Removed the rack & Pinion top rubber seal and the lower grease reservoir stuff:

next i removed both grease reservoir drain plugs:

then the two spring-rings that hold a little bearing down:

and ended up like this, beacuse i wasn't able to get the both end-links off #@ç#!"*ç%


2) Second i started with the moustache bar bushings. Before:

Burning:

And both sides removed


3) Step three on today's 2do-list was the most difficult stuff, because i've never done anything like this before. but thanks to Alex from the http://dirtys30.blogspot.com/ Blog's tips it was quite easy! Thanks mate
Hammered out the stub axles with a copper hammer (a brass hammer was recommanded, but none of my tool shops had one. but copper is also soft and worked fine with no damage on the threads). after a few hard hits the stub axles came out fine:

then i took away those drumbrake inner shields:

next i removed the inner rubber seal (was the most difficult task, but worked fine with a tube-plier (what we call it here ):

So that's what you can see now:
Inner wheel bearing (underneath that rubber seal, view from other side):

And the outer wheel bearing (on the stub axles):

Used one of those cut-apart spindle pins to hammer the inner bearing out, worked really well

Out it is:

and that's how i ended up after 2,5 hours work. not bad i think. despite the fact i have no idea what im doing here and never have done anything like this before

Today i started with something simple:
1) Disassembled the part that is called "Link mount brace" in the service manual:
Before:


After:


2) A few days ago i bought this Bearing removal kit (Trennmesser-satz in german) on a local online auction platform for about 100$ so i had to try it (Oh and also bought some cleaning pads i will use soon..)


Set up:


Installed:


And... tadaaaa: Both rear outer wheel bearings removed - Great tool!!


3) Now decided to remove the front inner wheel bearings.. Before:


removed the rubber seal (simplest way is to cut it appart with a wire-cutting-plier)


take out the bearing then:


I left the bearing races in there for now, will do that later... and how it looks after when that ton of grease is removed:


4) removed both rear axles (whas quite a bit of a task because those nuts where REALLY stuck)


5) continued with the rack and pinion assambly. loosened the lock-nut and removed the ball joints (not sure if these spot-welds are factory made - anyone knows this??)


figured out the steering rack base was broken at where the rubber bushings are mounted:


And that's how i ended up today:


Now i don't want to take too much more apart otherwise i loose the overwiew over all those parts. so i made a big order at MSA a few days ago and also still waitingi for some parts from japan. still have to decide about the suspension setup but i'll try to refurbish and assemble all the parts im sure they will be used again as soon as possible. so i can store the parts ready for install when needed - still need to collect a few parts.

Spent about an hour with my Dremel-tool today. Bought a set of different whire-wheels and wanted to clean up the outer bushing shells at the moustache bar and the rear suspension arm bars.. Worked pretty well, but still needs some work...
before and after:


.. because these old rubber stuff inside the shells kept killing the different wheels in no time:


Will complete this work before inserting the new bushings.
Ordered a lot of stuff these days for my suspension / footworks rebuild.. so more News soon again

the spot weld on your steering arm doesnt look factory, maybe someone welded that extra ring there for more steering lock?

_________________
Japanseklassiekers!

1970 C30 Laurel
1972 240Z
1973 610 Wagon
1977 260Z
1995 Micra
1999 200SX

It's a factory weld.

Thanks my friend it's what i thought too, but wasn't too sure. but now i know - your knowledge about zed's amazes my everytime

if its factory weld on an extra ring!

_________________
Japanseklassiekers!

1970 C30 Laurel
1972 240Z
1973 610 Wagon
1977 260Z
1995 Micra
1999 200SX

Got a little package from Japan at my door today. this time it was some soon-to-be-rare (because out of production since a few months) adjustable tie rod endlinks by http://www.nagisa-auto.com/ in Japan. Top quality stuff! looks and feels great
Top: old genuine Nissan end-links// Lower: New adjustable NAMS links

thanks for the link mate! have to check it out! he also has some other stuff i need! thanks a lot for the link!

Got a few tasks completed here and there today, so finally it feels like im ready for a suspension rebuild now. just waiting for a truckload of parts and soon i'll get many of these parts to the sandblasting and powdercoating company
1) Took the trusty cut-apart spindle pin as driver and hammered the bearing races out:


outer bearing races removed:


and the inner one too:


And a family photo


As you can see those races have some wear and it was kinda good idea to replace the bearings and races:


2) continued with the rack and pinion assembly: Tried a few things but then figured out the most easy way to remove the pinion is just to mount the steering link back to the pinion and pull it out:


So here we have the rack and pinion stuff disassembled - DONE

nice to see you are pushing your project like that,go on!!you have received some nice parts .its time to continue on my car,in the new workshop:-)

Thanks stev, allways checking your thread for updates
---------
Damn, those guys at MSA / Zcarparts are really fast. Ordered last friday in canada and today the package allready arrived here in switzerland - great
So this is what i got today, more parts are ordered, so hopefully i'll get more parts delivered soon:


Delivery includes:
2x Spindle Pins
2x Spindle Pin lock bolt
2x Wheel bearing lock nut
2x Ball Joints (Japanese aftermarket) + Lock nuts and pins
8x Wheel bearings + bearing races
4x Wheel bearing rubber seals

Canada? You meant California, didn’t you?

_________________
1973 euro 240Z

I see the shop is located in California, but the parts where shipped from canada. weird. but who cares. service is great and shipping fast

1) Today i decided it's time to check what's really wrong with my Z and if it's possible to get it back to original condition. now i'd like to show you a little comparison between original Z and my car:
Rear end on my car:


Now compared to another (rusty) Z i found on the internet:

- Blue: Top rear panel is missing as well on mine and in the picture above...
- Yellow: The hole for numberplate-lighting has been closed on mine..
- Green: the lower mounts for the Number-plate panel have been removed on mine:
- Pink: I've talked about it before: They welded in some other taillight-panels into the originals..

2) Now i got a new replica rear top panel a while ago:


as you can see also the lower mounts for the upper panel are missing on my z (pictures from the same rusty car as above..)


What's wrong else?
There has been a lot of Patchwork "rust hiding" in the front wheel housing as well as a lot of really ugly welds:


More wrong-ness? of course
I've been told by someone else that my rear fender wasn't "round"... took a closer look and - hell yeah! someone did a really bad job when fixing the codrivers side rear fender:


and finally - the floor pans:
Someone just welded in som flat metal pieces istead of replacing it with replica floorpans or anything like that:

On the left side (front) you can see the flat metal piece, while in the rear (right side, behind the seat rail mount) still the genuine floor panels seem to remain.. it seems like the original floor panel still remains underneath the flat piece in front. so i will need to cut it out first and see what's below.. argh!!
But at least i feel like it's not a big problem to get it back to genuine condition as no parts have really been destroyed or something..


2) decided to put in two new shelves into the garage, way cleaner and better organized now:


3) And while cleaning the garage i found a bag and wondered what was inside, and - haha - found a set of drumbrake-pads and springs from the Z i thought where missing - great

omg, dat car is a wreck, cant be saved..
ill pay you 200 euro's for it.




Did you still have the original taillights in it with that round holes?

_________________
Japanseklassiekers!

1970 C30 Laurel
1972 240Z
1973 610 Wagon
1977 260Z
1995 Micra
1999 200SX

1) no i don't have any taillights at all, so im looking for some

2) the rusty car is not mine, that's just a set of pictures from the internet for comparison

3) the problems on mine are not too big - cut the rear holes back out, add all those mounts and weld the top panel back in,
replace the floorpans, front inner fender and rear fender parts - done
of course there are small rust spots here and there but in summary it's not too bad at all, all "modifications" can be undone so no problem i think..

but will have to check it with the bodyshop still having problems finding a bodyshop who has time and knowledge.. but don't have a hurry so far..

I have seen repair panels for the rear fender at Petitjean's garage.
If I remember well, the rear fender on your car have a special shape, and the lip was wrongly welded to the inner fender panel if I remember well. Both panel should be folded together to form the lip and are spot welded together.

_________________
1973 euro 240Z

yeah it was you who told me the shape is weird - and you're right don't know what they did there before, but its a huge load of bondo inside the rear fender, so i believe there has been some try to restore it. will need to get it done right however

its always good to see this project alive and going well.
hope nothing getting in your way and finish it fast
keep the good work