Technical Front stub axle reconditioning

[jonny427]

Me again! Man am I wearing out my keyboard on this forum. Next question does anyone know a reputable company who will recondition the front hub assembly? I have been it touch with AutoBella and Ricambio they are too busy, but have new ones.

Regards Jon

 

[the hobbler]

Me again! Man am I wearing out my keyboard on this forum. Next question does anyone know a reputable company who will recondition the front hub assembly? I have been it touch with AutoBella and Ricambio they are too busy, but have new ones.

Regards Jon

Hi Jon;
To recondition front king-pin assemblies CORRECTLY is not a cheap job. For a start, a lot of the 'pattern' bushes are steel, NOT Phospher-bronze, and secondly, to do it properly one needs a LOOOONG, adjustable reaming tool.This is so that the top and bottom bushes are reamed-out in line with each other. If a normal-length reamer is used, that situation is not possible (I know, I have done the job a large number of times, with the correct tool, when I worked at a Fiat garage). It is also sensible to have a 2nd grease nipple fitted, so that BOTH of the bushes get properly lubricated. I wish I got a fiver for everyone that I have stripped down and found that the grease has NOT got into both bushes. Sadly also, most "over-haulers" do NOT remove the bottom core-plug correctly---they just whack them out with the king-pin WITHOUT pre-drilling them so that they can collapse as they come out, leaving the bottom of the king-pin housing undamaged---just wacking them out invariably breaks the (old) casting, which makes it difficult to reseal the bottom of the king-pin housing with the new (supplied in kit) core-plug. Done properly with the proper bushes, they willlast a long time,especially if the 2nd grease-nipple is fitted and they are greased REGULARLY! If you would like to contact me directly ( [email protected] ), I can put you in touch with somebody who CAN get them re-bushed correctly.

 

[Toshi 975]

Have you considered what brakes and wheels you intend to run on your finished project as this can determine what stub axles you will need?

 

[jonny427]

Hi Dave I have, after speaking with Tristan he did mention using the 126 hubs etc, I have been chatting with a guy called Kelvyne who recommended staying with drum brakes, and not converting to rack and pinion steering. Plenty to think about.

Regards Jon

 

[the hobbler]

Hi Dave I have, after speaking with Tristan he did mention using the 126 hubs etc, I have been chatting with a guy called Kelvyne who recommended staying with drum brakes, and not converting to rack and pinion steering. Plenty to think about.

Regards Jon

Kelvyne is very experienced, and I agree with him. If the original wheels and tyres are retained, disc brakes can be a liability. I have 5-1/2 x 13 inch wheels on my 500, fitted with 165 x 55 tyres and if I really stand on the brakes (disc at the front) I can lock them IN THE DRY! Image having that sort of braking ability in the wet with much narrower tyres---they would become dangerous. Unless one has a fairly well tuned engine which is used to it's fullest, properly set-up, the Fiat drum brakes do a perfectly adequate job.
With regard to fitting "rack and Pinion" steering----this can be quite an expensive job, and is definitely NOT a "take off one lot of parts, pop the new ones on" sort of job. A certain amount of welding (by a very competent person) is required as well that once you have cut the steering column (which you have to do) you are definitely committed! If you have a RHD car, a rack for these cars are difficult to find---I am also led to believe that, due to the layout of the pedals, a LHD car has slightly more space between the pedals, although I can't confirm this detail. Unless you are dead-set on having R 'n P steering, I would settle for an overhauled 'standard' steering box.

 

[JumpJet]

As someone who just did the R&P conversion... it's amazing. Night and day difference on the car. Steering is so consistent and zero-effort now. I highly recommend it, but it is not a simple 1-for-1 swap as Tom highlighted.