18. We were pleasantly surprised...
18. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the calipers had new stainless pistons and seals, along with brand new brake pads.
Next, we shifted our attention to the front of the car. Many of the front suspension components were quite rusty. After a thorough visual inspection, everything looked okay. The ball joints were in pretty rough shape, but we planned on replacing them anyway. We removed every component on the front clip, and once we figure out our setup, all of the reusable components will be sandblasted and painted before being reinstalled.
With the front stripped, we moved to the rear. It didn’t take long to pull the rearend out of the car, as truck arms are a very simple design. With the Tiger quick-change rear out of the car, we began pulling it apart. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, we were very pleasantly surprised to find everything in the rear was brand new. The gears, axles, and fluid looked like they had no time on them, despite the housing’s rough condition.
19. The rear brakes looked worse than the front. The entire rearend was a concern for us.
Ripping apart a car you just bought may seem counter productive, but it really isn’t
20. When we pulled it apart...
20. When we pulled it apart we were again pleasantly surprised with what we found. The axles were brand-new, even down to the grease on the splined end you see here.
Next was the AP Racing brakes. The six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers looked rough, and we didn’t know what kind of shape they were in. We found some JGR part numbers on them, so we know where they came from. But not knowing how old they are, or what kind of abuse they’ve taken is a little unnerving. Again, we were very pleasantly surprised to find that the calipers had new stainless pistons and seals, along with brand new brake pads. The rotors were a little rusty, but that’s from sitting in a humid environment. We are, after all, in Florida.
There are a few more parts to strip off, but it’s nothing more than unbolting some parts. The point of it is to inspect everything and find the weak links before they create a problem. In the coming months we are going to strip and completely rewire the car, and replumb the brakes, oiling, fuel, and cooling systems. It sounds like a lot, but we aren’t far from a little paint and the beginning of reassembly. Before you know it, we’ll be turning laps, perfecting the setup, and hopefully winning some races!
21.0 The rearend itself was rough looking.
21.5 The gear cover was...
21.5 The gear cover was leaking, which is never a good sign.
22.0 Again, we were extremely...
22.0 Again, we were extremely surprised...
22.5 ...to find all new components...
22.5 ...to find all new components when we opened it up.
23. Even the bearings in the cover were new.