Clay’s Wedgewood Blue FB Ute

[Errol62]

Time for wheel alignment. I didn't take much notice of how shims came out but used them all up with bit of bias to increasing caster. Proper alignment will be my first outing.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[mph]

Nice updates mate on the front end im also at this stage aswell, i just went and measured my sill clearance at 145mm so your 200mm can come down a little more .I like that sway bar set up looks like a nice install. do the utes suffer more body roll than the others.
If you lower the rear down a tad more you can use the bumpstops as sway bars

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[Errol62]

I don't think utes have more body roll Clint. They all have too much. I will see how it goes and can always remove or go to a bar with longer arms for less resistance. I have one here. Just need to relocate body mounts.

Wound up replacing everything except the inner pivot pins. They looked too hard to get out and using the new bushes they were nice and tight. Everything fitted and torqued up okay. My flash new torque wrench doesn't go as low as 10 ft lb for the upper balljoint nuts. In reality lower ball joint and upper inner pivots are the main wear items. Couple of grease nipples seem to have gone walkabout. I had four straight ones for bottom joints and front lower inners. I have 6 angles left but eight holes to fill. Pretty sure the upper ball joints, upper inner pivots bushes, front and rear, and the rear lower inner pivots are all angles.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[Errol62]

The paint on the crossmember was a bit light on and didn't have much chance to dry. I will have to get another tin and touch up with a brush after instal and before engine goes in. $60 A 500ml tin and this will be my third. Also engine bay could do with a touch up in places. May have to get some more clinker grey. Then I'll drop brake fluid on it again. May be I can do brakes before engine goes in. Then paint bay.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[Errol62]

Going back through my photos I see the front upper inner pivots had straight nipples.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Errol62]

I thought I was all over this HR front crossmember conversion, having done it previously in about 1986. I pulled this crossmember out of my sedan and thought it would go straight in the ute. Seems that th ed lower mounting rubbers are different to FB EK. I must have used the old HR ones when I put stock member back in the sedan to get it rolling and oslm off to gledge. Note to self, never sell anything! I seem to recall seeing a conversion kit with FB upper and HR lower rubbers. Will have a Google.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[Brett027]

Good that you are doing this Clay - handy info for my upcoming ute with HR front and HR rear axle. You problem solve and I'll reap the rewards. Good on ya mate.

[Errol62]

I’ve got another crossmember to have a look at but it is deep in the pile. Rares have the hr kit locally so may just grab one.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Errol62]

Dug deep in the heap and turned these up.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[Errol62]

Ok now I'm really confusing myself. Found the four originals that popped out of the ute with original crossmember and they fit just right. This is as I recall from 1986. Threads on the original bolts appear just long enough to work without the bottom rubbers.

So I'm pretty well set now that I use all original mounting hardware minus bottom rubbers. Full stop. Phew.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[FireKraka]

Clay do yourself a favour and just buy new, I don't know what those first rubbers are they don't look right and I think it has been said before that the crush pieces are different lengths for EK to HR I think I had to cut mine down so the bolts would do up properly, buy a HR set I think it is.
Neil

[FireKraka]

Clay do yourself a favour and just buy new, I don't know what those first rubbers are they don't look right and I think it has been said before that the crush pieces are different lengths for EK to HR I think I had to cut mine down so the bolts would do up properly, buy a HR set I think it is.
Neil

[Blacky]

Rates sell a kit for HR front into FB/ek , has a mix of both rubbers so you get the ones you need to do the job properly

[Errol62]

Thanks for the advice fellas. That kit is just the FB EK bits minus the bottom bits and that is the only difference. Got all the parts I need now and no need to buy new. I used the original stuff last time and worked fine for 100,000 miles in my sedan. The rubbers are all good as new. The long tubes are correct length and the bottom ones get deleted along with the bottom rubbers.

FB ute driver, EK van project

[gpi]

Clay do yourself a favour and just buy new, I don't know what those first rubbers are they don't look right and I think it has been said before that the crush pieces are different lengths for EK to HR I think I had to cut mine down so the bolts would do up properly, buy a HR set I think it is.
Neil

re crush tubes - long ones at the back and the short ones at the front

HR Rob should be able to confirm