Four wheel alignment etc.

[shanra]

Having had front upper control arms, front lower ball joints and front strut bushes replaced and rear suspension arms no.2 also replaced I decided on a four wheel alignment, so I went to Wheels-in-Motion to have it done having heard good things about them. Up on the ramps and find the rear is way out and the first bolt they try and undo breaks off so phone Lexus parts direct £460 for two rear suspension arms no.1 and associated bolts, nuts etc. Amayama £134.09 for arms and nuts, £27 for bolts and cam plates from Germany (Amayama stock arriving too late). Back on the train and back again to pick up (having sent the parts to Wheels-in-Motion) the car is much more stable and corners a lot better it has firmer feel to it which I think is down to the front bushes and one rear arm being substitute parts from a Toyota Century which would be a heavier car all round and the bushes are probably firmer. Found myself drifting up to 90 on the way back and feeling more solid on the road and cornering faster than usual. Drop links had been replaced recently and all roll bar bushes and steering rack bushes done about four years ago.

Had the cam belt, waterpump etc. also serpentine belt done on Monday and the mechanic said what a lovely old car it was and I said it's only just run in @ 217,000 miles! Bought the Aisin cam kit from Rockauto saving lumps of money. Having replaced the disc  brakes etc. and having the brake calipers refurbished again about four years ago along with dizzy caps, rotor arms, plugs and ignition wires and temperature sensor replaced recently I think I should be good for many moons to go. Just got to get under the car and treat with rust wax and .....

[Malc]

10 minutes ago, shanra said:

and the first bolt they try and undo breaks off

they should have been rather less hasty and used penetrating oil overnight or more ......  when I had a similar issue with a wheel alignment company they got the parts prices first THEN decide NOT TO FORCE the issue and wallah ! ....  next morning all undoes rather painlessly ...... and not expensively

Malc

[shanra]

I had sprayed it with various concoctions beforehand but I think the bolts and sleeve almost weld together.

[Malc]

3 minutes ago, shanra said:

I had sprayed it with various concoctions beforehand but I think the bolts and sleeve almost weld together.

as " professionals " they should have had  'ways and means '  methinks 

anyway, done now and you're happy with the outcome, that's all that really matters

Malc

[shanra]

Looking over the car I do notice that the laquer is peeling in a few places I had the roof resprayed because of this a couple of years ago!

[shanra]

2 minutes ago, Malc said:

as " professionals " they should have had  'ways and means '  methinks 

anyway, done now and you're happy with the outcome, that's all that really matters

Malc

I had to have the other rear arms cut out as well by another garage as nothing would budge them!

[Malc]

I don't really understand this lacquer peeling business you know !

Mine's done 232k miles, been outside for at least this past 10 yrs 100k miles and all lacquer coat is seemingly fine 

Is it that panels have been resprayed at some point causing this peeling I wonder ...  and mine is original paintwork maybe !

Malc

[royoftherovers]

10 minutes ago, Malc said:

I don't really understand this lacquer peeling business you know !

Mine's done 232k miles, been outside for at least this past 10 yrs 100k miles and all lacquer coat is seemingly fine 

Is it that panels have been resprayed at some point causing this peeling I wonder ...  and mine is original paintwork maybe !

Malc

Lacquer is peeling all over from my Merc Malc. 18 years old and Red Metallic.

I can`t see it from inside the car, so I don`t worry about it.

Lots of tales on Merc Forums about Lacquer peeling from Red Mercs!

[Spacewagon52]

A common issue with red metallic cars.

 

Flat red paint is even worse!

 

I would not buy, red, black or white cars.

[royoftherovers]

3 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

A common issue with red metallic cars.

 

Flat red paint is even worse!

 

I would not buy, red, black or white cars.

I blame it on being in the Spanish sun for 6 months in each of the last 15 years.

I see a lot of cars over there with lacquer peeling off.

[Dealkent]

8 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

A common issue with red metallic cars.

 

Flat red paint is even worse!

 

I would not buy, red, black or white cars.

I HAve just changed a Red car for a Black one !!!! 

[Dealkent]

8 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

I blame it on being in the Spanish sun for 6 months in each of the last 15 years.

I see a lot of cars over there with lacquer peeling off.

Yep , looks terrible. I am normally in Spain from November to March and see those cars with paint peeling off all the time. I try to park in shade when there’s , the underground car park is a nightmare to get in and out of , I had the 2 bashes on the IS 300 to prove it ! 

[Dealkent]

14 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Lacquer is peeling all over from my Merc Malc. 18 years old and Red Metallic.

I can`t see it from inside the car, so I don`t worry about it.

Lots of tales on Merc Forums about Lacquer peeling from Red Mercs!

Why Red cars more than any other colours ??? 

[royoftherovers]

Just now, Dealkent said:

Why Red cars more than any other colours ??? 

I don`t know Howard, but the paint experts have a theory.

[Spacewagon52]

Flat red paint fades to pink. There is no telling how quickly this will happen. I have seen older red cars that look immaculate. Spoke to a chap who had a Rover 200 and asked him if he kept it in a garage. He kept it outside and only washed it - no special wax. The make of car seems to make no difference. The pigments in red paint are susceptible to damage from sunlight. I had a lovely (!) red Mitsubishi Galant where the paint faded. I took it to a body shop to get a quote for polishing. The owner was very honest with me. He said that he could buff out the faded paint but unless I kept in the the garage AND did not take it out in sunlight it would fade again in about 3 months!

That and lack of aircon persuaded me to trade the car in. 

To be honest Howard, black does look fantastic but only when it is clean!

[steve2006]

I recently had my roof resprayed as over the years the lacquer had “crazed”. My paint shop guy said it looked like the car had been given a quick flash over probably before leaving Japan. Nice job done all smooth and shiny again.

[Malc]

I have noticed in the past Post Office vans, even quite recent one's, have gone a rather delicate shade of pink 

Malc

[shanra]

I have always thought my car was a dark green colour but on closer inspection I think it has a hint of red in it😂

[Phil xxkr]

15 minutes ago, Malc said:

I have noticed in the past Post Office vans, even quite recent one's, have gone a rather delicate shade of pink 

Malc

That's from all the Gaviscon the drivers take 🤣

[steve2006]

It’s got to be the paint, the change from cellulose to water based.

Just stick an oil painting (Lexus Painting by Numbers) and a water colour picture (An East View of Chatsworth House) out in the rain and see what happens.

Bring back Leyland “Harvest Gold” Allegros aren’t the same without it 😀

[shanra]

1 hour ago, steve2006 said:

It’s got to be the paint, the change from cellulose to water based.

Just stick an oil painting (Lexus Painting by Numbers) and a water colour picture (An East View of Chatsworth House) out in the rain and see what happens.

Bring back Leyland “Harvest Gold” Allegros aren’t the same without it 😀

I actually owned one of those many,many moons ago the colour was also known as 'Baby Poop Yellow'. I got into the wrong Aggro once and realised that one key could probably open them all, luckily nobody wanted to steal one!

[shanra]

One more thing both orders from Amayama I have had recently have gone straight through customs without any duty being applied.

[Razor61]

22 hours ago, shanra said:

I had sprayed it with various concoctions beforehand but I think the bolts and sleeve almost weld together.

I had the same issue with a front strut rod bush, the camber bolt becomes corroded inside the bush (which cover most of the bolt) and you cannot shift it no matter what you do using the normal diy home mechanic methods of plus gas/penetrating fluid etc. I spent hours under the car with a 10 ton hydraulic puller, bit by bit moving it until it came out but it bowed/bent the bracket. I put the new bushes in and tightening up pushed the bracket straight again but it took some doing. Then I discovered I could have taken the complete arm off with the bracket and worked on it on the bench and pressed it out!!!! .............................you live and learn.

[Malc]

2 hours ago, shanra said:

One more thing both orders from Amayama I have had recently have gone straight through customs without any duty being applied.

is this post Brexit rule changes I wonder !

Malc

[Razor61]

28 minutes ago, Malc said:

is this post Brexit rule changes I wonder !

Maybe but it’s always been dependant on the purchase price of goods without shipping costs, below a certain value there is nothing to pay and they just get delivered.