12 replies to this topic

[robbo]

as title, any ideas about how to get it to bite? no matter how much screwing i do it just does not want to engauge in the cone. my cars 82 and do i presume im still metric? would have also they would have been replaced in the last 24 years aswell! help ive tried everything i can think of.

[AlexM]

one of mine was very stiff.

If possible try cleaning the threads in the cone with a long wire brush or try some WD40. I forced mine, as long as it goes a few turns in it should be ok for compression.

Edited by summergnu, 20 September 2006 - 04:44 PM.

[robbo]

cant even get it to start threading. need some ideas guys pls help!

[THE ANORAK]

the mini spares catalogue says the metric cones were introduced in in 1974-76, so you should be metric but then someone may have put some old stock ones in ??? unlikely, but don't rule it out.

check the thread on the tool is not damaged.
it will be a lot harder to check the cone but it may be damaged as well.

i don't know for sure but i think you need more than a couple of turns on the tool to be safe, i'm sure i heard somewhere you should give at least 7 turns, i may be wrong. there is a lot of pressure on the tool when the cone is compressed (seen a couple of tools break before).

[Brooky]

i had the same prob,took me ages but i just wiggled it and kept screwing it and i got it in the end

[lew]

smash the aly trumpets if your replacing them i did that to put the hi los in

[robbo]

and how do u go about smashing the alloy trumpets if all else fails?

[minipip]

with a BFH?

[bert998]

with a BFH?

and a chisel

[dklawson]

As stated... should be metric. There is a chance that the threads are full of rust and debris.

If you are good at improvising...
Go to whatever source you'd use in the U.K. and get an M14x2 taper or plug tap. Measure the shank diameter of the tap. Find a piece of metal tubing that is small enough to pass down into the access bulkhead hole to the top of the cone but has an ID that will fit nicely over the shank of the tap. Weld or otherwise attach the tap to the tube (set screw, crimp, etc). In effect, you're using the tubing as an extension to the tap. This will allow you to use the tap to chase the threads in the cone and clean them out.

[dougie_10 :D]

When I did myn a couple of weeks ago it was a case of cleaning out threads wd40 everything i could see in there and keep trying and eventually it happened.

As said earlier if all else fails smash the aly trumpets

[robbo]

how do u get dwn there to clean the threads out? also the new knuckes i have bought have a slight smearing of red stuff on em, is this ok or do i need to grease the babys up?

[dklawson]

OK... so you don't want to make a tap extension to chase the threads. Go buy a length of M14x2 threaded steel rod. Take a hacksaw and cut several axial slots/grooves at one end of the rod. Put two nuts on the other end of the rod and tighten them together. Insert this makeshift thread cleaner into the top of the cone and use a wrench on the top nut to screw it in. Use a wrench on the bottom nut to back it back out. If the threads are rusty... no amount of WD40 or similar will help.

You must grease the new knuckles (inside cup and outside of ball) when you install them. Without grease the ball will work through the nylon and rub on the arm very quickly.