Keeping the oldies going
Page 56
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NHEN vehicles have only tbout one year of useful life in hem, it becomes a question of ceeping them going with as ittle expenditure as possible, once safety requirements have been satisfied.
It is worth remembering that &hough the MoT examiners nsist on good enginering pracice, they do not insist on the eplacement of all worn or larnaged components by new )nes—they will accept sensible epairs, or the use of good, used quipment.
Since the aim is to keep costs lown, it is best to. work on !Id vehicles only during normal [ours; overtime is not justified.
On these old vehicles, inevitbly, you will find elongated hassis holes, slack shackle ins, and similar symptoms of hard life. Quite likely, the ales in the shackle brackets also be worn oval, but ven so, you don't need to buy ew brackets. The holes in the hassis and in the bracket can asily be put right by enlarging hem and fitting larger bolts, ut this is pointless if the hackle pin holes are worn xcessively.
So, first inspect the shackle in, the holes and the pinchalt. Quite often, the pin is loppy only because the pinchalt cannot be tightened proerly; if this is the case, the ap should be cleared out, the olt cleaned, and the chances are that all is well. On the other hand, if the pin has become so sloppy that the hole has worn badly, it is best to fit a new bracket. But if one is not available then boring out may be the solution.
The use of larger fitted bolts can be used at chassis member fixings, engine and gearbox mountings, and other brackets. If the brackets are cracked, some judicious welding can put this right. With this practice, and the aid of scrap metal to build up a bracket here and there, new life can be put into an old chassis.
Damaged mudguards can be a problem, since it is hardly worth fitting new ones. Rather than weld them up, fit flexible flaps at the rear—as on trailers —with a steadying stay behind them. Fit a metal sheet above the wheel on the body, to prevent the load getting wet.
Quite frequently, the nuts on the differential housing are slack, but don't just tighten them up. Instead, remove the housing, and check if a few of the gtuds are slack. If a thread has been damaged, then a thread •insert, such as the Armstrong Helicoil should be installed.
Sagged or cracked crossbearers can cause difficulties, and attract the attention of the police if they allow the body to twist when laden, and yet they can be renewed fairly easily. The body should be jacked up so that it is level, and then additional members can be fitted alongside the old ones, so long as you do not add too much weight.
With all these jobs, get a fair idea of the real costs— including labour and overheads —before work [is started. With many of the smaller parts, a spare can work out cheaper than a reworked old one. In any event, if the workshop team goes steadily through the vehicle, one day a week, they will soon bring the most neglected trucks up to scratch.