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    Ιn the 80s there was no google in order to find out how to do things. Hence as a young student I had to buy magazines that specialized in cars in order to be able to do small repairs. The technology shown in this booklet concerns car technology of the 70s and 80s

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    CAR FIX IT NO4

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    Ιn the 80s there was no google in order to find out how to do things. Hence as a young student I had to buy magazines that specialized in cars in order to be able to do small repairs. The technology shown in this booklet concerns car technology of the 70s and 80s

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    86 views44 pages

    Car Fix It No4

    Uploaded by

    matra simca
    Ιn the 80s there was no google in order to find out how to do things. Hence as a young student I had to buy magazines that specialized in cars in order to be able to do small repairs. The technology shown in this booklet concerns car technology of the 70s and 80s

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 44
    Fe er eo ee ad ARr FIXIT de et AIG 4 SERVICE YOUR DYNAMO ee 47a ADJUSTING DRUM BRAKES FITTING AN AERIAL 4 sem Nie SR eRe Gen Reece VOLUME 1 PART 4 CONTENTS at Adjustingdrum 121 brakes {WHAT'S WRONG?: When indicators 127 fail to flash (~LUHDERSTAND YOUR CAR How your 136 car is sprung Copies by post Our Subscription Department can supply your copie: directto you regularly at 6Sp each. For example, the co: of 26 issues 1s £16.90: for any other quantity simp! multiply the number of issues required by 65p. Thes¢ rates apply anywhere in the world Send your payment to: Subscription Department Marshall Cavendish Services Ltd, Newtown Road, Hove, Sussex, BN3 7DN Please state the title of the magazine and the issue with which you want to start. Please allow 28 days for you order to be processed Back numbers Copies of any weekly part of CAR FIX IT can be obtained ‘om these addresses at the regular cover price. UK and Rop. of Ireland — CAR FIX IT Back Numbers Dept AS, Marshall Cavendish Services Lid, Newtown Road, Hove, Sussex BN3 7DN Australia — back numbers are available from your nevisagent New Zealand newsagent South Africa — back numbers are available from any branch of Central News Agency Ltd. Incase of d please write to Republican Newsagency, 3] Height Street, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, enclosing a posta order for the cover price (please add sales tax) Malta — back numbers are available from your newsagent back numbers are available from your {EXIT YOURSEL- Keeping your 142 dynamo charging {CAR CARE: Fittinga 152 radio-cassette—2 Index CAR FIX IT is divided into four volumes. The last part, Part 72, will be a fully cross-referenced index to the whole publication. But to help you get the most from your growing collection, interim volume indexes will appear an the last part of e volume. Price guarante ‘The price of CAR FIX IT will remain unchanged through: out the series, unless there are changes in VAT. Note: We take great careto ensure thatthe informationin CAR FIX IT is accurate, But because cars vary in manu: facture, sometimes even from published specifications, we can accept no responsibility for loss or damage How to order your binder There are four binders each holding 18 parts UK & Rep. oflreland — send £2.95 + 50p postage and packing (IR&4.40) per binderto Car Fix It Binders, Dept 9007. Marshall Cavendish Services Lid Newtown Road, Hove, Sussex, BN3 7DN. Please allow 28 days for delivery Customer ServicesDept. - Brighton 725591 Australia — send your pay ment to Car Fix It Binders Gordon & Gotch Lid, P.O. Box 213, Alexandria, NSW Doornfontein, Johannes burg enclosing a postal order for each binder plus sales tax and 0c postage Melia — binders are avail able at your local news agent 2018 New Zealand — send your payment to Car Fix It Binders, Gordon & Gotch (NZ) Lid, P.O. Box 1598, Wellington South Africa — binders are available at any branch of Central News Agency. In case of chifficulty please write to Republican News Agency, 31 Height Street ©1984 Marshall Cavendish Lic. Typeset by Graphix Advertising Services, Chesham Close, Romford, Essex Printed in England by Waddington & Ledger Ltd, Dewsbury, Yorks T1 Adjusting drum brakes Adjusting drum brakes is easy — nothing needs to be taken apart. And it means you get peak performance from your brakes Most cars are fitted with dram brake shoes wear away, the brakes at least on the rear shoesmustbeadjusted tomove wheels and a few older cars nearer to the brake drum, or have drum brakes all round. else the brake pedal will have Drum brakes contain brake to bepushed furtherand further shoes which are lined withhigh to make the brakes work. friction material. When the Some brake shoes adjust brakes are applied the brake themselves automatically for shoes are pushed against the Wear but othertypesneed tobe inside ofa metal drumattached adjusted by hand. You should to the wheel. The friction check the adjustment of your between the shoes and the brake shoes, particularly if drum makes it hard for the _ braking performance is poor. wheel to tum and so slowsthe _Yourcar'smanual willtell you car down. whether your car has automatic When the linings of drum or manual adjusters. When to do this job If brake pedal needs to be pushed a long way If car pulls to one side under braking What this job involves Jacking and supporting car Adjusting brake shoes Related jobs in this handbook Adjusting handbrake Replacing brake shoes Replacing brake adjusters Please see Index for page numbers To do this job Tools: Brake adjusting tool (maybe); spanner (maybe); screwdriver (maybe); penetrating oil; jack; axle stands; wheel chocks Time: About an hour Degree of difficulty: Adjusters may be stiff to tum If you have the job professionally done. Do brakes bite when pedal is pushed only a short way? Does car pull up straight? Press the brake pedal firmly a few times to make sure the mechanisms are fully released, and then jack up the car and chock the wheels (see Fact File — Jacking the car, page 99), There is no need to remove the road wheel to adjust the brakes. If you are adjusting the rear brakes of the car, release the ‘Square headat adjuster li = KW 1. Typleal location of single brake adjuster © ( exagon headed adjuster ue \\ handbrake before you start work. Support the car on axle stands so that you can work under the car in safety. Most adjusters are found on the outside face of the brake backplate — pointing outwards under the car. The brake back: plate usually gets covered with dirt, so cleanit witha stiffbrush. FIND THEADJUSTERS You should now be able to see the brake adjuster. There may be one or two adjusters per wheel, though a single one is most commonly found. Be careful not to confuse a brake adjuster with a brake bleed nipple. You will be able to distinguish the bleed nipple by its nozzle-like tip with a hole in ‘brake bleed | nipple Ty \\ toothed wheel adjuster 2. Toothed wheel adjuster visible through slot Types of drum brake adjuster ‘Drum brakes have adjusters which move the brake shoes nearertothe drum to compensate for wear. Afteratime, the friction material ‘on the brake shoes wears Gown and so the surfaces of the brake shoes got further away from the drum surface with which they ‘make contact during braking. This ‘means that you have to press the brake pedal further to make the brakes work. ‘The different types of adjuster work:on the same principle. When the adjuster mechanism is ‘screwed up one way, it pushes the pait of brake shoes apart so that they move outward towards the drum. When unscrewed the oppo- site way, the shoos are drawn closer together, away trom the drum, either by aretum spring or by a direct link. brake drum brake adjuster 122 the end which sticksoutbeyond the head of its locking nut Brake adjusters can be diffi- cult to turn — because of their exposed position they are prone to seizing in place. So squirt a little penetrating oil around the base of the adjuster before starting work to help loosen them, If you discover that the ad- juster has a square or small hexagonal shaped head you will need to buy a brake adjust- ing tool to suit your car. This is a type of spanner and is available from most accessory shops. Do not try to substitute an ordinary spanner which isa slack fit. The force you may need to exert will round off the head flats and may make adjustment and removal extremely difficult. If no screw heads visible, look fora rubber plugin the backplate. If you find one, your car is fitted with a toothed wheel type of adjuster. Lever the plug out with a screw- driver and put your finger in the hole — you should be able to feel the toothed wheel inside. Ifno adjuster nor screw head sorke! type adwusting tool spanner type adjusting tool 3. Two common types of drum brake adjusting tool 4. Screw headed adjuster can be seen, look at the front of the wheel near the wheel nuts — you may have to remove wheel trim as described in your hand- book. Look for a hole that goes through the wheel and drum. If you find one look closely and turn the wheel slowly. In one or two positions, depending whe ther one or two adjusters are fitted, you will see a screw head line up with the hole. This is the adjuster head. You may need to shine a torch into the hole to see the adjuster head through the wheel end drum. brake shoe wedge adjuster Panehangans The adjuster mechanism is inside the brake drum, but adjust. ment Is usually made externally, elther by tuming the protruding square or hexagon head of the adjuster, by turning a screw or by turning 'a toothed wheel. This snail cam adjuster involves using either a spanner, brake adjuster tool, or screwdriver depending on the type. Some adjusters have a notched screw mechanism which you can feel clicking when the adjuster is tumed. This helps you to make an equal adjustment on all wheels to ensure that the balanced The three types of adjuster In ‘common use are the wedge ad- juster, the snail cam type and the toothed wheel adjuster. 123 STEP 2 Check that the jacked-up road wheel turns freely by hand. There will be a little resistance to turning on the driven wheels, for example the rear wheels ofa rear wheel drive car, but you should be able to turn the wheel smoothly and without much effort. Ifthe wheel is stiffor if the wheel tums in a series of jerks, the brake shoes may be rub bing against the brake drum, In this case, you need to adjust the brake shoes away from the brake drum so that the wheel can tum freely. If one brake is rubbing you may have noticed that the car pulls to one side when you use the brakes or that one wheel gets hot STEP 3 The technique for adjusting screw head adjusters and those with square and hexagon heads is basically the same. Use the screwdriver, brake adjusting too! or spanner to turn the adjuster until you feel it sud. denly get harder to turn. If you have to turn the adjuster more than about half a turn you are 1.Squirting penetrating oll on adjuster 124° probably turning it the wrong way — causing the shoes to move away from the drum in stead of closer. When the adjuster gets diffi cult to turn, try toturn the wheel. The wheel should be locked. Tum the adjuster in the opposite direction until you can turn the wheel without it rubbing against rubbing the brake shoes. Make anote of how many turns or clicks the adjuster is backed off from the drum. Ifthere are two adjusters on the same wheel leave the other at this stage. If there is only one brake adjuster this brake is now properly adjusted and it is time to go on to the opposite wheel 2. Using tool fo turn brake adjuster ALTERNATIVE 3 ADJUST ONE BRAKE (TOOTHED WHEEL) Turning screw headed brake adjuster 3, Wheel locked by shoes pressed against drum 128 STEP 4 When you have adjusted one brake, you must make sure the brakes are balanced. This means making sure that you make an even amount of adjust- ment on each of your drum brakes, sothatone doesnotarip the drum before the other and cause the car to pull to one side. This is done by backing off the adjusters on the remaining brakes by exactly the same amount as the first one. If there are two adjusters on the same wheel, now is the time to adjust the second one then move on to the other brakes. Adjust these in the same way as the first When you have adjusted all the brakes it is worth making a STEP 5 ‘When you have finished adjust- ing the brakes, take the car out on to the road to check your work. Ifthe brakes are properly adjusted, they should pull the car up ina straight line Find a reasonably straight stretch of road that is free of traffic. Make sure that the road is level or else the car may try to mun down the camber away from the centre of the road. Drivethecarat about 20mph(30 kph) and gently relax your grip on the steering wheel until you are just using light finger 126 adiuster head adjuster head 1, Some designs of drum brake have two adjusters on each whee! final check before removing the axle stands. Press the brake pedal firmly a couple of times to settle the shoes in the drum. Now check that the adjustment is still correct by repeating the pressure to guide the car. You will now be able to tell whether the car runs straight or whether it tends to pull to one side. This will tell youifone of your brakes is binding. If the car runs straight, apply the footbrake, gently at first, and see whether the car pulls to one side. If the car stops in a straight line, the brakes are correcily adjusted Ifthe brakes are not properly balanced and the shoes on one brake are making contact with the brake drum slightly before the other brake takes effect, the 1. If the brakes have not been correctly balanced the car may pull to one side under braking procedure — turn the adjuster until the wheel locks and then slacken it until the wheel can turn freely, again noting that you turn back all the adjusters the same number of turns. car will try to pull to one side when you put on the brakes. If the caf tends to pull to the left when you use the brakes, it could mean that the brake shoes on the right side of the car are too far away from the drum so that the brake on the left side does more than its fair share of the braking. If you find that this is the case, you may need to tighten the ‘adjustment on the right brake (see Step 4) Alternatively, the problem may be due to the left side brake coming on early — see Step 3 When indicators fail to flash Have your indicator lights stopped flashing or do they flash at the wrong speed? If so, a few simple checks using the minimum of tools will soon pinpoint the fault Indicator lights which fail to work properly are annoying as well as being illegal and potentially dangerou: Solving indicator faults is, however, one of the easiest electrical jobs you can do on the car, so do not be afraid to tackle the ropair yourself — ren if you have little or no experience of this kind of work — you only need patience. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort when you are faulifinding simply by making a careful visual check first and identifying the fault accurately Ifonly one indicator bulb isnot working, you know that the fuse. the switch and the flasher unit are all sound, The fault must, there- fore, lie between the switch and bulb and is most likely to be a blown bulb (see Step 3). But you should check all of the wiring Gee Steps 6 & 2) and the bulb- holder (see Step 5) as If the indicators on only one side of the car work then the fault is most likely to be in the switch (see Step 8) or the wiring (see Step 6) where both bulbs share a single wire at some point. It is much less likely that two bulbs or two separate wires would fail simultaneously If none of the indicators are working the most likely cause is a blown fuse (see Step 2), but a faulty flasher (see Step 9) or |_ fusebox, 1, Common locations for the fusebox 128 switch (see Step 8) are other possible causes of the fault If another electrical accessory has failed aswell asthe indicators, suspect the fuse. If the indicators come an but do not flash, suspect the flasher unit (see Step 9). If all the lights work but do not flash, or flash much faster than normal again, suspect the flasher unit or one of the indicator bulbs (see Step 3) — this latter fault is particularly common on cars with additional repeater indicators Your car's handbook will show you the exact location of the fusebox holder. This is a small box usually protected by an easily detachable cover, with the fuses mounted side by side inside. You will usually find it fairly Close to the battery. either on the engine or passenger side of the bulkhead, or inside the passenger compartment Your manual should also tell you which fuse protects the indicators and which other com- ponents are on the same circuit Often the stoplights, wipers or instruments are on the same > if any of these are not s well, the fuse is sure tobe at fault If there is another fuse in the holder marked with the same rating as the indicator fuse, do a quick test by changing the two fuses over. If the new fuse makes the indicators work again, you will know that either the old fuse needs to be changed, or it wasmakinga bad connection in the holder You can test a fuse in its holder with a test lamp. Fasten the test lamp’s clip to earth and switch on the ignition. Then touch the testlamp probeinturn to both of the clips which hold the fuse (fig 2). If the test lamp lights in both positions the fuse works and is making good contact with the fuseholder. [fit lights when touched to one end fitted to the side of the car. If the indicators on one side work normally while the other ones light up but do not flash suspect a faulty earth connection (see Step 6) So, exactly how you approach the job will depend on the symptoms of the fault. But if you feel unable to interpret the clues your car is giving, simply work through the steps one by one and you will be sure to identify and fix the fault. only check that the fuse is making a good contact with the fuseholder Alternatively, you can test the fuse out of its holder with a circuit tester. Clip one end of the circuit tester to one end of the fuse and touch the tes! probe to the other end. If the fuse is good the circuit tester will light old dart head 3 Test lamp with probe made bulotiolder from an old dart crocodile clip 129 STEP3 CHECK THEBULBS Ifone indicator has failed, thena blown bulb is the most hkely cause — but even if more than one indicator bulb is not working this quick and simple step is a vital part of your checking procedure. Tocheck a bulb, firstundo the screws holding the plastic lens cover and remove the cover. Push the bulb gently inwards and tumit from the socket. Ifthe bulb is stuck in place, spray the socket with penetrating oil and try to move it fromside toside to loosen it. [fonly the glass comes away when you twist the bulb will have to remove the 1 part with a pair of long- nliers (figs 2 & 3) ally check a bulb tthe sky met nosed You can visually — hold ita and look for a break in the coiled filament. But if you are ul whether the bulb has blown or not, test it with the test lamp. Clip the lamp to the live terminal of the battery, press the base terminal of the bulb to the earth terminal of the battery, then touch the probe of the amp to the metal body of the bulb. If the bulb does not light. renew it 2. Removing metal part of bulb with pliers 3. Another way of removing a broken bulb 130 STEP 4 CHECK CONNECTIONS 1. rlmping connector for tighter fit The indicator may hav stopped working because the es 10 it have worked loose To test for this, switch on the indicators and check that the STEP 5 Because indicator bulbs are located low down in the’ front and rear wings they are often exposed to the elements. So even if the bulbs appear to be tight in their holders electrical contact may not be made. To check this, switch the indicators onand try movin: g ita couple of times may do the trick. If the bulb flickers or suddenly lights up, the fault lies in the holder. ff the bulb does not light up he fault may still be in the bulb- older. To make sure, you will need tocheck whether poweris reaching it (see Step 7) and hether it is properly earthed (see Step 6). If these connec- tions both prove sound the holder must be at fault. If clean- ing it with emery paper fails to have any effect you will have to renew it wires tothe bulbholder are tight and their connections clean. Do da, if them wi ling the connectors necessary emery 2. Cleaning up a spade terminal paper. If poor contact was problem then the indicator should start working when you connect the wires bac! together again 1. Cleaning bulbholder with emery paper 131 CHECK THE EARTH the earth connection, emove the indicator bulb and d of the testlamp to nal of the battery STEP 6 older isproperly es not light cl STEP7 should check is firmly held ied to the ill probably be ng connections wire running to the are tight, si is no other ne Ng reason it should not light. If it there lights but does not flash — even when the engine is running — the fault must hie in the flash unit (see Step 9) e test lamp does not light reaching K the power 1, Checking that bulbholder feed wire is live 132 body there will be a separate earth wire or metal strip running from the holder into the main nore likely, toa n the car's body. intact corroded, clean them or emery paper and the: coat ‘There are two basic circuits used for the indicator lights. Although each individual car may be slightly different, the basic parts are the same. The indicator switch — usually mounted on the steering column — directs the flow of electricity to either the left or right pair of lights, The switch receives its power from the flasher unit Which Is a small square or round component located either close to the indicator switch or inside the engine compartment Asthe indicator switchismoved in one Girection or the other, the Cirouit’ to one “side or other Is completed and poweris sent tothe lights.on one side. The flasher unit repeatedly interrupts the current a a thin strip of stee! inside the unit heats up, bends away trom an electrical contact, cools downand retums to Its former position. The main difference between indicator circuits is in the way that the warning light is wired into the system. On some modern cars and ‘Most oider models the flasher unit has three terminals — one for the Input, one for the output and the third for the waming light mounted (on the dashboard. Most modem cars, however, do ‘not have the third terminal on the flasher but have the indicator warning light wired across the input and output of the indicator switch. separate earth lead metal earth stip 2. Three different types of earth for indicator bulbholder JRO 17 WORES creer The indicator circuit Circuit with 3 terminal flasher | unit 133 The indicator switch on most cars is located within a cowling on the steering column. This normally splits into two after the removal of a couple of screws Do not try to force the cowling steering column shrouc | CHECK THE SWITCH apart if it appears stuck. It is easy to overlook one of the fixing screws as they are often deeply recessed With the cowling apart you should be able to see the switch [contact for right hand lamps 1. Getting to indicator switch (top). How a typleal switch works S r Checking the flashor unit Your car's manual should tell you where the flasher unit is positioned — but the most com- mon locations are the bulkhead and inner wings in the engine compartment, or under the dashboard near the steering column To test the flasher unit first 134 > ial — it is usually clamped to the steeringcolumn ora stalk fromit by two screws and a bracket. I youcan see the switch terminals without removing the whole assembly, carry out the checks (see below) with it in place. If you have to remove it, first make a note of the switch posi fion in relation to the steering column, so that you can refit itin the right place (see Tip — On your marks). Now take out the screws and lift out the complete switch assembly. Pay close attention to the three wires for the indicator lights — the input in the centre and the two outputs, one for each side of the car, Make sure they are firmly fixed to their terminals — as they sometimes move with the lever, a wire can occasionally break away from its terminal. In most cases a broken connection can be soldered back inte place, but if you cannot do this yourself, disconnect the ph connecting the switch's wires tc the loom and take the whole switch unit to an electrical STEP 9 — (SCHECKIFASHERIUNIT, 2. Checking powor is reaching flasher unit disconnect the input and output wires and attach them to each end of the test lamp. If the flasher has three leads ignore the central one as this is for the warning light on the dash. Now tum on the ignition and operate the indicator switch. If the faulty indicators now come onit shows that the flasher unit is faulty and should be replaced. If the indicators do not light check that power is reaching the flasher unit by attaching the test lamp to the power feed wire and 2 good earth — if the tes lamp fails to light there is @ power supply wire fault Checking switch operation specialist for resoldering. ‘Another thing which can go wrong with the switch is that the contacts can become burnt or the moving contact can dis- tort so that it no longer makes a connection. If the contacts are accessible try cleaning the contacts with emery paper and bend the moving contact so that when you operate the switch the moving contact once again reaches the static contact. ‘Tocheck the electrical opera- tion of the switch, use the test lamp to make sure that there is power going into the centre terminal. Clip the lamp’s croco- dile clip on an earth point, switch the ignition on and touch the terminal with the test lamp probe. The tester should light if the switch is live. Ifno currentis reaching the switch, check the flasher unit and the supply wire that comes from it. After you have made sure that the switchs live, turn the switch in both directions and check that power is being switched to each of the output wires serving the indicators. Dothis by simply 1. Locating a break In the power feed wire If you know that the switch, flasher unit and fuse are work- ing and live but no current is reaching the bulbholder, the fault must be a break or short- circuit somewhere along the power feed wire tothe indicator bulbholder. But the same checking procedure also ap- plies to faultfinding along wires between any two components. The car's wiring is nearly always colour coded so this will help you to trace wires. Often a wire will disappear through a bulkhead or into a large cluster of wires which are bundled together, but generally a wire stays the same colour along its whole length. A few cars do, however, have numbered wires — each wire having a touching the tester's probe to the switch's output terminals (fig 2). If the power isnot getting across there must be a fault inside the switch. These can rarely be repaired so you will have to fit areplacement switch. New ones are quite expensive so you may find it worthwhile buying a secondhand one from a breaker's yard. Check it before you pay for it as described above but you must use a circuit tester, with its built- in power supply, instead of a test lamp. number at either end. These are harder to trace and may have to be replaced in lengths. Testany connectorsintheline either by peeling back the insu- lation and using the test lamp probetothe connector terminal, or by pulling the connector apart and touching the probe to the connector terminal on the live side. You can test a wire simply by pushing the point of the probe through the insulation at. various points along the wire's lenath (fig 1). As you work along you should be able to track down the exact location of the fault. If the problem is damaged insulation causing a short circuit, you can patch the wire with insulating tape. If a wire has broken, simply cut out or disconnect the damaged section and renew tt. 135 How your a caris sprung The suspension makes the car more comfortable to ride in and easier to control. Several different systems are used, but they all work in basically the same way Typical suspension layout ona rear wheel drive car with Hotchkiss drive on rear axle ‘and independent suspension af the front fixing eye TORSION BAR (below) — Absorbs sudden suspension movement by twisting master leaf COIL SPRING (left) — A compact spiral of high tensile stee! LEAF SPRING (above) — Made up of curved steel strips The primary role of the sus- pension system is to give a smooth ride over bumps and defects in the road surface. But italso plays an important partin making the car easier tocontrol And because vibrations and violent uncushioned blows between car and road are kept to @ minimum, an effective sus- pension sysem can help to cut down wear and tear on major components. At the heart of nearly all sus- pension systems are springs which are attached between the car body and the moving arms and struts which hold the wheels in position. A few manu- facturers, however, use fluid or gas to achieve the same result. Used on their own, springs would give a rather uncomfort- able ride, since the car would bounce up and down uncontrol- lably every time it hit the slightest bump. So to control the action of the springs, both when they compress and expand, hydraulic dampers — shock absorbers — are used. Most new cars have separate —or independent — suspension on each wheel, a system that gives a comfortable and stable ride in nearly all conditions. But many cars — the Ford Cortinais bar twists under load fixed end TELESCOPIC DAMPER — HOW IT WORKS The telescopic damper Is, In effect, a small pump containing hydraulic fluid. Control valves allow the fluld to flow slowly from one chamber to another fixing eye connected to body piston rod contol valves ifilled cylinder fixing eye conmected to suspension 137 UNDERSTAND YOUR CAR front largely because they are not stable enough, nor compact enough, to be incorporated into the front suspension. Leaf springs provide good suspension, but they are unable to bear or control the LEVER DAMPER As the lever arm moves, fluld Is forced from one chambor to another to slow down the action rocking lever moves pisions duel piston L ier aro labret sae me lenge: uscd omg severe loads which are a part of braking and corner- ing. This is why leaf springs have long been replaced by coil spring assemblies which are more compact, cheaper to make and can withstand higher loadings. specially designed for rough terrain. Under this type of extreme stress, the springs could shear after a short period of time. The dampers are less likely to suffer immediate damage, 138 A ‘Yes — unless the car is Can I damage my suspension by driving fast over rough ground? but they will soon wear out if subjected to prolonged rough treatment. Normally, dampers will last for three to five years; over rough ground they are unlikely to last much beyond 6 monthsif you are lucky. The suspension In action a good example — have a mixture of independent suspension on the front wheels and non-independent suspen sion on the axle joining the rear wheels Types of springs The coil spring is the most common type of suspension spring used in modern cars and is, fect, a torsion bar (see below) wound into a spiral. It works simply by compressing and stretching as the suspension moves up and downover bumps in the road. One of the oldest suspension systerns and one still in commen use is based on the semi-elliptic Jeaf spring. This is made from strips of tempered steel of dif. ferent lengths stacked up on each other. The springs are curved uy rds at their ends and the uppermost spring — the master leaf — is connected at eachend to the car body. As the spring deflects under load, the leaves flatten progressively and become increasingly stiff — cushioning the blow. Another type of spring — the torsion bar — uses a strength- ened steel bar to take the strain One end of the bar is securely mounted on the car body, while the other end is attached to a suspension arm or lever w! carries the road wheel. As the wheel and suspension arm move up and down over bumps the bar twists along its length and absorbs the impact. Dampers most common type of lamper which is used with practically all spring systems is the telescopic damper. A tele- scopic damper containsa piston hich moves up and down oilfilled cylinder. As the sus- pension springs are compres- sed the piston is forced up its cylinder pushing the oil in front of it. Small oilways in the end of the cylinder allow the oil to escape into a separate reser- voir — but only very slowly. A similar effect occurs when the piston moves back in the oppo site direction. This slows down the movement of the piston and, therefore, the spring, and coun- teracts its tendency to bounce wildly. Some dampers which work on same principle use gas tead of oil or have both a gas the MACPHERSON STRUT spring MacPherson strut stub axle Coil spring and damper in one unit and oil chamber to increase the damping effect further. Another type of damper — the leverarm damper —isfoundona number of older cars. It consists ofalever arm, one end of which is attached to the suspension (viaalink)end the other toa dual piston damper assembly damper: upper wishbone stub axle lower wishbone DOUBLE WISHBONE Spring mounted betwoon two wishbones Front suspension ‘Two main types of suspension systems are used on the front wheels of modern cars — the MacPherson strut and the double wishbone. The MacPherson strut is by far the more common of the two. 139 HOTCHKISS DRIVE telescopic damper tea spring ——— hall shatts and diferential in casing ‘The MacPherson strut is an all-in-one system combining a coil spring with a telescopic damper running down the middle of it — the damper itself forms the strut The upper end of the strut is attached to the car body, usually to the underside of the wing; while the lower end is rigidly fixed to the wheel hub The other main type of front suspension — the double wish- bone — as its name suggests consistssimply of two wishbone- shaped steel arms, one above the other with a coil spring and damper in between. Rear suspension There is a great variety of rear suspension systems but the two main types are the Hotchkiss drive and the trailing arm. The Hotchkiss drive system is the only non-independent sus- pension system widely used and is found only on rear wheel drive cars. It consists of a rigid axle casing containing the drive shafts and differential gears suspended on two semi-lliptic leaf springs. A damper fitted between the body and the springor axle case on each end controls the system. ‘The trailing arm system is an independent suspension sys- tem. It has a steel arm, usually No, not for all-round A driving. This is because all suspension systems are set up in such a way that they offer a com- promise between comfort and roadholding. Further- more, the quality of suspen- sion is largely a matter of personal taste and many national car manufacturers build cars that reflect the lower wishbone FRONT ANTI-ROLL BAR The bar Is attached to the underside preference of their market —hence French cars tend to have soft suspensions and German cars firm suspen: sion. However, if just one particular aspect is wanted, then some systems perform better than others. Where roadholding is of prime importance for example, firm allzound independent suspension is best. ant roll bar twists under load of the body and at either end to. the lower arm of the suspension Y-shaped, one end of which is 140 telescopic damper coil spring Yshaped train arm SEMI TRAILING ARM An Independent suspension system fitted to the rear wheels which uses a pair of pivoted arms attached to the wheel hub while the other pivots on the frame. A spring, usually a coil spring, with a damper just behind it is mounted above the arm. Anti-roll bars An anti-roll bar is sometimes fitted to the front suspension — andona fewcarsto the rear sus- pension as well. This is de- signed to stop the car rolling or pitching to one side when cornering On the front suspension, the mechanism consists of a torsion bar fitted between two moving pivots on each side of the front hubs or suspension arms Underthe forces involved when the car corners, the bar and pivots ‘wind up’ — they twist as one wheel tries to rise while the other tries to move down. By twisting, the bar absorbs the forces and reduces the ten- dency for either wheel to dip or mise sharply Anti-roll bars fitted to the rear suspension vary from car to car but they work in the same way as those fitted to the front sus- pension. On some cars, the bar is fixed to the axle and is attached at each end to the sus- pension arms. On others, the bar isattached to the axle andto the chassis members or floor pan at each end. REAR ANTI-ROLL BARS suspension arms chassis or body mountings Those are attached to the rear axle and to either the suspension arms or chassis Yes. Every car has A a maximum payload, which is given in the handbook, and which should not be exceeded. If you do drive the car overloaded, youare likely to hear a severe thump every time you drive over a bump or rough patch of road. This happens because the sus- pension bottoms, that is, reaches the limit of its travel and makes contact with the stops — small compressible mubber blocks which act as cushions between the sus- pension and the underside of the body. Stops act like rubber door stops and pre- vent serious damage — but the fact that they make contact at all should be taken as a sure indication that your car is carrying too much weight. Keeping your dynamo charging Simple design and robust construction make the dynamo easy to repair. Replacement parts are cheap and readily available Dynamos are normally long- bon brushes wears out both the lived, robust and reliable units brush and the copper faces of but like any mechanical com- the commutator, while the rear ponent they wear out. bearingisfrequentlyneglected Electrical arcing at the car- and can become sloppy. When to do this job When the ignition warning light comes on above idling speed When a battery in good condition goes flat When the dynamo becomes noisy What this job involves Changing the dynamo brushes Cleaning the commutator Changing the front and rear bearings Related jobs in this handbook Repairing an alternator Changing or adjusting the drive belt Please see Index for page numbers To do this job : Tools: Spanners to fit dynamo fixing bolts and pulley nut; large screwdrivers; Mole grips; rags; fine glasspaper; hacksaw blade; hammer; small cold chisel (maybe); bearing puller (maybe); thread cutter (maybe); small press (maybe) Materials: New brushes; new front and rear bearings (ifneeded); methylated spirit; engine oil Time: Brush replacement about 1% hours, complete overhaul about 4% hours of difficulty: Brushes very easy, other repairs straightforward but time consuming If you have the job professionally done. . . Does the warning light go out as it should? Has the noise from the dynamo bearings gone? Is the drive belt correctly tensioned? Does the battery stay properly charged? | The dynamo jis a cylindrical component mounted on one side of the engine (fig 1) and is one of two types of generator — the other is the alternator. It is usually about 8 in. (200mm) long and 4 in. (100 mm) wide and often has a black, silver or green body. Depending on the type, it is held to the engine block by two or three bolts and a slotted adjuster bar. The dynamo itself Pivots on one or two of the bolts while the other bolt is used to adjust the drive belt tension Generator test Asimple check to see whe- ther the generator is workingisto start the engine and switch on the head- lights. If the lights brighten when yourev the engine the generator is working. ‘The dynamo is a direct current (OC) generator driven by the engine and produces the electrical power to run the electrical system and keep the battery charged. ‘At idling speed the dynamo IDENTIFY AND CHECK DYNAMO 1, Most dynamos are mounted on Dynamos are usually very reliable, so if your car has a charging system fault do not immediately assume that itis the dynamo thatis faulty. First make sure the drive belt is tight and the electrical connections are The dynamo cannot provide sufficient power to run the electrical accessories '80 most of the electrical demand is met by the battery. To warn that the dynamo is not charging the battery the ignition warning light comes on. Li

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