Originally posted Jan 14th 2013
Failed its MOT week before last on tyre below min tread wear, split steering rack gaitor and (the usual for an old lude) poor performance on the rear brakes.
Rear brakes were far and away the worst old Honda brakes I've had to take apart, pads completely seized in, had to chisel the heck off them to get them out of the carriers.
Also total nightmare with one of the calipers, something I've never had before, one of the bolts just wouldn't budge and bloody rounded off! Running out of time so I muddled through for time being by leaving that bolt in and swung the caliper up to get the pads out. Made cleaning up the carriers a right sod - crap access. (Carrier off and bolt head to grind off some time soon.)
So onto the steering gaitor. I've done an inner track rod end on the drivers side before and that was a complete sod (nil access to the tab washer and to get the gaitor over the end of rack). Fortunately the passenger side is WAY way easier, because you get full access to it from underneath.
None of those cheapy cable ties here thank you very much - proper ligarex straps!
In the course of all this work, I discovered all the rubber ball joint boots on the car are completely perished. WAY WAY worse than on my UKDM (a year older). On the UKDM the joints are worn but the rubber's ok. On this one the joints are nice and stiff, but all the rubber's completely perished like I've never seen before. Must have lived in a particularly hot part of Japan??? Ho-hum, 4 track rod ends to do then.
Worn tyre was an excuse to fit the wheels lurking in the shed for ages
Another lude wearing a former forum car's clothes
(Thanks Sam)
So that's the the first mod out of the way now too...
