Colin Lindsay

Montego alloy on a GT6; I think they are 15".

For want of a nail the Herald was stalled... actually it was for want of a steering arm. I couldn't find one. I had five of the other side, including one that I'd blasted and repainted for this car, then it turned out to be a match of the other side... oops. Two lefts and no right. Off I went into the dark depths of the roofspace... actually it's quite a nice room with two windows, but I like a bit of atmosphere in a story. I managed to find one, and down the ladder I came, only to find it's an early 1200 version and so longer. No good. On the plus side I did manage to find some early caliper mounting brackets, one even with the rubber seal in good reuseable condition. I wonder if new seals are available? I did manage to find the steering arm I needed, sadly still attached to a pair of later uprights with the newer version of dust shield and type 14 calipers still attached. What odds, I might as well refurbish those while lockdown continues... rusty, caked with old underseal and oozing with black grease, they came apart with the aid of an impact wrench, whereupon the best surprise of the evening was finding almost brand new, completely unworn threads on both vertical links. These are very reuseable so they've gone onto the 'to do' list, once the sandblaster is refurbished and I can blast and repaint them. I think they're actually better than the ones I had intended to use. They've also got the chamfered hubs for type 14 calipers, and have now been marked accordingly so I won't get them mixed up with all the others. So: I'm a happy bear, as I've now got two very good spares plus the bits I originally needed for the other Herald. Happy days!

Does that mean ANY vehicle under 15 years that you're IN ie anyone's car, even as a passenger, but if over 15 years of age, you have to either own it, or notify them about it? Worth checking...

Well done! Off and running. I'll keep an eye out for those parts, plus anything else that you may need, and advise accordingly.

I checked a few suppliers for part numbers - I see both Canleys and Rimmers have new websites! - but they listed the same part from Spitfire Mk1 right through Herald to late Spits. Went back out to the garage and the nuts fitted first time. Sometimes I hate these things! Now I've found that there are different stub axles for drum brakes and disc brakes. I hope that the early Herald uprights that I've blasted and repainted are disc versions... it would be just my luck to work on the wrong set, or one of each...

I'm on my second, although I preferred the first I had, a 2007 1.6 petrol. This new one is a 1.6 diesel from 2012, 6-speed, a lot of features I hardly use, and a hefty Insurance hike - but only £30 tax, the other was £220. 58 miles to the gallon isn't bad either.

There is quite a difference between 6 cylinder stubs and 4 cylinder versions; I've just had them side by side in the garage and you'd know the difference. I've also hit a few snags with my NOS versions; they won't fit either the castellated nut, the axle nut or my thread dies - I suspect late Spitfire versions were metric? That's what worries me; if it leaves a starter ringgear unfit for purpose what effect does it have on suspension uprights? I've survived two axles snapping - one of those was due to welding heat - and am allergic to a third, even if that would be a front for a change. I'd rather ask first!

Mondeo?

Do you remember that rubber coating stuff - Plastidip - that was about years ago? I bought a tin of yellow and dipped a few tools; almost thirty years later the coating is still good. The reason I chose yellow was to identify my own tools if anyone borrowed them...

I'm nearly sure all of mine are Herald bar two NOS stubs which I suspect are late Spitfire, but may be the same - I must check. The ones I have already fitted are good enough to be reused, just possibly not fitted properly - in fact I think the one I'm talking about was fitted new and never used on the road. Must go have my Weetabix and try to remove it. I'm assuming heat will do no harm? I was replacing ring gears recently and the instruction there is to use no heat, just hot water.

Thanks Rob; I knew it looked different, but still in the style of the original, unlike some of the newer versions. Mine is just a small plastic box with three wires.

Thanks Clive; I have spares that I'll refurbish then do a straight swap on the estate, but the guy I got them from many moons ago says he tried to change the stub axle, wasn't sure if it was fitted correctly, and never risked it on a car. I bought it for the excellent threads so was not too worried about the axles. It may be okay but the nut was never torqued up fully so I'll do it again. Gentle heat should get the old ones out. I hope. Re felt seals: the last 'new' ones I bought wouldn't even fit the hub as the metal was too large, so I took the felt and glued it into an old cup. Over the years I've amassed a good supply of old stock versions that are always a straight fit.

Are MGF wheels 13"? Never looked before. I know Montego wheels are a straight fit too, but they're bigger than 13".

I used to have a huge stack of odd Herald wheels and gave a lot of them away, unfortunately usually without looking, so I now find myself with enough to fit two Heralds (so not stuck!) but one wheel short of a full set of four early wheels. Early Herald wheels had four wide slots around the centre; later ones were changed to narrower slots. I have plenty of narrow slots but am short of one wide slot. Anyone have one they'll sell or even two so I can have a matching spare? First photo is the more common narrow, other two are the wide-slots I'm looking for; all 3.5 J.

On the surface that looks old school bi-metallic strip, but the casing appears modified or altered in some way as if the insides have been accessed. Where did you get it? I was intending to use the newer-looking electronic version; it's up behind the dash so no-one will see it, but I bought two some years ago and have them salted away until I get the Heralds to that stage.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Herald-948-white-face-TEMP-Temperature-Gauge-Jaeger/333516921963?hash=item4da7285c6b:g:~QsAAOSwDCBeSV8A There are quite a few NOS versions too. I'll keep looking for the other parts - rare, but they may come up.

This is something I'm intending to do before the end of the week; I have one that a PO told me is not properly fitted, so will have to remove and replace. Any tips - not so much on removal, but on proper refitting?

Same as my Mk1! The vinyl was covering most of the vent, and as with your solution a good sharp scalpel trimmed it right back.

The estate is Wedgewood blue, the saloon is Powder blue. Paint code should be 26 for Wedgewood, Powder blue was used 1959 - 1962 but apparently has no code. If your car is a late 13/60 you'll find the original paint code on the commission number plate to the side of the bulkhead, but it could have been resprayed in a close modern colour. Just one of the pitfalls of owning a fifty year old car!

I was watching one of those last month, but didn't bid. I'll get one eventually, they look kinder to the fingers than the meat-slicer version I use, which distorted considerably when introduced to a hammer and a seized adjuster.

Ok - gotcha now. Wolfitt do them: http://www.wolfitt.com/wolfitt_products_1.htm#Long-bolt front suspension mounts

I have a cheap brake adjuster spanner and it cuts the fingers off me every time I use it! One of the last adjusters I worked on was so seized the entire vice was moving round. As we say over here: that idea with the socket soon put manners in it.

What's wrong with the standard brackets? Is the suspension shimmed so far that the studs are no longer long enough, or have you modified any area of the suspension?

I assume that with the gearbox in neutral, you're rotating it and getting the movement at the diff end before the flanges start to grip? There has to be some movement before the wheels start to turn; although whether or not an inch is excessive will be a debate for the diff experts. Put it in gear and there should be next to no movement at all as the gearbox will prevent it turning.

One for freeing up seized brake adjusters - might even work to adjust the brakes in situ. The adjuster is 1/4 inch so any 1/4 inch-drive socket fits on; I've used 1/2 inch, with a 1/2 inch bolt in the socket and two nuts to lock it up. Put the adjuster in a vice, plenty of penetrating oil, and work it gently back and forth. If it's really stuck, use a bigger socket and therefore a bigger bolt, nuts and spanner. Easier to grip and work with than the square brake-adjusting spanner which usually cuts into your fingers, or distorts.