And so it begins...

[vt_maverick]

If I'm looking at the right thing (stabilizer bar?) looks like they run $370 on IsuzuParts.com.

[Buffy]

Yea the rear stabilizer bar is the worse one of the two. It is heavily pitted in and around the bends es[pecially the outter ones. Just not sure if it has rusted enough to affect its strength. Was the $370.00 for each or both?

[vt_maverick]

Hold on it's actually worse, I just doubled the rear bar in the above estimate. Here are the actual prices each:

Front: $219.93
Rear: $184.42

Total: $404.35

[Buffy]

CalMini is beginning to look better....

[vt_maverick]

Yeah at $339.95 a set they're over $60 cheaper, plus they boast 40% stiffer design. Zinc plating's got to be good for corrosion resistance as well. Wonder how much more harsh the ride would be though, especially with stock shocks.

http://www.pureisuzu.com/sway_bars4.htm

[samneil2000]

I wouldn't think they would make the ride much worse, just stiffen up roll in cornering. At least that's the thought behind them. What they do in reality might be different. They might limit travel in off-road situations more-so than the stockers since they are stiffer.

[Buffy]

Well today was another exercise in all things rusty. I was removing the axels, ball joints, shockes, etc to gain access to remove rust. The spindals were rusted so bad that when I hit it to break the ball joint loose, sheets of rust were falling off it. The brake sensor is rusted into it, plus the screws broke off into the spindal.

The ball joint removal was going smooth as butter until the LAST bolt. I was removing the lower ball joint and was removing the back bolt the fits in the recess in the lower control arm. Well that area was so rusted that it no longer held the bolt causing it to spin. There isn't enough of the bolt sticking above the control arm to get a wrench on it. Anybody have suggestions??

Shock question.....
should the shock extend all the way out, as in under pressure? After removal mine stays where ever you put it. Pull it out, it stays.... push it in... no move...

So over all not a very good day. Looking at 2 spindals, 2 break sensors anos possibly 2 lower control arms.... kind of expensive day....

[Ascinder]

Shock question.....
should the shock extend all the way out, as in under pressure? After removal mine stays where ever you put it. Pull it out, it stays.... push it in... no move...

That means your shock is blown. If they have pressure(which they need to function) then they'll extend all the way out.

There isn't enough of the bolt sticking above the control arm to get a wrench on it. Anybody have suggestions??

If we're thinking about the same bolts, can you cut the nut off of the other side? If not can you wedge something in the top to prevent it from turning? I don't know how equipped you are, but an old screwdriver tack welded to the head of the bolt does wonders.

[Buffy]

I kind of figured the shock was blown, just wanted a second opinion to be sure. I tried wedging a screw driver down in there but no joy. I wish I had a welding machine I would do the welded screwdriver trick. I would also weld a bolt to the 4 brokencross member bolts. Yea... half the bolts broke. They had rusted so much that the upper neck was about a third smaller than it should be. I've been spraying PB Blaster on it and tapping them with a hammer but still have not gotten any of them to budge.

[Chopper]

Boy o boy would I do a ton of little things while I had it in this position,,,,like make a better shield for the mode position switch and some other connections....FOR SURE DO THE THERMOSTAT and replace it with a failsafe one and never think about it again.....water pump & timing belt...intake manifold gasket...on and on. You get the idea.
I've no idea what your setup is, but getting the body up and off this car is a piece of cake. It's no more difficult than lifting a pickup off it's frame...in fact it's EXACTLY like lifting a pickup cab up....An easy one (maybe two) day deal.
I'd get polyurethane bushings everywhere while you're in there too...a ton of things....you get to re-engineer a bunch of stuff

[Chopper]

I posted before reading everything.....did you buy this "right"? Do you have room to do all this rust repair, or are you just trying to get it on the road?
Just curious....(I'm not used to seeing rust under there at all) This is a fun project, looks like******(I'd still have yanked the body off it)

[Chopper]

Much easier

[Buffy]

.....did you buy this "right"?

I got it for $1500.00 so I have some room to work with. I bought me a sand blaster and did some blasting yoday. I'll post up some pictures in a bit. Of course it would have meen much a much easier project if there wasn't soo much rust.

[Buffy]

OK... back to the pictures.....

Rust, rust and more rust








Axels and spindles....




Rusty rotors....


Using the new sandblaster..... makes life so much easier..... but a bit messy...


A little less rust.....












Applied the silver stage of master series coatings......

[Marlin]

Awesome progress. I forgot I have a soda blasting kit in the garage. Thanks for reminding me, you would think stepping over the 50lb bag of baking soda would do the trick.
Wanna do my truck next...it would give you a run for your money. I already did the front 1/10 of the truck
On a side not, put a space between your pics, it makes em easier to look at, I think either Tom or Sue told me that a few years ago. See, I can be taught, and teach others as well