How not to assemble and install control arms

[HISSIN50]

Howdy folks,

I guess I will start this child-forum off here.

In my way-back youth, I had an obscure Euro car with a double wishbone front suspension. It was my only car - I also had a motorcycle. The stock front control arm bushings were fried so I got some Delrin bushings to replace them (I was really into the carving back then).

A little aside is that I managed to strap 4 wishbone control arms onto the back of a crotchrocket to go to the machine shop and back.  :lame:

Anyhow, I needed to get the car done, so I was trying to finish up with the install. It was the wee wee hours of the morning (getting light out - had been up for 20-something hours). On the bench, I had lined up the arms in a row and was pressing in new ball joints. I tool the arms from the bench to the car for the install. I get done and notice some wicked positive camber on the pass side. I mean bad. I am too tired to even see straight so I call it a night.
The next morning I come out to find that I had set one control arm upside down on the workbench and never noticed. So I put the ball joint in upside down and therefore  installed the arm upside down.

Talk about feeling stupid. 

I will try and think of some more interesting stories of stupid stuff - I sure know I have done enough 'WTF was I thinking' installs.

Your turn!   ;D

 

[Joes95GT]

Oh god...LOL

Unfortunataly, I could go on for hours on one of these, JT...

How about trying to bust the crank pulley bolts off by having someone bump the motor as I hold the breaker bar?

Or.......

When I was 16, spending damn near 45 minutes trying to figure out how in the HELL to get my alternator out of the bracket.

Or.......

Looking at cylinder heads trying to figure out which head goes on which side of the motor.

Damn, I'm just going to stop now. No one will want to take advice from me anymore. :hammer:

Joe

 

[HISSIN50]

Joe, thank you for replying (this section with FUBAR'd repairs was kinda my idea). I always like reading messed up things people have done. I learn from that kind of stuff.

Man, your stuff was no biggie. And people always look forward to reading your replies, so dont worry (I know you were being facetious).

I have had some huge doozies (I like to think that most were in my younger days). Before the internet, all I had was my parts-store manual and if I could not find an answer there, I was totally screwed (I have owned some obscure cars and bikes). I did learn a lot though.  I have spent 2 hours trying to figure a way not to have to remove some ancillary item (and said item would have taken 10 minutes to remove in and of itself).

Let's see. I remember a guy on a forum who tested his mechanical fan clutch (he assumed it was bad) by getting the car warm and sticking his hand into the blade while the car idled. Talk about being confident in your assumption! NOTE: kids, dont try that at home, in your dreams, while dreaming while intoxicated, or any other time.

But I know some of the best of the best who have made mistakes. I think someone once said that you arent doing enough if you are not making mistakes.

Anyhoo, thanks again for posting Joe.  And it is great to see you in here  :drunk: (so far, Matt et al have done a great job of getting the cool people to come over here).   :banana:

 

[Joes95GT]

Thanks for the comments, JT. If people look forward to reading what I post, I can't imagine how excited they get for your stuff. I only know half of what I'm doing - I try to find other people to fill in the other half (mainly my Dad, LOL).

Another Don't-do.....

Take bolts OFF with a torque wrench.

I've been guilty of that when not thinking....

Joe

 

[bimmertech]

if you are ever converting a BMW mechanical belt tensioner to a hydraulic style do not reuse the bolt from the idler pulley. this will result in a very loud reeeeeeeeeeeee pow! belt goes flying off and takes out the plastic mech fan. aside from the embarassment you will forever be haunted by your fellow co-workers coming up to you and saying "reeeeeeeee pow!"

 

[wayne94mustang]

great storys guys.

i raced atv motto cross for years and seen some real nasty mistakes......like the guy who liked to change his oil at the track....and ran his moto more then once without putting oil back in!!! ......or my buddy who had to swap a soft set of shocks for a stiffer set, and forgot to put the nuts on the bolts. man i thought he was going to die!!...lol

my dumbest one was when i rebuilt my 4 stoke motor and totaly forgot to put the timing chain in...i was PISSED

well this might be dumber....all my buddys were useing this mild acid to remove anodizing from aluminum wheels so i got some and wraped a rag around my finger to get in the hard to reach spots....well the acid got inside my finger and killed it! it looked like a mummy finger, black and rock hard. well it finaly fell off and i got itin a jar. so now my right index finger is slightly longer then my pinky finger..live and learn i guess

 

[HISSIN50]

great storys guys.





well this might be dumber....all my buddys were useing this mild acid to remove anodizing from aluminum wheels so i got some and wraped a rag around my finger to get in the hard to reach spots....well the acid got inside my finger and killed it! it looked like a mummy finger, black and rock hard. well it finaly fell off and i got itin a jar. so now my right index finger is slightly longer then my pinky finger..live and learn i guess

Wayne, this just made me sick to my stomach. The acid actually ate off part of your finger (I was confused because my index finger is only slightly longer than my pinky finger too)? So like the tip of the finger came off? Chit man!

I am glad to hear that it hasnt slowed you down!

 

[wayne94mustang]

yeah it did eat it....it hurt like fuck!!..but i guess you could of figured that out...lol

 

[monkeyspunk79]

This is a great forum category. I have some real winners here that I need to post up. I'm sure it will be embarassing, but what the hell. We're among friends.

 

[badass98svt]

How about swapping brake rotors out on a fox body and forgetting to add the inner wheel bearings. I never took them off the old rotors! LOL...This was many. many years ago, btw...

 

[uncltrvlnmatt]

This is kinda funny more than anything else. I was presure testing a chasis mounted charge air cooler for a Mack RD and was not paying attention to the presure gauge. The rubber stopper plug on the one side let lose and flew across the shop. Probably went about 35-40 feet through the air at head level. That was a holy shit.

 

[Brickyard]

I don't have a whole lot of oh crap stories, but heres a pair.

Installing calipers on the wrong side of the car and wondering why the brakes wouldn't bleed.....

Jacking up a fwd car without setting the ebrake and no blocks, the jack starting rolling down the driveway with the car.

 

[Downshift]

Oh god...LOL

Unfortunataly, I could go on for hours on one of these, JT...

How about trying to bust the crank pulley bolts off by having someone bump the motor as I hold the breaker bar?

Or.......

When I was 16, spending damn near 45 minutes trying to figure out how in the HELL to get my alternator out of the bracket.

Or.......

Looking at cylinder heads trying to figure out which head goes on which side of the motor.

Damn, I'm just going to stop now. No one will want to take advice from me anymore. :hammer:

Joe

I would have to say after reading that first one you have some balls lol. I would have loved to seen that go down haha. Nice storys.

 

[2kblacksleeper]

How about rebuilding a trak lok and a set of gears then find out that your supposed to put the s-spring in before the ring gear on...

working on a car and set your 6in socket extension on top of the fender lip. Then someone bumps the car and the extension falls on the battery and connects the 2 terminals. Talk about heating up... That sob glowed. Fried the battery also.

John

 

[CC'S95GT]

How about rebuilding a trak lok and a set of gears then find out that your supposed to put the s-spring in before the ring gear on...

working on a car and set your 6in socket extension on top of the fender lip. Then someone bumps the car and the extension falls on the battery and connects the 2 terminals. Talk about heating up... That sob glowed. Fried the battery also.

John

hey how about checking the dates in the threads your replying to!!!
THIS THREAD IS ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD
WAKE UP PEOPLE