Ruby Radius Arm

[Jamie]

Does anyone have a clear picture of the end of the radius arm where it joins the front axle?

My chassis is still caked in dirt and grime, so it is hard to see the details. However, poking about it to get some idea of how much work is needed, one arm appears to be joined to the end piece with a large rivet, but the other side has a bolt through it instead. There is also a small tang of metal sticking up on this side. I cannot tell whether it is cracked or whether whoever bolted the piece together was just careless and dinged the end.

I am hoping that it is not damaged.

Thank you.

Jamie.

[Tony Press]

Woodrow 

[Jamie]

Thank you,Tony.

Well, that's embarrassing. I was reading Woodrow last night, looking at the removal of the three-bearing crankshaft. I had not realised that it had quite so much in it about the chassis and running gear.

Both of my radius arms seem to have the two rivets on the top and bottom of the rails, but one has an additional bolt through the side. I shall have to give it a good clean and have a look to see what has been done to it.

Jamie.

[Jamie]

Something tells me that this is not how it left the factory. There was a large bolt through the hole.

   

   

Jamie.

[Greig Smith]

Jamie isn't there someone near you who does steam cleaning ?? Usually guys who do work on trucks have s steam cleaning bay, they will laugh at your chassis & probably charge you beer money, but the chassis will come back about 95% clean. A few aerosol rattle cans of primer will keep the surface rust at bay for a few weeks while you dismantle it & you can easily clean & paint each component as you go along. I'm partial to ordinary black enamel on chassis & underpinnings as you can spray or brush it on & it's thixotropic & the brush marks disappear easily & you can touch it up anytime.

Mr Betts' Radius Arm Emporium would be a good place to visit while the chassis is being titivated....

Aye
Greig

[Jamie]

Greig.

There may well be someone around this was who does steam cleaning. When I get to work on the chassis, I shall have a look. Does steam cleaning do anything about removing rust? I assume that it just removes the aeons worth of grime. I shall have to look for a new arm when I start on it, so Mr. Betts may well be getting a call.

Before that, though, I want to finish the engine which is progressing slowly, but surely. Currently wondering why I cannot find a pressure relief valve on the thing: it is a three-bearing engine. It seems to have the screw-in cap, but no gubbins inside.

Jamie.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Jamie

That radius arm look a bit dangerous to me!  As Greig says Tony Betts should be able to help out with an arm.  Although I may just have had the last two  .  Once cleaned up grind off the rivets and separate the end.  I had a local blacksmith redo the hot rivets on two arms recently (£20).  Rivets are better than bolts here as the radius arm end has sloping sides and you would need wedge shaped washers if using bolts.

Cheers

Howard

[Tony Press]

Hopefully get a complete pair with ends 

[Bob Culver]

Colleagues have cleaned undersides using a water blaster. but it makes a huge mess over a large area and forces water into any bearings not protected