alfredo

Hello, i am putting my brakes back together and there is a little bracket shim thing on the inner side of the caliper bracket that is missing on my passenger side. the drivers side has one, but the passenger side didn't have one when i took it all apart. i am assuming that it is there for a reason and i should find another one. is this an item that a local napa would carry? dare i ask if i can do with out it? this isn't an anti- rattle clip, but a long contoured metal piece that hugs the bracket. also, my inner brake pads seem kind of loose. this is my first disc brake job so i am not sure how tight the inner pad needs to be. the outer one seemed to go in tight but the inner not so much. if anyone knows of a good thread on disc breaks that has nice pictures please let me know. i couldn't find one in the archives. thanks

Hello, i am a little confused about which way the oil seals face in the front steering knuckle. according to my haynes manual the flat side should go up against the wheel bearing. the other side with the lip and recess faces out. this is shown for both inner and outer seals. that is how my brat is set up. my only concern is that in the wheel bearing replacement photo essay in the archives it shows the seals originally like that, but when replaced they appear to be orientated the other way with the smooth face facing out. the guys at my local auto parts store said that it should be done opposite of what my manual says. i replaced the bearings on my drivers side according to how they were when i took them out, which is with the smooth side against the bearing. does it really matter? thanks

my neighbor has a metal fab shop and he made me a spacer out of pipe that allowed me to crank it all down until i could get my hub on. worked out great. now that i have done this, it won't be so bad on the other side. i did this all on my work bench. if i was not replacing the bearings then it seems that it would have been a lot easier to leave it all on the car. live and learn. thanks for all the help guys. i'm sure i will be posting again soon with a new situation. alfredo

hello, got the wheel bearings,spacer and oil seals in my steering knuckle, but i can't even come close to getting any axle threads through my hub in order to tighten it together. it seems that something is amiss. i was able to get it part way into the knuckle by putting a washer on without the hub and tightening the castle nut, but it ended up getting stuck on the shaft after the threads ended. does any of this make sense? should the axle be able to slide in the steering knuckle that far? there must be something i am overlooking. help

i can't seem to pound the wheel bearings out of the knuckle. any tricks or do i just keep slamming on them from the inside out. thanks

sounds good, the only other issue is getting the lower ball joint back into the steering knuckle. my manual says to remove the pinch bolt and pry apart the two threaded flanges to facilitate the removal of the ball joint. i am thinking small puller for that. when i do get it out, how do i get the new one back in? it may be obvious when i get to that point, i will try and then ask the questions...

ha ha!! couple taps of the hammer and it came loose. the bearings stayed in place, i think i can pry them out and put in the new ones. can i force the new ball joint into the steering knuckle by re-attaching it to the lower control arm and then tightening it. i am just not sure on how to get the new one back in without messing it up. thanks for all the help. nice 83 brat.

i pryed the ball joint off of the control arm so it is in the steering knuckle. i have one of those tuning fork looking balljoint removers that you smack. will that work? thanks

that sounds fairly straight forward. what about pulling the lower control arm ball joint. well pulling it doesn't seem difficult, but getting a replacement back in. mine needs replacing, and since i have the assembly off of the car, should i replace the balljoint now, or would it be easier to do with the steering knuckle back on the car. thanks

so i can blast it all out with a small sledge. so putting it back together is the reverse? just smack the other end. i am assuming that the steering knuckle must be secure in a vise and i take a block of wood and place it over the shaft, pushing all of it out in the direction of the axle. then i would smack the other end of the replacement axle to force it back into the steering knuckle. the inner wheel bearing would be put in position and smacked in with the new axle, and the outer bearing can be put in from the outside. does that sound right? what about lubrication. i know i have to pack the wheel bearings, but should anything be used to lubricate the inside of the knuckle? or should that be avoided. this is going to be fun!! i just hope i know what i am doing or get lucky without knowing what i am doing. thanks

hello, so i have successfully taken out my drive axle/steering knuckle assembly. according to my repair manual i need to have a machine shop press the axle out of the knuckle and press the new one back in. so far i haven't found a machine shop in the greater Duvall area (duvall, carnation, monroe) that can do this. apparently they need special adapters for the subaru. anyway, i figure that i can take it to a dealership, but when i think dealership it makes me flinch and grab my wallet. is there anyone in the seattle area that can recommend a good machine shop or individual who could do this for me. i would greatly appreciate it. thanks, alfredo

Went to my local auto parts store in Duvall and they couldn't find kyb-gr2 struts. said they were obsolete, what ever that means. couldn't find any front strut assemblies for an 84 subaru. they could find rear strut assemblies but nothing for the front. maybe napa? thanks

Hello, have an 86 brat that needs new struts. was wondering if there is a type or brand of struts that aren't ultra expensive that i should look into instead of replacing them with a standard strut assembly that my auto parts store carries. any brand that should be avoided. maybe an upgrade? i will be using the vehicle for mainly road use, but do live down a 5 mile long potholed logging road that i drive daily. this is my first sub so any help will be appreciated. thanks, alfredo

Hello, been on the site a few times in the last week. i am the proud new owner of a 1986 brat. it was sitting for two years but started right up the other day. have been into vw diesels for the past 10 years so this is the first gas vehicle i have had in awhile. once the weather warms up i will do a more thorough check of the vehicle and will probably be posting questions. really like the brat. anyway, glad to have found this site and look forward to corresponding with you all soon.