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Hoping everyone has a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. Hopefully the Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and beer are flowing freely!

Enjoy your mid-week vacation as it's back to work tomorrow for most of us.

Happy 4th of July Kev and everyone who contributes to this website. Hot day here in Atlanta so will fire up the grill in a couple of hours and begin cooking the burgers and dogs. There is definitely a cold one awaiting the cook!

I did manage to spend a couple of hours in my garage today disassembling my 56 Carib steering linkage. Even after pressure washing the linkage still shows the signs of 50 plus years of road use. Everything will be cleaned, sandblasted, acid etched and painted cast gray aluminum. I have ordered new tie rod ends from MM.

Upon reassembly, what is the best way to re-install the tapered bolts on the steering links?

Thanks,
Robert.

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The heat here is pretty bad today. We are expecting 105 degrees (@ 21% humidity). Hopefully this summer is going to be cooler than last summer or I am going to have to buy a A/C unit for the garage.

We use a swamp cooler for the main house as it works very well in our relative low humidity, and only costs about 1/8 of using central air. But a think a swamp cooler in the garage would cause rust issues with all the bare metal that is currently exposed. So perhaps I will buy one of those portable A/C units that just uses a duct to exhaust the heat.

Last year it was 115 in the garage for a week straight.

Hope everyone has a safe one! Hot with thunderstorms here. Just got a thooth pulled yesterday, so I'm on liquids:) Nothing new to report on my car, hope you are having better luck!
Dan

Cloudy here and tried to rain a few times, so I doubt if the temp even reached 80, but the air was clammy ahead of the incoming storm front, making for a lazy day - good time to catch up on the mail (mostly bills).

Yet, the break in the week wasn't totally lost as I escaped from reality last night and saw the "Transformers" movie. Then, upon leaving the theater, a fireworks display had just begun up the street - a nice two-fer.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

Robert -

While disassembly of the tapered studs from their seats in the steering link and arms can be a bit tedious, there's nothing special about re-assembly. Just make sure the tapered holes in the link and arms aren't "wallowed out" (not egg-shaped, that is). BTW, make sure the those tapered holes are clean - no paint.

The stud will find its own "purchase" as you tighten the nut, but can only be pulled in so far before it stops - by design. Just tighten to the spec shown for "taper ball joint nut" under the steering section of torque specifications as found in the back of the shop manual, and then install a cotter pin.

BigKev,

You win on the heat index! We occassionally hit 100 here but normally in the lower 90's which makes the garage tolerable with a window box fan. At least in the morning.

BH,

Thanks for your post on the tapered bolts. "Tedious" was kind...I had a few other choice words during disassembly.

Regards,
Robert.